comiences

Comiences is the second-person singular present subjunctive form of the Spanish verb comenzar, which means to begin or to start. It is used in clauses that require the subjunctive mood, typically after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, necessity, or uncertainty, and in subordinate clauses introduced by que.

Form and usage: In the present subjunctive, the verb stem is comenc- and is combined with the standard subjunctive endings. The full present-subjunctive conjugation of comenzar is: yo comience, tú comiences, él/ella/usted comience, nosotros comencemos, vosotros comencéis, ellos comiencen. Therefore, comiences is the form used when the subject is tú. Although comenzar is a stem-changing verb in the present indicative (o→ue in many forms), the subjunctive uses the comenc- stem consistently, with the expected endings.

Usage notes: Comiences appears in informal, subordinate clauses after verbs and expressions that require the subjunctive, such as quiero que comiences, es posible que comiences, or espero que comiences mañana. It contrasts with the corresponding indicative form comienzas, which is used in non-subjunctive contexts.

Related forms: The related subjunctive forms for other subjects are comience (usted/él/ella), comencemos (nosotros), comencéis (vosotros), and comiencen (ustedes/ellos). The infinitive and the noun form begin as comenzar.

See also: comenzar; present subjunctive; Spanish verb conjugation.