Verb Conjugations

Verbs in almost any language are conjugated. They have different forms depending on the subject. Sometimes this is a hard concept for anglophones to grasp because the verb forms in English don't vary much. But in most verbs, it is "I speak" but "he speaks." In Spanish, the forms are more diverse. There are regular verbs and irregular verbs in Spanish just as in English. The three classes of verbs are -ar, -er, and -ir. All irregular and regular verbs fit into these categories. Regular verbs follow a specific pattern when they are conjugated, while irregular verbs don't. Below you will learn how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense, and some irregular verbs as well. To learn how these verbs work in other tenses, consult the tense topics.

regular -ar verbs
Example verb: hablar, to talk

• Drop the -ar from the infinitive.
• Add the following endings:
• yo: -o (yo hablo=I talk)
• tú: -as (tú hablas=you talk)
• él/ella/Usted: -a (él habla=he talks)
• nosotros: -amos (nosotros hablamos=we talk)
• [vosotros: -áis (vosotros habláis=you talk)]
• ellors/ellas/Ustedes: -an (ellos hablan=they talk)

regular -er verbs
Example verb: leer, to read

• Drop the -er from the infinitive.
• Add the following endings:
• yo: -o (yo leo=I read)
• tú: -es (tú lees=you read)
• él/ella/Usted: -e (él lee=he reads)
• nosotros: -emos (nosotros leemos=we read)
• [vosotros: -éis (vosotros leéis=you read)]
• ellos/ella/Ustedes: -en (ellos leen=they read)

regular -ir verbs
Example verb: cumplir (to complete)

• Drop the -ir from the infinitive.
• Add the following endings:
• yo: -o (yo cumplo=I complete)
• tú: -es (tú cumples=you complete)
• él/ella/Usted: -e (él cumple=he completes)
• nosotros: -imos (nosotros cumplimos=we complete)
• [vosotros: -ís (vosotros cumplís=you complete)]
• ellos/ella/Ustedes: -en (ellos cumplen=they complete)
  

Stem-changing verbs
Some verbs have an irregular stem in all forms except nosotros and vosotros. The endings still correspond to the type of verb it is.

• In verbs such as morir (to die), contar (to tell a story), dormir (to sleep), almorzar (to have lunch), volar (to fly), and almost any verb with an "o" as the last vowel in the stem (comer, to eat, is an exception), the "o" becomes "ue" in all forms except nosotros and vosotros. For example, volar is conjugated: yo vuelo, tú vuelas, él vuela, nosotros volamos, vosotros voláis, ellos, vuelan.
• In -ir verbs such as pedir (to ask for), medir (to measure), seguir (to follow), reír (to laugh), and almost any -ir verb where "e" is the last vowel in the stem, the "e" becomes "i" in all forms except the nosotros and vosotros. For example, pedir is conjugated: yo pido, tú pides, él pide, nosotros pedimos, vosotros pedís, ellos piden.
• In -ar and -er verbs such as pensar (to think), perder (to lose), entender (to understand), cerrar (to close), and almost any -ar or -er verbs in which "e" is the last vowel in the stem, the "e" changes to"ie" in all forms except nosotros and vosotros. For example, perder is conjugated: yo pierdo, tú pierdes, él pierde, nosotros perdemos, vosotros perdéis, ellos pierden.

Verbs with an irregular "yo" form
Quite a few verbs in Spanish have an irregular "yo" form, but the rest of the verb conjugates regularly or with stem change where applicable. In -er and -ir verbs whose stems end in "g," the "g" becomes a "j" in the "yo" form (for example, in eligir, to choose, it is yo elijo). Some more irregular "yo" forms:

• salir (to go out) --> yo salgo
• conocer (to know, to meet) --> yo conozco
• saber (to know) --> yo sé
• dar (to give) --> yo doy
• ver (to see) --> yo veo
• poner (to put) --> yo pongo
• traer (to bring) --> yo traigo
• hacer (to make) --> yo hago
• caber (to fit) --> yo quepo
• caer (to fall) --> yo caigo
• valer (to be worth) --> yo valgo
• decir (to say) --> yo digo
• parecer (to appear) --> yo parezco
• ofrecer (to offer) --> yo ofrezco

Completely irregular verbs
Some verbs are just completely irregular! The good news is, there aren't that many!

• estar (to be): yo estoy, tú estás, él está, nosotros estamos, vosotros estáis, ellos están
• ser (to be): yo soy, tú eres, él es, nosotros somos, vosotros sois, ellos son
• haber (to have): yo he, tú has, él ha, nosotros hemos, vosotros habéis, ellos han
• ir (to go): yo voy, tú vas, él va, nosotros vamos, vosotros vais, ellos van
• oír (to hear): yo oigo, tú oyes, él oye, nosotros oímos, vosotros oís, ellos oyen

Estar vs. Ser
You may have noticed above that hese two verbs mean the same thing in English (to be), but they are used in different situations. They are not interchangeable, but "ser" is used more often than estar.

Uses of "estar"

• Mood (Example: Estoy feliz, I am happy)
• State of being or temporary condition (Example: Está enfermo=He is sick, Etamos bien=We are well)
• Location (Examples: Los niños están a la escuela=The children are at school, Barcelona está en España=Barcelona is in Spain)
• Present progressive - Saying "ing" (Example: Estoy leyendo un buen libro, I am reading a good book)

Uses of "ser"
"Ser" is used more commonly than "estar," so if you are trying to determine which to use, if it does not fit into one of the categories for "estar," more than likely it will be "ser." Here are the most common uses of "ser":

• Origin (Examples: Este libro es de la biblioteca=This book is from the library, Vino de Oaxaca=She came from Oaxaca)
• Describing traits (Examples: Juanita es alta=Juanita is tall, La casa es bonita=The house is pretty, Ramón es cristiano=Ramón is Christian)
• Time or date (Example: Son las siete horas, It is seven o'clock)