In Spanish, you can describe the phase of an action – whether it's just started, just finished, or about to happen. Instead of always using adverbs like 'just' or 'again', Spanish often uses special verb combinations. These are called aspectual verbs, and they give you more precision when talking about time.

To say you have 'just' done something, use the expression 'acabar de' followed by an infinitive. You only need to conjugate the verb 'acabar'. For example, 'Acabo de comer' means 'I have just eaten'. It's a very common way to talk about the immediate past.

To talk about the beginning of an action, use 'empezar a' followed by an infinitive. 'Empezar' means 'to start' or 'to begin'. For instance, 'Empiezo a trabajar a las nueve' means 'I start to work at nine'. Notice the preposition 'a' that connects the two verbs.