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. |
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. |
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. |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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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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