Regular Present Indicative Forms
Below you'll find instructions for forming regular verbs in the present tense,
including the endings you need to know for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs.
Verbs that End in -ar
To conjugate an -ar verb, remove the infinitive ending (-ar) and add the
ending that matches the subject. You can find these endings in the table
below.
Present Tense Endings for -ar Verbs
SUBJECT -AR ENDINGS EXAMPLE WITH HABLAR ENGLISH TRANSLATION
yo -o hablo I speak
tú -as hablas you (informal) speak
usted -a habla you (formal) speak
él, ella -a habla he/she speaks
nosotros -amos hablamos we speak
vosotros -áis habláis you (informal) speak
ustedes -an hablan you (formal) speak
ellos, ellas -an hablan they speak
Verbs that End in -er
To conjugate an -er verb, remove the infinitive ending (-er) and add the
ending that matches the subject. You can find these endings in the table
below.
Present Tense Endings for -er Verbs
SUBJECT -ER ENDINGS EXAMPLE WITH COMER ENGLISH TRANSLATION
yo -o como I eat
tú -es comes you (informal) eat
usted -e come you (formal) eat
él, ella -e come he/she eats
nosotros -emos comemos we eat
vosotros -éis coméis you (informal) eat
ustedes -en comen you (formal) eat
ellos, ellas -en comen they eat
Verbs that End in -ir
To conjugate an -ir verb, remove the infinitive ending (-ir) and add the ending
that matches the subject. You can find these endings in the table below.
Present Tense Endings for -ir Verbs
SUBJECT -IR ENDINGS EXAMPLE WITH VIVIR ENGLISH TRANSLATION
yo -o vivo I live
Tú -es vives you (informal) live
usted -e vive you (formal) live
él, ella -e vive he/she lives
nosotros -imos vivimos we live
vosotros -ís vivís you (informal) live
ustedes -en viven you (formal) live
ellos, ellas -en viven they live
Copy Cats
Notice that most of the present tense endings for -er and -ir verbs are the same. Only
the nosotros and vosotros endings are different.
Irregular Yo Forms
Some present tense yo conjugations undergo spelling changes or are
irregular.
Verbs with Spelling Changes in the Yo Form
Verbs that end in -guir, -ger, or -gir undergo a spelling change in their
present tense yo forms.
For verbs that end in -guir, the yo form ends in go.
For verbs that end in -ger or -gir, the g in the yo form changes to a j.
SPANISH INFINITIVE ENGLISH INFINITIVE YO FORM
extinguir to extinguish extingo
dirigir to direct dirijo
escoger to choose escojo
exigir to demand exijo
recoger to pick up recojo
Verbs with Irregular Yo Forms
The following verbs have irregular yo forms. The other present tense forms of
these verbs follow the patterns for regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs.
SPANISH INFINITIVE ENGLISH INFINITIVE YO FORM
caber to fit quepo
caer to fall caigo
conocer to know conozco
dar to give doy
hacer to do/make hago
poner to put pongo
saber to know sé
salir to leave/to go out salgo
traducir to translate traduzco
traer to bring traigo
valer to be worth valgo
ver to see veo
Most verbs that end in -cer or -ucir have irregular present tense yo forms. Click here for
more on irregular present tense verbs.
Here are a few examples of the above verbs in action.
EXAMPLES
Hago la tarea en la biblioteca.
I do my homework in the library.
Sé que hoy es martes.
I know today is Tuesday.
Stem-changing Verbs
Many present tense verbs undergo what is called a stem change. The present tense
endings for these verbs are regular, but there is a vowel change in the verb stem (the
part of the verb that comes before -ar, -er, or -ir). Click here to read our article on stem-
changing verbs.
Present Indicative Uses
The Spanish present tense can be used to talk about habitual actions,
routines, things happening now or in the near future, universal truths, facts,
hypotheticals, lapses of time, and for ordering in restaurants and stores. Read
on for more on each of these uses.
Dropping Subject Pronouns
Because the endings of Spanish verbs indicate who the subject of an action is, you can
often drop the subject pronoun (yo, tú, nosotros, etc.). Many Spanish speakers rarely
use personal pronouns, although this varies from country to country.
For example, in the sentence Hablo español. (I speak Spanish.), the pronoun yo isn't
really necessary. The -o ending tells you who the subject of the verb is.
1. Habitual Actions
Habitual actions are activities that a person does every day (or very often).
Daily routines, responsibilities, hobbies, and jobs can be talked about using
the present tense.
EXAMPLES
Me levanto a las seis y media cada mañana.
I get up at six thirty every morning.
Doy de comer al perro tres veces cada día.
I feed the dog three times each day.
Trabajo para el zoológico.
I work for the zoo.
Estudio biología en la universidad.
I study biology at the university.
2. Things Happening Now
In English, something happening at the moment of speaking is usually
expressed using the present progressive. In Spanish, both the simple present
and the present progressive can be used to talk about things happening now.
EXAMPLES
¿Cómo estás?
How are you doing?
Estoy bien, gracias.
I'm doing well, thank you.
¿Qué haces?
What are you doing?
Limpio la cocina.
I'm cleaning the kitchen.
3. Things Happening in the Near Future
The Spanish present tense can also be used to talk about things that will
happen in the near future.
EXAMPLES
Voy al parque. ¿Vienes?
I'm going to the park. Want to come?
Salgo para el aeropuerto en media hora.
I'm leaving for the airport in half an hour.
4. Timeless Events/Universal Truths
Things that are universally known or generally accepted are often expressed
using the simple present. These can be facts, opinions, or proverbs.
EXAMPLES
Uno más uno son dos.
One plus one is two.
Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo.
Wisdom comes with age. (Literal translation: The devil's wisdom comes more from age
than from being the devil.)
El hombre es mortal.
Mankind is mortal.
5. Hypothetical Situations
When used with the conjunction si (if), the present tense can express
hypothetical situations and outcomes.
EXAMPLES
Si llega Marcos, salgo.
If Marcos comes, I'm out.
Si llueve, la fiesta termina.
If it rains, the party's over.
6. Lapses of Time
The present tense is commonly used to talk about the amount of time
something has been going on. The following formula is used with the present
tense for this purpose.
hace + time period + que + present tense verb
EXAMPLES
Hace tres años que esperamos tu llamada.
We've been waiting three years for your call.
Hace una semana que pinta este cuadro.
He's been painting this painting for a week.
7. Ordering
It's also quite common to use the present tense in Spanish when ordering
something in a restaurant or store.
EXAMPLES
¿Me trae un café, por favor?
Would you bring me a coffee, please?
Quiero el arroz con pollo.
I would like the chicken and rice.
