Confused about how to use verbs in Spanish? A good starting point is REGULAR VERBS.
Why verbs? Well, imagine a movie with no action—just a fixed image.
Boring, right?
What verbs do in your “movie” is add movement to your story.
In this episode of Speaking Spanish for Beginners podcast, you’ll learn how to conjugate regular verbs.
And to make it more interesting, we’ve included examples in context to show you how to use them effectively.
Let’s dive into Spanish regular verbs in present tense. ¡Vamos!
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Verbs in Spanish
For starters, all verbs in Spanish have three possible endings.
No more, no less. Three endings for all Spanish verbs.
The three categories are verbs ending in -ar, -er, and -ir.
Examples of these three categories are:
- bailar (to dance)
- comer (to eat)
- recibir (to receive)
When verbs are not conjugated, your Spanish teacher might use a fancy word: infinitive.
When a verb is in the infinitive form, it simply means it’s not being conjugated. As simple as that.
Regular Verbs in Spanish
So, what exactly is a regular verb? And why do they have that name?
Regular Spanish verbs all have the same conjugation pattern. If we think of a family, they’re the members whose behavior you can easily predict (not your wacky cousin).
They always follow the same rules.
For example, if you know that trabajar (to work) and cantar (to sing) are both regular verbs and share the same ending, you know they’ll have the same conjugation. See below:
| Subject Pronoun | Verb Trabajar (to work) | Verb Cantar (to sing) |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | trabajo | canto |
| Tú (you, informal) | trabajas | cantas |
| Él / Ella / Usted (he, she, formal you) | trabaja | canta |
To use a regular verb in your conversations, drop the ending from the base form of the verb (in this case, -ar) and then add the appropriate conjugation based on the subject.
Present Tense Regular Verbs
Here’s a simple image showing how to conjugate verbs in the present tense.
And “Vosotros”?
In many textbooks and websites, you’ll see the pronoun vosotros (plural form of “you”). But here’s the thing: it’s only used in Spain.
In Latin America, where 90% of the Spanish-speaking population lives, vosotros isn’t used. It’s understood, but Latinos associate it with Spain.
Latinos just use “ustedes” instead.
So, if you’re planning to visit South America, that’s one less conjugation to learn.
Recommended Additional Resources
Now that you know the conjugation patterns, here are some extra resources we’ve created at Latin ELE to help you practice:
Episode “Five Verbs ending in -ar” | Speaking Spanish for Beginners podcast.
Video: If Rappers Taught Spanish (Let’s have some fun)
Time to use what you’ve learned in your daily conversations with native speakers!
We hope you’ve gained confidence in conjugating regular verbs in the present tense. This is just the beginning and will pave the way for mastering more complex concepts later on.
¡Hasta la próxima!
Marco Fierro — Spanish Beginners Cult Leader
¡Hola! I’m an enthusiastic Spanish teacher passionate about making my language accessible to YOU.
When I’m not teaching, I love to travel and play electric guitar.
Book an online lessons with me and let’s get started. ¡Vamos!
