The present tense (regular)
How to conjugate regular -ar, -er and -ir verbs in the present tense.
Three verb groups
Spanish verbs in the infinitive end in -ar, -er or -ir (e.g. hablar, comer, vivir). To conjugate, you remove the ending (the stem) and add a new ending that matches the person.
- hablar → stem habl-
- comer → stem com-
- vivir → stem viv-
The endings differ per group, but follow a fixed pattern.
Examples
-ar verbs: hablar (to speak)
The endings for -ar verbs are: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an.
| hablar | |
|---|---|
| yo | hablo |
| tú | hablas |
| él / ella / usted | habla |
| nosotros/as | hablamos |
| vosotros/as | habláis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | hablan |
Examples
-er verbs: comer (to eat)
The endings for -er verbs are: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en.
| comer | |
|---|---|
| yo | como |
| tú | comes |
| él / ella / usted | come |
| nosotros/as | comemos |
| vosotros/as | coméis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | comen |
Examples
-ir verbs: vivir (to live)
The endings for -ir verbs are: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en. They're very similar to -er verbs, except for nosotros and vosotros.
| vivir | |
|---|---|
| yo | vivo |
| tú | vives |
| él / ella / usted | vive |
| nosotros/as | vivimos |
| vosotros/as | vivís |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | viven |
Examples
When do you use the present tense?
You use the Spanish present tense (presente) for:
- Habits and routines: Trabajo de lunes a viernes. (I work from Monday to Friday.)
- General truths: El agua hierve a cien grados. (Water boils at a hundred degrees.)
- Things happening now: Vivo en Madrid. (I live in Madrid.)
- The near future (just like in English): Mañana viajo a París. (Tomorrow I travel to Paris.)
Examples
💡 Tips
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Related grammar
← Personal pronounsSer and estar →
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