abrir las zanjas

Literally, “to open the ditches”.

• IPA^(key): /aˌbɾiɾ las ˈθanxas/ [aˌβ̞ɾiɾ las ˈθãŋ.xas] (Spain, Equatorial Guinea)
• IPA^(key): /aˌbɾiɾ las ˈsanxas/ [aˌβ̞ɾiɾ las ˈsãŋ.xas] (Latin America, Philippines)
• Syllabification: a‧brir las zan‧jas

abrir las zanjas (first-person singular present abro las zanjas, first-person singular preterite abrí las zanjas, past participle abierto las zanjas)

1. (idiomatic) to break ground (to begin building a new construction project)
2. (transitive) to begin

• “abrir las zanjas”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025