Spanish Phrase
Empecé a coleccionar de pequeño.
Meaning
I started collecting when I was a child. The sentence emphasizes the moment the habit began, not what was collected.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to talk about a hobby or habit that began in early childhood, especially in a storytelling or nostalgic context.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Empecéacoleccionardepequeño
Preterite of empezar
‘Empecé’ is the first‑person singular preterite of ‘empezar’, used for actions that started at a specific moment in the past.
Infinitive after ‘empezar’
When ‘empezar’ is followed by another verb, the second verb stays in the infinitive (a + infinitive).
‘de pequeño’ as a temporal phrase
‘de pequeño’ literally means ‘as a small one’; it is a colloquial way to say ‘when I was a child’.
Verb ‘coleccionar’
‘Coleccionar’ means ‘to collect’ and takes a direct object (e.g., ‘sellos’, ‘monedas’).
🗨In Conversation
¿Cuándo empezaste a coleccionar?
When did you start collecting?
Empecé a coleccionar de pequeño.
I started collecting when I was a child.
✕Common Mistakes
Empezó a coleccionar de pequeño.
Use first‑person ‘empecé’ unless you are talking about someone else.
Empecé a coleccionar pequeño.
‘de pequeño’ must stay together; avoid splitting it with a verb.
Empecé coleccionar de pequeño.
The preposition ‘a’ is required after ‘empezar’ when the next verb is infinitive.
↔Alternatives
Comencé a coleccionar cuando era pequeño.
I began collecting when I was little.
Desde pequeño empecé a coleccionar.
Since I was little I started collecting.
De niño empecé a coleccionar.
As a kid I started collecting.
Cultural Tip
In Spanish‑speaking cultures, mentioning the age you began a hobby adds a personal, nostalgic tone. ‘De pequeño’ is informal and works best in conversation with friends or family; in formal writing you might prefer ‘cuando era niño’ or ‘desde pequeño’. Regionally, some speakers replace ‘pequeño’ with ‘niño’ or ‘chico’, but the meaning stays the same.