Verbs: present tense
Spanish verbs are the heart of the language. They carry more information than English verbs, encoding who is acting directly in the verb ending. Once you learn the patterns, you can conjugate thousands of verbs.
Verb infinitives
The infinitive is the base form of the verb — what you find in dictionaries. Spanish infinitives end in -ar, -er, or -ir, and this ending determines which conjugation pattern the verb follows. Learning these three patterns unlocks thousands of verbs:
| Ending | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| -ar | 🔊 hablar | to speak |
| -er | 🔊 comer | to eat |
| -ir | 🔊 vivir | to live |
These endings determine which conjugation pattern to follow.
Subject pronouns
Spanish has more pronoun forms than English because it distinguishes formal/informal "you" and has gendered forms for "we" and "they". The key insight: you can usually omit the pronoun entirely because the verb ending tells you who's acting. "Hablo" can only mean "I speak" — no "yo" needed. Use pronouns for emphasis or clarity:
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🔊 yo | I | |
| 🔊 tú | you (informal) | |
| 🔊 él | he | |
| 🔊 ella | she | |
| 🔊 usted (Ud.) | you (formal) | Uses 3rd person verb forms |
| 🔊 nosotros/as | we | |
| 🔊 vosotros/as | you all (informal) | Spain only |
| 🔊 ellos | they (m. or mixed) | |
| 🔊 ellas | they (f.) | |
| 🔊 ustedes (Uds.) | you all (formal/informal) | Latin America uses for all plural "you" |
Important: Subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending shows who is acting.
- 🔊 Hablo español. — I speak Spanish. (No need for "yo")
Regular -AR verbs: hablar (to speak)
| Person | Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | yo | 🔊 hablo |
| 2nd singular | tú | 🔊 hablas |
| 3rd singular | él/ella/usted | 🔊 habla |
| 1st plural | nosotros | 🔊 hablamos |
| 2nd plural | vosotros | 🔊 habláis |
| 3rd plural | ellos/ustedes | 🔊 hablan |
Other -AR verbs: 🔊 trabajar (work), 🔊 estudiar (study), 🔊 comprar (buy), 🔊 cocinar (cook), 🔊 viajar (travel), 🔊 llamar (call), 🔊 escuchar (listen), 🔊 caminar (walk)
Regular -ER verbs: comer (to eat)
| Person | Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | yo | 🔊 como |
| 2nd singular | tú | 🔊 comes |
| 3rd singular | él/ella/usted | 🔊 come |
| 1st plural | nosotros | 🔊 comemos |
| 2nd plural | vosotros | 🔊 coméis |
| 3rd plural | ellos/ustedes | 🔊 comen |
Other -ER verbs: 🔊 beber (drink), 🔊 leer (read), 🔊 aprender (learn), 🔊 comprender (understand), 🔊 correr (run), 🔊 creer (believe), 🔊 vender (sell)
Regular -IR verbs: vivir (to live)
| Person | Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | yo | 🔊 vivo |
| 2nd singular | tú | 🔊 vives |
| 3rd singular | él/ella/usted | 🔊 vive |
| 1st plural | nosotros | 🔊 vivimos |
| 2nd plural | vosotros | 🔊 vivís |
| 3rd plural | ellos/ustedes | 🔊 viven |
Other -IR verbs: 🔊 escribir (write), 🔊 abrir (open), 🔊 decidir (decide), 🔊 recibir (receive), 🔊 subir (go up), 🔊 describir (describe)
Notice that -ER and -IR verbs share most endings; they only differ in nosotros and vosotros forms.
Stem-changing verbs
Stem-changing verbs (also called "boot verbs" because the changed forms look like a boot shape when charted) have a vowel change in the stressed syllable. The pattern is consistent: the change happens in all forms except nosotros and vosotros (where stress falls on the ending, not the stem). These aren't truly irregular — they follow predictable patterns once you know which type of change a verb has:
E → IE
| Infinitive | yo | tú | él | nosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🔊 pensar (think) | 🔊 pienso | 🔊 piensas | 🔊 piensa | 🔊 pensamos | 🔊 piensan |
| 🔊 querer (want) | 🔊 quiero | 🔊 quieres | 🔊 quiere | 🔊 queremos | 🔊 quieren |
| 🔊 preferir (prefer) | 🔊 prefiero | 🔊 prefieres | 🔊 prefiere | 🔊 preferimos | 🔊 prefieren |
Other E → IE verbs: 🔊 empezar (begin), 🔊 entender (understand), 🔊 perder (lose), 🔊 cerrar (close), 🔊 comenzar (start)
O → UE
| Infinitive | yo | tú | él | nosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🔊 poder (can) | 🔊 puedo | 🔊 puedes | 🔊 puede | 🔊 podemos | 🔊 pueden |
| 🔊 dormir (sleep) | 🔊 duermo | 🔊 duermes | 🔊 duerme | 🔊 dormimos | 🔊 duermen |
| 🔊 volver (return) | 🔊 vuelvo | 🔊 vuelves | 🔊 vuelve | 🔊 volvemos | 🔊 vuelven |
Other O → UE verbs: 🔊 encontrar (find), 🔊 contar (count/tell), 🔊 costar (cost), 🔊 recordar (remember), 🔊 almorzar (have lunch)
E → I (only -IR verbs)
| Infinitive | yo | tú | él | nosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🔊 pedir (ask for) | 🔊 pido | 🔊 pides | 🔊 pide | 🔊 pedimos | 🔊 piden |
| 🔊 repetir (repeat) | 🔊 repito | 🔊 repites | 🔊 repite | 🔊 repetimos | 🔊 repiten |
| 🔊 servir (serve) | 🔊 sirvo | 🔊 sirves | 🔊 sirve | 🔊 servimos | 🔊 sirven |
U → UE
| Infinitive | yo | tú | él | nosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🔊 jugar (play) | 🔊 juego | 🔊 juegas | 🔊 juega | 🔊 jugamos | 🔊 juegan |
Important irregular verbs
The most frequently used verbs in Spanish are irregular — you must memorise their forms individually. Ser and estar (both meaning "to be"), tener (to have), ir (to go), and hacer (to do/make) appear in almost every conversation. For a detailed explanation of when to use ser vs estar, see the dedicated page.
Ser (to be — permanent)
Ser describes essential, defining characteristics: identity, origin, profession, time, and what something fundamentally is:
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | 🔊 soy |
| tú | 🔊 eres |
| él/ella/usted | 🔊 es |
| nosotros | 🔊 somos |
| vosotros | 🔊 sois |
| ellos/ustedes | 🔊 son |
Estar (to be — temporary/location)
Estar describes states that could change: location, emotions, conditions, and the result of change. It's also used for progressive tenses (🔊 estoy hablando = I'm speaking):
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | 🔊 estoy |
| tú | 🔊 estás |
| él/ella/usted | 🔊 está |
| nosotros | 🔊 estamos |
| vosotros | 🔊 estáis |
| ellos/ustedes | 🔊 están |
Tener (to have)
Tener means "to have" but also appears in many expressions where English uses "to be" — 🔊 tener hambre (be hungry), 🔊 tener frío (be cold), 🔊 tener años (be X years old). It's a stem-changing verb (e→ie) with an irregular yo form:
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | 🔊 tengo |
| tú | 🔊 tienes |
| él/ella/usted | 🔊 tiene |
| nosotros | 🔊 tenemos |
| vosotros | 🔊 tenéis |
| ellos/ustedes | 🔊 tienen |
Ir (to go)
Ir (to go) is completely irregular — its forms don't resemble the infinitive at all. It's essential for expressing movement and, combined with a + infinitive, forms a simple future: 🔊 "Voy a comer" = "I'm going to eat":
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | 🔊 voy |
| tú | 🔊 vas |
| él/ella/usted | 🔊 va |
| nosotros | 🔊 vamos |
| vosotros | 🔊 vais |
| ellos/ustedes | 🔊 van |
Hacer (to do/make)
Hacer is one of the most versatile Spanish verbs, appearing in expressions about weather (🔊 hace calor), asking questions (🔊 hacer una pregunta), and countless other contexts. It only has an irregular yo form (hago):
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | 🔊 hago |
| tú | 🔊 haces |
| él/ella/usted | 🔊 hace |
| nosotros | 🔊 hacemos |
| vosotros | 🔊 hacéis |
| ellos/ustedes | 🔊 hacen |
Verbs with irregular "yo" forms
A common pattern in Spanish: verbs that are completely regular except for an unusual yo form. Often this involves adding a "g" (salgo, pongo, tengo) or a "zc" (conozco). The other forms follow standard patterns. Once you know the yo form, you can predict the rest:
| Infinitive | yo | Other forms regular |
|---|---|---|
| 🔊 conocer (know) | 🔊 conozco | conoces, conoce... |
| 🔊 dar (give) | 🔊 doy | das, da... |
| 🔊 saber (know) | 🔊 sé | sabes, sabe... |
| 🔊 salir (leave) | 🔊 salgo | sales, sale... |
| 🔊 traer (bring) | 🔊 traigo | traes, trae... |
| 🔊 ver (see) | 🔊 veo | ves, ve... |
| 🔊 poner (put) | 🔊 pongo | pones, pone... |
Using the present tense
The Spanish present tense is more versatile than the English present. While English often requires "am/is/are + -ing" for current actions, Spanish uses the simple present for both habitual and current actions. The present can even express near future when combined with time words:
- Current actions: 🔊 Trabajo en una oficina. — I work in an office.
- Habitual actions: 🔊 Me levanto a las siete. — I get up at seven.
- General truths: 🔊 El agua hierve a 100 grados. — Water boils at 100 degrees.
- Near future (with time words): 🔊 Mañana voy a Madrid. — Tomorrow I'm going to Madrid.
- Commands (informal): 🔊 Tú vienes conmigo. — You're coming with me.
Common verb phrases
These phrases are essential for everyday Spanish. They often don't translate literally — Spanish expresses many states with "having" where English uses "being."
Tener expressions
Spanish uses tener (to have) where English uses "to be" for physical states, age, and certain feelings. This is one of the most common sources of errors for English speakers, who instinctively reach for ser or estar:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| 🔊 tener hambre | to be hungry |
| 🔊 tener sed | to be thirsty |
| 🔊 tener frío | to be cold |
| 🔊 tener calor | to be hot |
| 🔊 tener sueño | to be sleepy |
| 🔊 tener miedo | to be afraid |
| 🔊 tener razón | to be right |
| 🔊 tener X años | to be X years old |
Ir a + infinitive (going to)
Use ir a + infinitive for the near future:
- 🔊 Voy a estudiar. — I'm going to study.
- 🔊 Vamos a comer. — We're going to eat.
Acabar de + infinitive (just did)
Use acabar de + infinitive for actions just completed:
- 🔊 Acabo de llegar. — I just arrived.
- 🔊 Acabamos de comer. — We just ate.