Spanish Verbs in the Present Tense and Conjugations
In order to understand the Spanish verbs in the present tense, it's good to review some basic concepts. A verb is a word used to express an action, a process, or to describe a state or existence, and it affects people and things. Learning about how to use these verbs in their different tenses and conjugations is an invaluable asset that will open a big door for fluency and conversation in Spanish.
In this lesson you will learn about verbs in their non-conjugated forms as well as the one used in the present tense and how to conjugate them.
Resources for further reading:
Understanding Infinitives
The infinitive of a verb is, as the name suggests, timeless. It is the unconjugated form of the verb and therefore has no tense (such as past, present, or future).
In English, the infinitive of a verb is formed by adding the word “to.” Examples include: to learn, to act, and to be.
In Spanish, the infinitive of a verb is indicated by one of the following endings:
–AR, -ER, and -IR.
Here are some common verbs.
-AR verbs
-IR verbs
-ER verbs
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Caminar
To walk
Preguntar
To ask
Escribir
To write
Compartir
To share
Leer
To read
Tener
To have
Isolating Verb Endings
Just as you saw with ser, every verb has a different conjugation according to the subject and tense of the sentence. Fortunately, the conjugations follow some very simple rules. All you have to do is change the ending of the verb according to the appropriate rule.
Let’s start with the present tense and see how the verb endings change with each subject pronoun.
Each type of verb —AR, —ER, and —IR has a different set of endings. Study the verb endings in the table below. How is each type of verb different? Can you detect any patterns?
Conjugate a Verb
AR - Caminar
Yo camino
I walk
Tú caminas
You walk
Usted camina
You (formal) walk
Él camina
He walks
Ella camina
She walks
Nosotros caminamos
We (masc.) walk
Nosotras caminamos
We (fem.) walk
Vosotros camináis
You (pl. masc.) walk
Vosotras camináis
You (pl. fem.) walk
Ustedes caminan
You (plural) walk
Ellos caminan
They (masc.) walk
Ellas caminan
They (fem.) walk
ER - Comer
Yo como
I eat
Tú comes
You eat
Usted come
You (formal) eat
Él come
He eats
Ella come
She eats
Nosotros comemos
We (masc.) eat
Nosotras comemos
We (fem.) eat
Vosotros coméis
You (pl. masc.) eat
Vosotras coméis
You (pl. fem.) eat
Ustedes comen
You (plural) eat
Ellos comen
They (masc.) eat
Ellas comen
They (fem.) eat
IR - Escribir
Yo escribo
I write
Tú escribes
You write
Usted escribe
You (formal) write
Él escribe
He writes
Ella escribe
She writes
Nosotros escribimos
We (masc.) write
Nosotras escribimos
We (fem.) write
Vosotros escribís
You (pl. masc.) write
Vosotras escribís
You (pl. fem.) write
Ustedes escriben
You (plural) write
Ellos escriben
They (masc.) write
Ellas escriben
They (fem.) write
In order to conjugate a verb, you first need to identify the verb “stem.” The stem is the part of the verb that, in most cases, remains constant.
Find the stem by taking the infinitive of the verb and removing the –ar, -er, or –ir ending.
Por ejemplo:
| Verb | Stem |
|---|---|
| dibuj | dibujar |
| pregunt | preguntar |
| le | leer |
| compart | compartir |
Now that you have the stem by itself, consult the table of verb endings and add the appropriate one, according to who is performing the action.
Por ejemplo:
Using Two Verbs in a Row
When two verbs are used consecutively without changing the subject, the second verb is usually written in the infinitive form.
Por ejemplo:
Tú necesitas estudiar para la prueba.
You need to study for the exam.
Espero terminar pronto.
I hope to finish soon.
Los niños necesitan descansar esta semana.
The children need to rest this week.
When Something Isn’t Happening: Negative Sentences
To convert a sentence into a negative form in Spanish, all you need to do is add the word “no” immediately before the conjugated verb.
Por ejemplo:
No vamos a terminar pronto.
We are not going to finish soon.
Ella no necesita estudiar para la prueba.
She does not need to study for the test.
Yo no soy piloto de aviones.
I am not an airplane pilot.
Be careful that you add the “no” before the conjugated verb—not the infinitive or subject.
Por ejemplo:
¡No ella necesita! (incorrecto) - ¡Ella no necesita! (correcto)
In this section you’ve begun to learn about verbs, their endings, and use in the present tense.
Check out more Spanish Verbs for useful info!
See you soon! ¡Hasta pronto!
Mauricio Evlampieff: Rocket Spanish
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