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In Spanish, there are three categories of verbs, based on the last two letters of the verb’s infinitive form: -ar verbs (like hablar [to speak]), -er verbs (like comer [to eat]), and -ir verbs (like vivir [to live]). In order for a verb to agree with the subject of the sentence, it must be conjugated.

Infinitive Verbs

All verbs have an infinitive form. This is how the verb looks when it has not been conjugated in any way. In Spanish, infinitive forms end in -ar, -er, or -ir. Hablar, comer and vivir are infinitives when they are in this form.

The Present Tense

The present tense in Spanish is usually used to talk about an action that is happening now, but it can also mean three slightly different things. In the case of the verb hablar, it can mean:

yo hablo I speak yo hablo I am speaking yo hablo I do speak Regular Verbs

For most Spanish verbs, there is a consistent conjugation pattern. These verbs are considered to be “regular” verbs. This is very important because once you learn the pattern you are well on your way to mastering Spanish verbs in general.

-AR Verb Conjugation

In order to conjugate a verb, you must remove the ending (in this case, -ar) from the verb stem. For the regular -ar verb hablar, the verb stem is habl-. Next, simply add the ending that agrees with the subject of the sentence. Regular infinitive verbs that end in -ar follow this conjugation pattern:

-AR

yo -o nosotros -amos tú -as vosotros -áis él, ella, usted -a ellos, ellas, ustedes -an

In the case of the verb hablar, the six present tense forms are: (yo) hablo, (tú) hablas, (él) habla, (nosotros) hablamos, (vosotros) habláis, (ellos) hablan. These forms are equivalent to the English forms “I speak”, “you speak”, “he speaks”, “we speak”, “you [all] speak”, and “they speak”.

Regular Present Tense Verbs

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Note that because the Spanish listener or reader can identify the subject of a verb based on how it is conjugated, it is possible to leave the subject or subject pronoun out of the sentence entirely. In fact, it is very common among native speakers.

Here is a sample list of common regular -ar verbs: hablar (to speak) estudiar (to study) nadar (to swim) visitar (to visit) bailar (to dance)

cantar (to sing) andar (to walk) comprar (to buy) mirar (to watch) necesitar (to need)

tocar (to play) trabajar (to work) ayudar (to help) amar (to love)

-ER Verb Conjugation Regular -er verbs (such as comer) follow a very similar pattern to that of regular -ar verbs: You must first remove the ending (in this case, -er) from the verb stem. For the regular -er verb comer, the verb stem is com-. Next, simply add the ending that agrees with the subject of the sentence. Regular infinitive verbs that end in -er follow this conjugation pattern:

-ER

yo -o nosotros -emos tú -es vosotros -éis él, ella, usted -e ellos, ellas, ustedes -en

In the case of the verb comer, the six present tense forms are: (yo) como, (tú) comes, (él) come, (nosotros) comemos, (vosotros) coméis, and (ellos) comen. These forms are equivalent to the English forms “I eat”, “you eat”, “he eats”, “we eat”, “you [all] eat”, and “they eat”.

Here is a sample list of common regular -er verbs: comer (to eat) beber (to drink) toser (to cough)

vender (to sell) correr (to run) temer (to fear)

depender (to depend) sorprender (to surprise) comprender (to understand)

-IR Verb Conjugation Regular -ir verbs (such as vivir) follow a very similar pattern to that of regular -ar and -er verbs: You must first remove the ending (in this case, -ir) from the verb stem. For the regular -ir verb vivir, the verb stem is viv-. Next, simply add the ending that agrees with the subject of the sentence. Regular infinitive verbs that end in -ir follow this conjugation pattern:

-IR

yo -o nosotros -imos tú -es vosotros -ís él, ella, usted -e ellos, ellas, ustedes -en

©  2011  Middlebury  Interactive  Languages.    All  rights  reserved.  This  material  is  intended  for  the  exclusive  use  of  registered  users  only.    No  portion  of  these  materials  may  be  reproduced  or  redistributed  in  any  form  without  the  express  permission  of  Middlebury  Interactive  Languages.  

Note that the -ir verb endings are nearly identical to -er endings. The only differences are in the nosotros and vosotros forms (-emos/-imos and -éis/ís).

In the case of the verb vivir, the six present tense forms are: (yo) vivo, (tú) vives, (él) vive, (nosotros) vivimos, (vosotros) vivís, and (ellos) viven. These forms are equivalent to the English forms “I live”, “you live”, “he lives”, “we live”, “you [all] live”, and “they live”.

Here is a sample list of common regular -ir verbs: vivir (to live) abrir (to open) describir (to describe)

escribir (to write) interrumpir (to interrupt) ocurrir (to occur)

recibir (to receive) subir (to go up) sufrir (to suffer)