Spanish Phrase
El cole empieza a las 8 de la mañana.
Meaning
This phrase means 'School starts at 8 in the morning.' It uses 'el cole' as an informal, common way to refer to 'school' (la escuela). The verb 'empieza' is the third-person singular form of 'empezar' (to start).
When to use
You would use this phrase when discussing daily schedules, particularly school timings. It's a very common and natural way to talk about when classes or the school day begins, especially in informal settings or with children.
✦Grammar Breakdown
El coleempiezaa las8de la mañana
El cole
'El cole' is an informal, colloquial abbreviation for 'el colegio' or 'la escuela' (school). It's very common in everyday speech, especially among children and parents.
Empieza (empezar)
'Empieza' is the third-person singular conjugation of the verb 'empezar' (to start/begin). It's a stem-changing verb (e > ie) in the present tense for most forms, except 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'.
A las
To state a specific time in Spanish, you use 'a la' for 1 o'clock (e.g., 'a la una') and 'a las' for all other hours (e.g., 'a las dos', 'a las ocho'). 'A' means 'at'.
De la mañana
This phrase means 'in the morning' and is used to specify the part of the day when referring to a time. Similarly, 'de la tarde' means 'in the afternoon/evening' and 'de la noche' means 'at night'.
🗨In Conversation
¿A qué hora empieza el cole mañana?
What time does school start tomorrow?
El cole empieza a las 8 de la mañana.
School starts at 8 in the morning.
✕Common Mistakes
La escuela comienza a las ocho de la mañana.
While grammatically correct, 'La escuela comienza' is more formal. 'El cole empieza' is much more common and natural in everyday conversation, especially among younger people or parents.
El cole empieza en las 8 de la mañana.
When stating a specific time, use the preposition 'a' (at), not 'en' (in/on). So, 'a las 8' is correct.
El cole empieza a las 8 en la mañana.
The correct way to say 'in the morning' when specifying a time is 'de la mañana', not 'en la mañana'.
↔Alternatives
La escuela comienza a las ocho de la mañana.
School begins at eight in the morning.
Las clases empiezan a las ocho.
Classes start at eight.
A las ocho de la mañana empieza el colegio.
At eight in the morning, school starts.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish-speaking countries, 'el cole' is a widely used, affectionate, and informal term for 'el colegio' or 'la escuela' (school). School start times can vary, but 8 AM is a very common hour. Also, note that the 24-hour clock is often used in formal contexts, but for daily conversation, specifying 'de la mañana' (in the morning), 'de la tarde' (in the afternoon), or 'de la noche' (at night) is very common for times between 1 and 12.