Learning to conjugate verbs in Spanish opens the door to expressing yourself fluently in everyday conversations. In this guide, we’ll explore the three types of regular verb conjugations and some essential irregular verbs you’ll encounter frequently. By understanding these basics, you’ll be able to talk about what you do, what others do, and what’s happening around you.
Regular Verbs: The Three Types
- -AR Verbs: Verbs ending in -ar follow a predictable pattern. Let’s take a look at the verb hablar (to speak).
| Person | Conjugation |
| yo | hablo |
| tú | hablas |
| él/ella/usted | habla |
| nosotros/as | hablamos |
| vosotros/as | habláis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablan |
E.g. Yo hablo español todos los días. (I speak Spanish every day.)
- -ER Verbs: Verbs ending in -er conjugate similarly, with slight differences. Let’s use comer (to eat).
| Person | Conjugation |
| yo | como |
| tú | comes |
| él/ella/usted | come |
| nosotros/as | comemos |
| vosotros/as | coméis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | comen |
E.g. Nosotros comemos pizza los viernes. (We eat pizza on Fridays.)
- -IR Verbs: Verbs ending in -ir follow their own pattern. Check out vivir (to live).
| Person | Conjugation |
| yo | vivo |
| tú | vives |
| él/ella/usted | vive |
| nosotros/as | vivimos |
| vosotros/as | vivís |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | viven |
E.g. Ellos viven en Madrid. (They live in Madrid.)
Irregular Verbs: Common Daily Use
While most verbs follow predictable patterns, some commonly used verbs have irregular conjugations in the present tense. These verbs don’t fit neatly into the -ar, -er, or -ir categories, so you’ll need to memorize them.
- Ser (to be)
| Person | Conjugation |
| yo | soy |
| tú | eres |
| él/ella/usted | es |
| nosotros/as | somos |
| vosotros/as | sois |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | son |
E.g. Yo soy estudiante. (I am a student.)
- Estar (to be)
| Person | Conjugation |
| yo | estoy |
| tú | estás |
| él/ella/usted | está |
| nosotros/as | estamos |
| vosotros/as | estáis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | están |
E.g. Tú estás en casa. (You are at home.)
Note: If you don’t know the difference between ser vs estar, check out this blog!
- Tener (to have)
| Person | Conjugation |
| yo | tengo |
| tú | tienes |
| él/ella/usted | tiene |
| nosotros/as | tenemos |
| vosotros/as | tenéis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | tienen |
e.g. Él tiene un perro. (He has a dog.)
Understanding these conjugations will let you communicate effectively in Spanish. Practice regularly, and soon you’ll master the art of conjugating verbs in the present tense!
Exercise
Conjugate the following verbs in the present tense: cantar, leer, escribir. All of them are regular verbs!
- Cantar (to sing)
| Person | Conjugation |
| yo | canto |
| tú | cantas |
| él/ella/usted | canta |
| nosotros/as | cantamos |
| vosotros/as | cantáis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | cantan |
- Leer (to read)
| Person | Conjugation |
| yo | leo |
| tú | lees |
| él/ella/usted | lee |
| nosotros/as | leemos |
| vosotros/as | leéis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | leen |
- Escribir (to write)
| Person | Conjugation |
| yo | escribo |
| tú | escribes |
| él/ella/usted | escribe |
| nosotros/as | escribimos |
| vosotros/as | escribís |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | escriben |
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