Verbs are the engine of any language, and Spanish verbs are both systematic and, at first glance, intimidating. Every Spanish verb must be conjugated — changed in form — to match the subject and tense. The good news is that most Spanish verbs follow predictable patterns grouped by their infinitive ending: -AR, -ER, or -IR. Master the three core patterns and you can correctly conjugate the majority of Spanish verbs you'll encounter. This guide covers the foundations you need, from present tense conjugation tables through the notorious ser vs estar distinction, irregular verbs, reflexive verbs, and an introduction to the past tenses.
Every Spanish verb in its infinitive (unconjugated) form ends in one of three ways:
The infinitive ending tells you which set of conjugation endings to apply. Remove the -ar/-er/-ir ending (called the "stem") and add the appropriate suffix for the person (yo/tú/él etc.) and tense.
Hablar (to speak) is the textbook -AR verb. Stem: habl-
| Person | Pronoun | Ending | Form | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | yo | -o | hablo | I speak |
| 2nd singular | tú | -as | hablas | you speak |
| 3rd singular | él/ella/usted | -a | habla | he/she/you (formal) speaks |
| 1st plural | nosotros | -amos | hablamos | we speak |
| 2nd plural | vosotros | -áis | habláis | you all speak (Spain) |
| 3rd plural | ellos/ustedes | -an | hablan | they/you all speak |
Remember: subject pronouns (yo, tú, él...) are often omitted in Spanish because the verb ending already identifies the subject. Hablo español is perfectly natural without yo.
Comer (to eat) represents -ER verbs. Stem: com-. Note how the endings differ from -AR — particularly -es/-e instead of -as/-a, and -emos/-éis/-en instead of -amos/-áis/-an:
| Person | Pronoun | Ending | Form | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | yo | -o | como | I eat |
| 2nd singular | tú | -es | comes | you eat |
| 3rd singular | él/ella/usted | -e | come | he/she/you (formal) eats |
| 1st plural | nosotros | -emos | comemos | we eat |
| 2nd plural | vosotros | -éis | coméis | you all eat (Spain) |
| 3rd plural | ellos/ustedes | -en | comen | they/you all eat |
Vivir (to live) represents -IR verbs. Stem: viv-. -IR endings are almost identical to -ER, with the key difference in the nosotros and vosotros forms (-imos/-ís instead of -emos/-éis):
| Person | Pronoun | Ending | Form | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | yo | -o | vivo | I live |
| 2nd singular | tú | -es | vives | you live |
| 3rd singular | él/ella/usted | -e | vive | he/she/you (formal) lives |
| 1st plural | nosotros | -imos | vivimos | we live |
| 2nd plural | vosotros | -ís | vivís | you all live (Spain) |
| 3rd plural | ellos/ustedes | -en | viven | they/you all live |
This is probably the single most discussed topic in Spanish grammar for English speakers. Spanish has two completely different verbs that both translate as "to be" in English. Using the wrong one changes the meaning — sometimes dramatically.
Use ser for things that define the subject's essential nature or permanent identity:
Use estar for conditions, states, locations, and feelings — things that can change:
The classic example that illustrates the difference: Soy aburrido means "I am a boring person" (a permanent trait). Estoy aburrido means "I am bored right now" (a temporary feeling). The verb choice changes the entire meaning.
Many of the most-used Spanish verbs are irregular — their stems or endings deviate from the standard patterns. These must be memorized individually, but they're so frequently used that they quickly become automatic:
| Verb | Yo | Tú | Él/ella | Nosotros | Ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tener (to have) | tengo | tienes | tiene | tenemos | tienen |
| ir (to go) | voy | vas | va | vamos | van |
| hacer (to do/make) | hago | haces | hace | hacemos | hacen |
| querer (to want) | quiero | quieres | quiere | queremos | quieren |
| poder (can/to be able) | puedo | puedes | puede | podemos | pueden |
| ser (to be — perm.) | soy | eres | es | somos | son |
| estar (to be — temp.) | estoy | estás | está | estamos | están |
Notice the "yo go" pattern: many irregular verbs add a -g- in the first-person singular (tengo, hago, vengo, salgo, pongo). If you learn this pattern you'll correctly handle a whole family of common verbs.
Reflexive verbs indicate that the subject performs an action on itself. They're identified by the -se attached to the infinitive. To conjugate them, pair the conjugated verb with the appropriate reflexive pronoun:
Llamarse (to be called / to call oneself) is the classic first example: Me llamo Carlos (My name is Carlos — literally "I call myself Carlos"). Other common reflexives: levantarse (to get up), acostarse (to go to bed), ducharse (to shower), sentarse (to sit down), despertarse (to wake up).
Making a Spanish verb negative is refreshingly simple: place no directly before the verb. No auxiliary verb needed, no word order changes:
Spanish has two main past tenses that confuse English speakers: the preterite (pretérito indefinido) and the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto). Both translate as "was" or "-ed" in English, but they're used in very different circumstances.
The preterite describes actions that were completed at a specific point in the past:
The imperfect describes ongoing states, habits, or repeated actions in the past without a clear end point:
EspañaSpeak includes dedicated conjugation drills for all tenses — present, past (preterite & imperfect), future, and the subjunctive. Drill verb conjugations until they're second nature.
Spanish verbs are categorized by their infinitive ending: -AR verbs (hablar, caminar, trabajar), -ER verbs (comer, beber, leer), and -IR verbs (vivir, escribir, abrir). Each type has its own set of conjugation suffixes per tense. -AR verbs are the most numerous and all newly coined Spanish verbs default to this class.
Remove the -ar and add: -o (yo), -as (tú), -a (él/ella/usted), -amos (nosotros), -áis (vosotros), -an (ellos/ustedes). For hablar: hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, hablan. Subject pronouns are usually omitted since the ending identifies the person.
Both mean "to be" in English. Ser is for permanent or essential qualities: identity, nationality, profession, relationships. Estar is for temporary states, feelings, locations, and ongoing actions. "Soy cansado" (I am a tiresome person — permanent trait) vs "Estoy cansado" (I am tired right now — current state). The distinction is fundamental and must be mastered early.