Spanish verbs are words that express actions and states. All Spanish verbs end in -ar, -er and -ir in their infinitive form:
Spanish verbs fall into two main categories: regular and irregular verbs.
Regular verbs represent the vast majority of all verbs in Spanish. They are conjugated following the same rules and have common conjugation patterns after the verbs hablar (to speak), comer (to eat), and vivir (to live).
Irregular verbs, in contrast, do not follow a common conjugation pattern, and while some of them share certain traits, others have no similarities whatsoever.
Quick tip: Unlike in English, Spanish verbs have one distinct conjugation for each subject: yo amo (I love), tú amas (you love), él ama (he loves), nosotros amamos (we love), vosotros amáis (you love), ellos aman (they love).
20 most common Spanish verbs with conjugation
Among the most common Spanish verbs are those that describe everyday actions and states expressing basic necessities. The most common verbs in Spanish (both regular and irregular) and their conjugation in present tense are:
1. Ser (to be)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | soy |
| Tú (you) | eres |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | es |
| Nosotros/as (we) | somos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | sois |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | son |
Yo soy de Barcelona.
I’m from Barcelona.El auto es blanco.
The car is white.
Ser is an irregular verb used to describe permanent states and facts, typically for talking about profession, nationality and all things related to introductions. It usually goes before adjectives describing permanent conditions and states.
2. Estar (to be)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | estoy |
| Tú (you) | estás |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | está |
| Nosotros/as (we) | estamos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | estáis |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | están |
La comida está deliciosa.
The meal is delicious.Los niños están de vacaciones.
The children are on vacation.
Estar is an irregular verb used to express temporary states, and is typically followed by adjectives. It is opposed to ser, used for permanent states.
3. Querer (to want)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | quiero |
| Tú (you) | quieres |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | quiere |
| Nosotros/as (we) | queremos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | queréis |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | quieren |
Quiero más café, por favor.
I want more coffee, please.¿Quieres unirte a nuestro equipo?
Do you want to join our team?
4. Tener (to have)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | tengo |
| Tú (you) | tienes |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | tiene |
| Nosotros/as (we) | tenemos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | tenéis |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | tienen |
Hoy tengo mucho trabajo.
I have a lot of work today.No tenemos planes para el fin de semana.
We don’t have any plans for the weekend.
5. Ir (to go)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | voy |
| Tú (you) | vas |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | va |
| Nosotros/as (we) | vamos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | vais |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | van |
¿Vienes con nosotros a la fiesta?
Are you coming to the party with us?Siempre vamos al cine los sábados.
We always go to the movies on Saturdays.
6. Hacer (to do, to make)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | hago |
| Tú (you) | haces |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | hace |
| Nosotros/as (we) | hacemos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | hacéis |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | hacen |
Hoy hace mucho calor.
Today it’s very hot.Hacemos pastas todos los domingos.
We make pasta every Sunday.
7. Dar (to give)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | doy |
| Tú (you) | das |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | da |
| Nosotros/as (we) | damos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | dais |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | dan |
Ella da clases de inglés.
She gives English classes.Siempre doy lo mejor de mi mismo.
I always give my best.
8. Poder (to be able to)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | puedo |
| Tú (you) | puedes |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | puede |
| Nosotros/as (we) | podemos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | podéis |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | pueden |
¿Lo puedo ayudar?
May I help you?Puedes venir conmigo si quieres.
You can come with me if you like.
9. Saber (to know)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | sé |
| Tú (you) | sabes |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | sabe |
| Nosotros/as (we) | sabemos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | sabéis |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | saben |
No sé cómo hacer este ejercicio.
I don’t know how to do this exercise.¿Sabes algo de Juana?
Have you heard from Juana?
10. Oír (hear)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | oigo |
| Tú (you) | oyes |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | oye |
| Nosotros/as (we) | oímos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | oís |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | oyen |
¿Oyes el ruido afuera?
Can you hear the noise outside?Nunca oigo las campanas de la iglesia.
I never hear the church bells.
11. Ver (to see)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | veo |
| Tú (you) | ves |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | ve |
| Nosotros/as (we) | vemos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | veis |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | ven |
Ella ve a sus amigas todas las semanas.
She sees her friends every week.No veo los detalles de este dibujo.
I can’t see the details of this drawing.
12. Venir (to come)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | vengo |
| Tú (you) | vienes |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | viene |
| Nosotros/as (we) | venimos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | venís |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | vienen |
Él siempre viene con nosotros al parque.
He always comes to the park with us¿Vienes a cenar mañana a casa?
Are you coming over for dinner tomorrow?
13. Decir (to say)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | digo |
| Tú (you) | dices |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | dice |
| Nosotros/as (we) | decimos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | decís |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | dicen |
¿Qué dices al respecto?
What do you say about it?Él nunca dice la verdad.
He never tells the truth.
14. Haber (to be, to have)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | he |
| Tú (you) | has |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | ha |
| Nosotros/as (we) | hemos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | habéis |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | han |
No hay comida en la nevera.
There is no food in the refrigerator.
Haber may be an auxiliary or a main verb depending on the grammatical context. The impersonal form is hay.
15. Dormir (to sleep)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | duermo |
| Tú (you) | duermes |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | duerme |
| Nosotros/as (we) | dormimos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | dormís |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | duermen |
Por lo general, no duermo mucho.
I don’t usually sleep much.El bebé duerme profundamente toda la noche.
The baby sleeps deeply all night.
16. Volver (to come back)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | vuelvo |
| Tú (you) | vuelves |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | vuelve |
| Nosotros/as (we) | volvemos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | volvéis |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | vuelven |
¿A qué hora vuelves del trabajo?
What time do you get back home after work?Vuelvo a mi ciudad cada año.
I go back to my hometown every year.
17. Poner (to put)
| Subject pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | pongo |
| Tú (you) | pones |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | pone |
| Nosotros/as (we) | ponemos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | ponéis |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | ponen |
Ese niño pone lo mejor de él.
That boy gives his best.Siempre ponemos música clásica en casa.
We always play classical music at home.
18. Hablar (to speak)
All regular Spanish -ar verbs follow the same conjugation pattern as hablar for all tenses. To form the present tense, the -ar ending is dropped and replaced with the corresponding ending depending on the subject:
| Subject pronoun | Present tense | Present tense ending for all regular -ar verbs |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | hablo | -o |
| Tú (you) | hablas | -as |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | habla | -a |
| Nosotros/as (we) | hablamos | -amos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | habláis | -áis |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | hablan | -an |
Disculpa, ¿hablas inglés?
Excuse me, do you speak English?Él habla lentamente.
He speaks slowly.
Quick tip: Other common regular -ar verbs are: amar (love), trabajar (work), cantar (sing), comprar (buy), caminar (walk), bailar (dance), comenzar (start), pagar (pay).
19. Comer (to eat)
Comer is a regular verb. All regular Spanish -er verbs follow the same conjugation pattern as comer for all tenses. To form the present tense, the -er ending of the infinitive form is dropped and replaced with the corresponding ending depending on the subject:
| Subject pronoun | Present tense | Verb ending |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | como | -o |
| Tú (you) | comes | -es |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | come | -e |
| Nosotros/as (we) | comemos | -emos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | coméis | -éis |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | comen | -en |
Siempre como comida saludable.
I always eat healthy food.¿A qué hora comes?
What time do you eat?
Quick tip: Other common regular -er verbs are: beber (drink), correr (run), aprender (learn), leer (read), comprender (understand), responder (answer), temer (fear), esconder (hide).
20. Vivir (to live)
Vivir is a regular verb. All regular Spanish -ir verbs follow the same conjugation pattern as vivir for all tenses. To form the present tense, the -ir ending of the infinitive form is dropped and replaced with the corresponding ending depending on the subject:
| Subject pronoun | Present tense | Verb ending |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | vivo | -o |
| Tú (you) | vives | -es |
| Él, ella (he, she) Usted (formal you) | vive | -e |
| Nosotros/as (we) | vivimos | -imos |
| Vosotros/as (plural you) | vivís | -ís |
| Ellos, ellas (they) Ustedes (plural you) | viven | -en |
Ella vive con sus padres.
She lives with her parents.Mis amigos viven cerca mío.
My friends live near me.
Quick tip: Other common regular -ir verbs are: partir (leave), abrir (open), subir (go up), existir (exist), compartir (share), sufrir (suffer), permitir (allow), añadir (add).
200+ most common verbs in Spanish list
*Starred verbs show some type of irregularity, either in the root or in the participle, or have spelling changes.
| abrir* open | disfrutar enjoy | parecer* seem |
| aceptar accept | distribuir* distribute | partir leave |
| acostar* lie down | dividir divide | pedir* ask for |
| admitir admit | doler* hurt | pensar* think |
| agradecer* thank | dormir* sleep | perder* lose |
| almorzar* have lunch | elegir* choose | permitir allow |
| amar love | emocionar move | perseguir* pursue |
| andar* ride | empezar* start | poder* can, be able to |
| aparecer* appear | encontrar* find | poner* put |
| aplaudir applaud, clap | engordar gain weight | preguntar ask |
| aprender learn | entender* understand | presentar present |
| aprobar* pass, approve | entrar go in, enter | prestar lend |
| asistir attend, assist | enviar* send | probar* try, taste |
| asustar scare | esconder hide | producir* produce |
| atender* look after, care for | escribir* write | prohibir* ban |
| aumentar increase | escuchar listen to | prometer promise |
| ayudar help | estar* be | proteger protect |
| bailar dance | estornudar sneeze | pudrir rot |
| bajar go down | existir exist | quedar* remain, stay |
| beber drink | formar form | querer* want |
| buscar look for | freír* fry | recibir receive |
| caber* fit | ganar win | recomendar* recommend |
| caer* fall | gastar spend, waste | recordar* remember |
| cambiar change | golpear hit, knock | regresar return, come back |
| caminar walk | gustar like | reír* laugh |
| cantar sing | haber* be, have | repartir distribute |
| celebrar celebrate | hablar speak | repetir* repeat |
| cenar have dinner | hacer* do | resolver* solve |
| cerrar* close | hervir boil | responder answer |
| cocinar cook | huir* flee, run away | revolver* stir |
| comenzar* begin | incluir* include | rezar pray |
| comer eat | insistir insist | rogar* beg |
| compartir share | intentar try | romper break |
| competir* compete | intervenir* intervene | saber* know |
| comprar buy | introducir* introduce | salir* go out |
| comprender understand | invitar invite | saludar greet |
| conducir* drive, lead | ir* go | seguir* follow |
| confundir confuse | jugar* play | sentar* sit |
| conocer* know | ladrar bark | sentir* feel |
| conseguir* get | lavar wash | ser* be |
| construir* build | leer* read | servir work, serve |
| consumir consume | limpiar clean | sonar* sound |
| contar* tell, count | llamar call | soñar* dream |
| contestar answer | llegar arrive | sonreír* smile |
| contraer* contract | llevar take | sorprender surprise |
| convencer* convince | llorar cry | sostener* hold |
| convertir* turn, convert | llover* rain | subir go up |
| corregir* correct | manejar manage, drive | sugerir* suggest |
| correr run | mantener* keep | tejer knit |
| cortar cut | matar kill | tener* have |
| coser sew | medir* measure | terminar finish |
| costar* cost | mentir* lie | tocar touch, play |
| crear create | meter put | tomar take |
| crecer* grow | mirar look | torcer* twist |
| creer believe | morder* bite | toser cough |
| cruzar cross | morir* die | trabajar work |
| cubrir* cover | mostrar* show | traducir translate |
| cuidar look after | mover* move | traer* bring |
| cumplir fulfill | nacer* be born | transmitir transmit |
| dar* give | nadar swim | tratar treat, try to |
| deber have to, must, owe | necesitar need | unir join |
| decidir decide | negar* deny | usar use |
| decir* say | nevar* snow | utilizar use, utilize |
| defender* defend | obtener* obtain, get | valer* be worth |
| desayunar have breakfast | ocurrir happen, occur | vender sell |
| descansar rest | odiar hate | venir* come |
| descubrir* discover | ofender offend | ver* see |
| desear wish, hope | ofrecer* offer | vestir* wear, dress |
| despertar* wake up | oír* hear | viajar travel |
| devolver* give back | olvidar forget | vivir live |
| dirigir* direct | pagar pay | volar* fly |
| discutir argue, discuss | parar stop | volver* come back |
Explore more:
- Spanish nouns
- Spanish adjectives
- Spanish adverbs
- Spanish prepositions
- Definite and indefinite articles in Spanish
Practice: Spanish verbs
Choose the right conjugation for each verb:
References
- Real Academia Española, Diccionario panhispánico de dudas Online, accessed August 6, 2024, https://www.rae.es/
- Real Academia Española, Nueva gramática de la lengua española, s.v. “Los verbos irregulares,” accessed August 7, 2024, https://www.rae.es/
- Real Academia Española, Nueva gramática de la lengua española, s.v. “La conjugación regular,” accessed August 7, 2024, https://www.rae.es/
- Oxford Spanish Dictionary, 3rd edition on CD-ROM, Oxford University Press, accessed August 7, 2024
- Wordreference, Spanish verb conjugation, accessed August 7, 2024, https://www.wordreference.com/
- Wordreference.com, accessed August 7, 2024, https://www.wordreference.com/
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