Spanish Grammar Bank
PRESENT TENSE IN SPANISH
In Spanish, the Present Tense (presente de indicativo) is used to express the alignment between the situation described in a phrase with the moment of the verbal act in which it is spoken.
As the event unfolds: El perro sale a pasear. (The dog goes out for a walk.)
An event occurring within a broader time frame: Julia vive con sus padres. (Julia lives with her parents.)
REGULAR VERBS IN THE PRESENT TENSE
Regular verbs in Spanish follow predictable patterns when conjugated. These patterns will vary depending on the verb endings: -ar, -er and -ir.
REGULAR -AR VERBS
To conjugate regular -ar verbs in the present tense, remove the infinitive ending (-ar) and add the corresponding present tense endings.
PATTERN
Remove ending -ar + add corresponding ending
| subject pronoun | present tense ending |
|---|---|
| Yo | -o |
| Tú | -as |
| Él/Ella/Usted | -a |
| Nosotros/as | -amos |
| Vosotros/as | -áis |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | -an |
Example using the verb andar, to walk:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | ando | I walk. |
| Tú | andas | You walk. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | anda | He/She walks / You (formal, singular) walk. |
| Nosotros/as | andamos | We walk. |
| Vosotros/as | andáis | You (all) walk. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | andan | They/You (formal, plural) walk. |
Using the verb hablar, to talk:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hablo | I talk. |
| Tú | hablas | You talk. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | habla | He/She talks / You (formal, singular) talk. |
| Nosotros/as | hablamos | We talk. |
| Vosotros/as | habláis | You (all) talk. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | hablan | They/You (formal, plural) talk. |
View More Examples:
Using the verb amar, to love:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | amo | I love. |
| Tú | amas | You love. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | ama | He/She loves / You (formal, singular) love. |
| Nosotros/as | amamos | We love. |
| Vosotros/as | amáis | You (all) love. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | aman | They/You (formal, plural) love. |
Using the verb bailar, to dance:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | bailo | I dance. |
| Tú | bailas | You dance. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | baila | He/She dances / You (formal, singular) dance. |
| Nosotros/as | bailamos | We dance. |
| Vosotros/as | bailáis | You (all) dance. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | bailan | They/You (formal, plural) dance. |
Using the verb estudiar, to study:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estudio | I study. |
| Tú | estudias | You study. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | estudia | He/She studies / You (formal, singular) study. |
| Nosotros/as | estudiamos | We study. |
| Vosotros/as | estudiáis | You (all) study. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | estudian | They/You (formal, plural) study. |
REGULAR -ER VERBS
To conjugate regular -er verbs in the present tense, remove the infinitive ending (-er) and add the corresponding present tense endings.
PATTERN
Remove ending -er + add corresponding ending
| Subject Pronoun | Present Tense Ending |
|---|---|
| Yo | -o |
| Tú | -es |
| Él/Ella/Usted | -e |
| Nosotros/as | -emos |
| Vosotros/as | -éis |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | -en |
Example using the verb beber, to drink:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | bebo | I drink. |
| Tú | bebes | You drink. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | bebe | He/She drinks / You (formal, singular) drink. |
| Nosotros/as | bebemos | We drink. |
| Vosotros/as | bebéis | You (all) drink. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | beben | They/You (formal, plural) drink. |
Using the verb comer, to eat:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | como | I eat. |
| Tú | comes | You eat. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | come | He/She eats / You (formal, singular) eat. |
| Nosotros/as | comemos | We eat. |
| Vosotros/as | coméis | You (all) eat. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | comen | They/You (formal, plural) eat. |
View More Examples:
Using the verb leer, to read:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | leo | I read. |
| Tú | llees | You read. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | llee | He/She reads / You (formal, singular) read. |
| Nosotros/as | lleemos | We read. |
| Vosotros/as | lleéis | You (all) read. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | lleen | They/You (formal, plural) read. |
Using the verb vender, to sell:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | vendo | I sell. |
| Tú | vendes | You sell. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | vende | He/She sells / You (formal, singular) sell. |
| Nosotros/as | vendemos | We sell. |
| Vosotros/as | vendéis | You (all) sell. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | venden | They/You (formal, plural) sell. |
Using the verb creer, to believe:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | creo | I believe. |
| Tú | crees | You believe. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | cree | He/She believes / You (formal, singular) believe. |
| Nosotros/as | creemos | We believe. |
| Vosotros/as | creéis | You (all) believe. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | creen | They/You (formal, plural) believe. |
Using the verb aprender, to learn:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | aprendo | I learn. |
| Tú | aprendes | You learn. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | aprende | He/She learns / You (formal, singular) learn. |
| Nosotros/as | aprendemos | We learn. |
| Vosotros/as | aprendéis | You (all) learn. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | aprenden | They/You (formal, plural) learn. |
REGULAR -IR VERBS
To conjugate regular -ir verbs in the present tense, remove the infinitive ending (-ir) and add the corresponding present tense endings.
PATTERN
Remove ending -ir + add corresponding ending
| Subject Pronoun | Present Tense Ending |
|---|---|
| Yo | -o |
| Tú | -es |
| Él/Ella/Usted | -e |
| Nosotros/as | -imos |
| Vosotros/as | -ís |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | -en |
Example using the verb vivir, to live:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | vivo | I live. |
| Tú | vives | You live. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | vive | He/She lives / You (formal, singular) live. |
| Nosotros/as | vivimos | We live. |
| Vosotros/as | vivís | You (all) live. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | viven | They/You (formal, plural) live. |
Using the verb escribir, to write:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | escribo | I write. |
| Tú | escribes | You write. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | escribe | He/She writes / You (formal, singular) write. |
| Nosotros/as | escribimos | We write. |
| Vosotros/as | escribís | You (all) write. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | escriben | They/You (formal, plural) write. |
View More Examples:
Using the verb compartir, to share:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | comparto | I share. |
| Tú | compartes | You share. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | comparte | He/She shares / You (formal, singular) shares. |
| Nosotros/as | compartimos | We share. |
| Vosotros/as | compartís | You (all) share. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | comparten | They/You (formal, plural) share. |
Using the verb abrir, to open:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | abro | I open. |
| Tú | abres | You open. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | abre | He/She opens / You (formal, singular) open. |
| Nosotros/as | abrimos | We open. |
| Vosotros/as | abrís | You (all) open. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | abren | They/You (formal, plural) open. |
Using the verb subir, to go up:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | subo | I go up. |
| Tú | subes | You go up. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | sube | He/She goes up / You (formal, singular) go up. |
| Nosotros/as | subimos | We go up. |
| Vosotros/as | subís | You (all) go up. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | suben | They/You (formal, plural) go up. |
Using the verb recibir, to receive:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | recibo | I receive. |
| Tú | recibes | You receive. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | recibe | He/She receives / You (formal, singular) receive. |
| Nosotros/as | recibimos | We receive. |
| Vosotros/as | recibís | You (all) receive. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | reciben | They/You (formal, plural) receive. |
IRREGULAR VERBS IN PRESENT TENSE
Irregular verbs in the present tense in Spanish do not follow the regular conjugation patterns that the regular -ar, -er and -ir ending verbs do.
Meaning, that these irregular verbs have unique conjugations and must be memorized, as their stems or endings do not follow the typical -ar, -er or -ir verb endings.
Although there are over 100 irregular verbs in the present tense in Spanish, some of the most commonly used irregular verbs include ser (to be), ir (to go) and tener (to have).
Irregular verb SER (to be)
The conjugation is as follow:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | soy | I am |
| Tú | eres | You are |
| Él/Ella/Usted | es | He/She is / You (formal, singular) are |
| Nosotros/as | somos | We are |
| Vosotros/as | sois | You (all) are |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | son | They/You (formal, plural) are |
Sentence Examples with SER:
| Spanish Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Yo soy buena estudiante. | I am a good student. |
| Tu eres el centro de atención. | You are the center of attention. |
| Él es mi hermano mayor. | He is my older brother. |
| Nosotros somos miembros del gimnasio. | We are members of the gym. |
| Vosotras sois lo mejor. | You (all) are the best. |
| Los vecinos son muy afortunados. | The neighbors are very lucky. |
Irregular verb IR (to go)
The conjugation is as follow:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | voy | I go |
| Tú | vas | You go |
| Él/Ella/Usted | va | He/She goes / You (formal, singular) go |
| Nosotros/as | vamos | We go |
| Vosotros/as | vais | You (all) go |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | van | They/You (formal, plural) go |
Sentence Examples with IR:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo voy al cine cada sábados. | I go to the movies every Saturday. |
| ¿Vas a tu casa? | Are you going to your house? |
| Sandra va a clase por las mañanas. | Sandra goes to class in the mornings. |
| Nosotros vamos a la fiesta. | We are going to the party. |
| Vosotros vais por el camino equivocado. | You (all) are going the wrong way. |
| Las niñas van al colegio con su madre. | The girls go to school with their mother. |
Irregular verb TENER (to have)
The conjugation is as follow:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | tengo | I have |
| Tú | tienes | You have |
| Él/Ella/Usted | tiene | He/She has / You (formal, singular) have |
| Nosotros/as | tenemos | We have |
| Vosotros/as | tenéis | You (all) have |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | tienen | They/You (formal, plural) have |
Sentence Examples with TENER:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo tengo mucho tiempo. | I have plenty of time. |
| Tu tienes el mando a distancia. | You have the remote control. |
| Usted tiene la llave del piso. | You have the key to the apartment. |
| Nosotras tenemos el coche en el parking. | We have the car in the parking. |
| Vosotras tenéis un jefe comprensivo. | You (all) have an understanding boss. |
| Ustedes tienen que girar a la derecha. | You have to turn right. |
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FAQs
How to conjugate -ar verbs in Spanish?
To conjugate regular -ar verbs in the present tense, remove the infinitive ending (-ar) and add the corresponding present tense endings.
Yo: -o
Tú: -as
Él/Ella/Usted: -a
Nosotros/as: -amos
Vosotros/as: -áis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: -an
Some examples of verbs in -ar are: andar, to walk; hablar, to talk; amar, to love. View more in our free lesson.
How to conjugate -er verbs in Spanish?
To conjugate regular -er verbs in the present tense, remove the infinitive ending (-er) and add the corresponding present tense endings.
Yo: -o
Tú: -es
Él/Ella/Usted: -e
Nosotros/as: -emos
Vosotros/as: -éis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: -en
Some examples of verbs finishing in -er are: beber, to drink; comer, to eat; leer, to read. View more in our free lesson.
How to conjugate -ir verbs in Spanish?
To conjugate regular -ir verbs in the present tense, remove the infinitive ending (-ir) and add the corresponding present tense endings.
Yo: -o
Tú: -es
Él/Ella/Usted: -e
Nosotros/as: -imos
Vosotros/as: -ís
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: -en
Some examples of verbs ending in -ir are vivir, to live; escribir, to write; compartir, to share. View more in our free lesson.
What are some irregular verbs in Spanish?
Some irregular verbs in Spanish include:
Ser, to be
Ir, to go
Tener, to have
Is Spanish SVO or SOV?
Spanish is a SVO, meaning the basic sentence structure follows the pattern:
Subject + Verb + Object
Learn more in our lesson about Spanish sentence structures.
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