Spanish Phrase
Vamos a empezar por el armario.
Meaning
Literally, 'We are going to start with the wardrobe.' It signals that the speaker will begin a series of actions or a plan by tackling the wardrobe first.
When to use
Use this sentence when you are organizing a room, describing the order of a cleaning routine, or planning a move and want to indicate that the wardrobe will be the first item you address.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Vamosaempezarporelarmario
Vamos
First person plural present of 'ir' used as a periphrastic future meaning 'let's'.
a + infinitive
The preposition 'a' followed by an infinitive forms a near‑future construction: 'we are going to...'.
empezar
Verb meaning 'to start' or 'to begin'.
por
Preposition indicating the point where an action starts in a sequence.
el armario
Masculine noun meaning 'wardrobe' or 'closet'. In many Latin‑American countries it is called 'ropero'.
🗨In Conversation
¿Por dónde quieres comenzar la reorganización?
Where do you want to start the reorganization?
Vamos a empezar por el armario.
Let's start with the wardrobe.
✕Common Mistakes
Vamos a empezar en el armario.
Use 'por' to indicate the point where you begin; 'en' means 'in' and changes the meaning.
Vamos a empezar por la armario.
If you refer to a built‑in closet, the word can be 'el armario' or 'el ropero' depending on region; avoid mixing genders.
↔Alternatives
Comencemos con el armario.
Let's begin with the wardrobe.
Empecemos por el armario.
Let's start with the wardrobe.
Iniciemos con el armario.
We will start with the wardrobe.
Cultural Tip
In Spain 'armario' is the most common word for a freestanding wardrobe, while in many Latin‑American countries people say 'ropero'. The preposition 'por' emphasizes the starting point; using 'con' (e.g., 'empezar con el armario') is also correct but slightly less focused on sequence.