Spanish -ar verbs are the verbs whose infinitive form ends in -ar. Also called first conjugation verbs, they account for approximately 90% of all Spanish verbs, according to the Real Academia Española.
50 common regular -ar verbs in Spanish
| aceptar accept | cortar cut | llamar call |
| aconsejar recommend, advise | desayunar have breakfast | llevar take |
| amar love | descansar rest | llorar cry |
| arreglar fix | desear wish | mirar look |
| ayudar help | dibujar draw | necesitar need |
| bailar dance | empezar start | olvidar forget |
| bajar go down | entrar enter | pagar pay |
| buscar look for | enviar send | pasear go for a walk, ride |
| cambiar change | escuchar listen to, hear | pintar paint |
| caminar walk | estudiar study | preguntar ask |
| cantar sing | gastar spend, waste | prestar lend |
| celebrar celebrate | gritar shout | saludar greet |
| cenar have dinner | hablar speak, talk | tomar take, drink |
| cocinar cook | invitar invite | trabajar work |
| comprar buy | lavar wash | usar use |
| contestar answer | levantar lift, pick up, pull up | viajar travel |
| cuidar take care of | limpiar clean | visitar visit |
Mi hermana canta muy bien.
My sister sings very well.
Pedro siempre me regala buenos libros para mi cumpleaños.
Pedro always gives me good books for my birthday.
¿Viajas seguido al exterior?
Do you often travel abroad?
No te recuerdo.
I don’t remember you.
Espero que todo salga bien.
I hope everything goes well.
Conjugation of Spanish -ar verbs
All regular Spanish verbs ending in -ar follow the same conjugation pattern. To conjugate -ar verbs, the infinitive -ar ending is dropped and replaced with a verb ending depending on the subject pronoun and verb tense. The stem or “root” does not change with conjugation.
Spanish conjugation expresses information not only about time (when the action happens) but about the subject (who does the action). Unlike English, Spanish has one conjugation for each pronoun. This is why personal pronouns are usually omitted in Spanish, since each verb ending exactly indicates which subject performs the action.
How to conjugate -ar verbs in the present tense
To conjugate -ar verbs in the present tense, the -ar ending of the infinitive form is dropped and one of the verb endings below is added, depending on the pronoun:
| Subject pronoun | Verb ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yo (I) | -o | Yo hablo español. I speak Spanish. |
| tú (you) | -as | Tú hablas español. You speak Spanish. |
| él, ella (he, she) usted (formal you) |
-a | Él habla español. He speaks Spanish. |
| nosotros/as (we) | -amos | Nosotros hablamos español. We speak Spanish. |
| vosotros/as (plural you) | -áis | Vosotros habláis español. You speak Spanish. |
| ellos, ellas (they) ustedes (plural you) |
-an | Ellos hablan español. They speak Spanish. |
The present tense (presente) is used for present actions and facts, and is equivalent to the simple present in English.
How to conjugate -ar verbs in the past: preterite tense
To conjugate -ar verbs in the preterite tense (pretérito perfecto simple or pretérito indefinido), the -ar ending of the infinitive form is dropped and one of the verb endings below is added, depending on the pronoun:
| Subject pronoun | Verb endings | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yo (I) | -é | Yo hablé español. I spoke Spanish. |
| tú (you) | -aste | Tú hablaste español. You spoke Spanish. |
| él, ella (he, she) usted (formal you) |
-ó | Ella habló español. She spoke Spanish. |
| nosotros/as (we) | -amos | Nosotros hablamos español. We spoke Spanish. |
| vosotros/as (plural you) | -asteis | Vosotros hablasteis español. You spoke Spanish. |
| ellos, ellas (they) ustedes (plural you) |
-aron | Ellos hablaron español. They spoke Spanish. |
The preterite tense (pretérito perfecto simple or pretérito indefinido) is used for past finished actions, and is equivalent to the simple past in English.
How to conjugate -ar verbs in the past: imperfect tense
To conjugate -ar verbs in the imperfect tense, the -ar ending of the infinitive form is dropped and one of the verb endings below is added, depending on the pronoun:
| Subject pronoun | Verb ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yo (I) | -aba | Yo hablaba español. I spoke Spanish. |
| tú (you) | -abas | Tú hablabas español. You spoke Spanish. |
| él, ella (he, she) usted (formal you) |
-aba | Él hablaba español. He spoke Spanish. |
| nosotros/as (we) | -ábamos | Nosotros hablábamos español. We spoke Spanish. |
| vosotros/as (plural you) | -abais | Vosotros hablabais español. You spoke Spanish. |
| ellos, ellas (they) ustedes (plural you) |
-aban | Ellos hablaban español. They spoke Spanish. |
The imperfect tense (pretérito imperfecto) is used for repeated or progressive actions in the past, and is equivalent to the past simple for routines in the past.
How to conjugate -ar verbs in future simple
To conjugate -ar verbs in the future simple, one of the verb endings below is added to the the infinitive form, depending on the pronoun:
| Subject pronoun | Verb ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yo (I) | -aré | Yo hablaré español. I’ll speak Spanish. |
| tú (you) | -arás | Tú hablarás español. You’ll speak Spanish. |
| él, ella (he, she) usted (formal you) |
-ará | Él hablará español. He’ll speak Spanish. |
| nosotros/as (we) | -aremos | Nosotros hablaremos español. We’ll speak Spanish. |
| vosotros/as (plural you) | -aréis | Vosotros hablaréis español. You’ll speak Spanish. |
| ellos, ellas (they) ustedes (plural you) |
-arán | Ellos hablarán español. They’ll speak Spanish. |
The future simple (futuro simple or futuro imperfecto) is used for future actions and facts, and is equivalent to the future simple in English.
Quick tip: The future simple tense endings are the same for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs.
Most common irregular -ar verbs in Spanish
A few of the most common -ar verbs in Spanish are irregular. This means they do not follow the same conjugation pattern as regular -ar verbs. The most common irregular Spanish verbs ending in -ar are:
1. Estar (to be)
The conjugation of estar is irregular in the present and preterite tenses. In the present tense, the nosotros and vosotros pronouns have no change.
| Subject pronoun | Present tense | Preterite tense | Imperfect tense | Future tense |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo (I) | estoy | estuve | estaba | estaré |
| tú (you) | estás | estuviste | estabas | estarás |
| él, ella (he, she) usted (formal you) | está | estuvo | estaba | estará |
| nosotros/as (we) | estamos | estuvimos | estábamos | estaremos |
| vosotros/as (plural you) | estáis | estuvisteis | estabais | estaréis |
| ellos, ellas (they) ustedes (plural you) | están | estuvieron | estaban | estarán |
Estoy cansada.
I’m tired.
¿Estás en la oficina?
Are you at the office?
Estar is used for temporary states (as opposed to ser, which is used for permanent states).
2. Dar (to give)
The conjugation of the verb dar is irregular in the present and preterite tenses.
| Subject pronoun | Present tense | Preterite tense | Imperfect tense | Future tense |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo (I) | doy | di | daba | daré |
| tú (you) | das | diste | dabas | darás |
| él, ella (he, she) usted (formal you) | da | dio | daba | dará |
| nosotros/as (we) | damos | dimos | dábamos | daremos |
| vosotros/as (plural you) | dais | disteis | dabais | daréis |
| ellos, ellas (they) ustedes (plural you) | dan | dieron | daban | darán |
¿Te doy una mano con tu tarea?
Can I give you a hand with your homework?
Les dieron dos billetes gratis.
They were given two free tickets.
3. Pensar (to think)
The conjugation of pensar is irregular in the present tense, changing the e to ie for all pronouns except nosotros and vosotros.
| Subject pronoun | Present tense | Preterite tense | Imperfect tense | Future tense |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo (I) | pienso | pensé | pensaba | pensaré |
| tú (you) | piensas | pensaste | pensabas | pensarás |
| él, ella (he, she) usted (formal you) | piensa | pensó | pensaba | pensará |
| nosotros/as (we) | pensamos | pensamos | pensábamos | pensaremos |
| vosotros/as (plural you) | pensáis | pensasteis | pensabais | pensaréis |
| ellos, ellas (they) ustedes (plural you) | piensan | pensaron | pensaban | pensarán |
Pienso que tienes razón.
I think you’re right.
¿Qué piensas sobre esto?
What do you think about this?
Other -ar verbs with the same conjugation pattern include: cerrar (close), negar (deny), empezar (start), recomendar (recommend), comenzar (begin).
4. Encontrar (to find)
The conjugation of encontrar is irregular in the present tense, changing the o to ue for all pronouns except nosotros and vosotros.
| Subject pronoun | Present tense | Preterite tense | Imperfect tense | Future tense |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo (I) | encuentro | encontré | encontraba | encontraré |
| tú (you) | encuentras | encontraste | encontrabas | encontrarás |
| él, ella (he, she) usted (formal you) | encuentra | encontró | encontraba | encontrará |
| nosotros/as (we) | encontramos | encontramos | encontramos | encontraremos |
| vosotros/as (plural you) | encontráis | encontrasteis | encontrasteis | encontraréis |
| ellos, ellas (they) ustedes (plural you) | encuentran | encontraron | encontraron | encontrarán |
No encuentro mis anteojos.
I can't find my glasses.
¿Ellos se encuentran en la ciudad?
Are they in town?
Other -ar verbs with the same conjugation pattern include: contar (tell), costar (cost), recordar (remember).
5. Jugar (to play)
The conjugation of jugar is irregular in the present tense, changing the u to ue for all pronouns except nosotros and vosotros. In the preterite tense, only the first person singular conjugation is irregular.
| Subject pronoun | Present tense | Preterite tense | Imperfect tense | Future tense |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo (I) | juego | jugué | jugaba | jugaré |
| tú (you) | juegas | jugaste | jugabas | jugarás |
| él, ella (he, she) usted (formal you) | juega | jugó | jugaba | jugará |
| nosotros/as (we) | jugamos | jugamos | jugábamos | jugaremos |
| vosotros/as (plural you) | jugáis | jugasteis | jugabais | jugaréis |
| ellos, ellas (they) ustedes (plural you) | juegan | jugaron | jugaban | jugarán |
Mi amigo juega muy bien al tenis.
My friend plays tennis very well.
Jugué una partida de ajedrez con Antonio.
I played a chess game with Antonio.
Other -ar verbs with the same conjugation pattern include: rogar (beg), colgar (hang).
Sentences with -ar verbs in Spanish
Me encantan tus zapatos. (encantar)
I love your shoes.
¿A qué hora llega el tren? (llegar)
What time does the train arrive?
¿Puedo pagar con Visa? (pagar)
Can I pay with a Visa card?
El documental se estrenará la próxima semana. (estrenar)
The documentary will air next week.
Me corté el dedo con un cuchillo afilado. (cortar)
I cut my finger with a sharp knife.
¿Quieres cenar en un restaurante nuevo esta noche? (cenar)
Do you want to dine out at a new restaurant tonight?
Antes acostumbraba a leer antes de irme a dormir. (acostumbrar)
I used to read before going to bed.
Argentina ganó el mundial de fútbol en 2022. (ganar)
Argentina won the Fifa World Cup in 2022.
¿Cuánto cuesta el último Iphone? (costar)
How much is the new Iphone?
Su hermano escucha música todos los días. (escuchar)
His brother listens to music every day.
Los niños tienen que estudiar para el examen. (estudiar)
The kids have to study for the test.
¿Puedo preguntarte algo? (preguntar)
Can I ask you something?
La película ya comenzó. (comenzar)
The movie has already started.
¿A qué hora te levantas por la mañana? (levantar)
What time do you get up in the morning?
Los Juegos Olímpicos comienzan en julio. (comenzar)
The Olympic Games start in July.
Amo la vista desde esta terraza. (amar)
I love the view from this terrace.
Vicky cocinará una rica cena para Navidad. (cocinar)
Vicky will cook a delicious dinner for Christmas.
Ayer trabajé hasta tarde. (trabajar)
I worked late yesterday.
Lucas nada 5 kilómetros todos los días. (nadar)
Lucas swims 5 kilometers every day.
Cuando era niño acampábamos todos los veranos. (acampar)
When I was a kid, we used to go camping every summer.
Claude Monet pintó muchos cuadros de su jardín. (pintar)
Claude Monet painted many paintings of his garden.
Ana siempre ayuda a los demás. (ayudar)
Ana always helps other people.
Mis zapatos se estropearon con la lluvia. (estropear)
My shoes were ruined in the rain.
Nunca puedo ahorrar dinero. (ahorrar)
I can never save any money.
¿Quién participará de la reunión? (participar)
Who will take part in the meeting?
José cambió su automóvil. (cambiar)
José changed his car.
El bebé llora todo el tiempo. (llorar)
The baby cries all the time.
Enviamos un mail pero no hemos tenido respuesta. (enviar)
We’ve sent an email but we haven’t had any answer.
Limpiaré mi casa. (limpiar)
I’ll clean my house.
¿Puedes contarme una historia? (contar)
Can you tell me a story?
Déjame pagar el regalo. (pagar)
Let me pay for the gift.
Siempre celebran el Año Nuevo con su familia. (celebrar)
They always celebrate the New Year with their family.
Compraremos un automóvil nuevo el año que viene. (comprar)
We’ll buy a new car next year.
El perro de mi vecino ladró toda la noche. (ladrar)
My neighbor’s dog barked all night.
¿Comenzaste a leer tu libro? (comenzar)
Have you started reading your book?
Te acompañaré a la fiesta. (acompañar)
I’ll go to the party with you.
Esto no nos afecta en nada. (afectar)
This doesn’t affect us in any way.
La donación de sangre salva vidas. (salvar)
Blood donation saves lives.
Me enfermé la semana pasada. (enfermar)
I got sick last week.
Julia pasea a sus perros dos veces al día. (pasear)
Julia walks her dogs out twice a day.
Olvidé llamarte para tu cumpleaños. (olvidar)
I forgot to call you for your birthday.
¿Me prestas una lapicera, por favor? (prestar)
Can you lend me a pen, please?
Se quedaron en un hotel de lujo en Roma. (quedar)
They stayed at a luxury hotel in Rome.
Él siempre desayuna café y tostadas con mermelada. (desayunar)
He always has coffee and toast with jam for breakfast.
¿Celebramos esta noche? (celebrar)
Will we celebrate tonight?
La niña brincó de alegría. (brincar)
The girl danced and jumped with joy.
El ascensor no funciona. (funcionar)
The elevator doesn't work.
Gasté todo mi dinero en ropa. (gastar)
I spent all my money on clothes.
Camila anda a caballo todas las mañanas. (andar)
Camila rides her horse every morning.
Me gusta mucho tu dibujo. (gustar)
I like your drawing very much.
Explore more:
Practice: Spanish -ar verbs
References
- Real Academia Española, Diccionario panhispánico de dudas, s.v. “Modelos de conjugación verbal,” accessed June 28, 2024, https://www.rae.es/
- Real Academia Española, Nueva gramática de la lengua española, s.v. “La conjugación regular,” accessed June 28, 2024, https://www.rae.es/
- Real Academia Española, Nueva gramática de la lengua española, s.v. “Verbos irregulares,” accessed June 28, 2024, https://www.rae.es/
- Oxford Spanish Dictionary, 3rd edition on CD-ROM, Oxford University Press, accessed June 28, 2024.
- Wordreference.com, s.v. “Spanish verb conjugation,” accessed June 28, 2024, https://www.wordreference.com/
- Wordreference.com, accessed June 28, 2024, https://www.wordreference.com/es/
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