Spanish verbs
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Sign up for freeIn Spanish we use verbs to talk about actions, activities or processes. As in English, the Spanish verbs are adapted to the subject in the sentence. This is called the conjugation of the verb.
Lesson outline
Hide- 1.The Spanish Infinitive
- 1.1.Endings regular -ar verbs, present simple
- 1.2.Ending regular verbs -er, present simple
- 1.3.Ending regular verbs -ir, present simple
- 2.Different verb types in Spanish
- 2.1.Auxiliary verbs in Spanish (haber, ser, estar)
- 3.Haber, ser and estar are the most used Spanish auxiliary verbs. They are important to be able to communicate in Spanish and to understand Spanish speaking people.
- 3.1.Modal verbs in Spanish
- 3.2.Spanish reflexive verbs
The Spanish Infinitive
In Spanish, the infinitive is a base form of the verb. There are three different possibilities for a Spanish infinitive to end in: -ar, -er or -ir. Regular verbs with -ar, -er or -ir all have their own set of endings for the present simple.
Some examples are in the following table.
| -ar | -er | -ir |
|---|---|---|
| hablar (to speak) | comer (to eat) | vivir (to live) |
| bailar (to dance) | depender (to depend) | recibir (to receive, to get) |
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Endings regular -ar verbs, present simple
| Present Simple Endings | Present Simple of Hablar | Meaning: to speak |
|---|---|---|
| -o | (yo) hablo | I speak |
| -as | (tú) hablas | you speak |
| -a | (él/ella) habla (usted) habla | he/she/it speaks you speak (formal) |
| -amos | (nosotros/nosotras) hablamos | we speak |
| -áis | (vosotros/vosotras) habláis | you speak |
| -an | (ellos/ellas) hablan (ustedes) hablan | they speak you speak (formal) |
Ending regular verbs -er, present simple
| Present Simple Endings | Present simple of comer | Meaning: to eat |
|---|---|---|
| -o | (yo) como | I eat |
| -es | (tú) comes | you eat |
| -e | (él/ella) come (usted) come | he/she/it eats you eat (formal) |
| -emos | (nosotros/nosotras) comemos | we eat |
| -éis | (vosotros/vosotras) coméis | you eat |
| -en | (ellos/ellas) comen (ustedes) comen | they eat you eat (formal) |
Ending regular verbs -ir, present simple
| Present Simple Endings | Present simple of vivir | Meaning: to live |
|---|---|---|
| -o | (yo) vivo | I live |
| -es | (tú) vives | you live |
| -e | (él/ella) vive (usted) vive | he/she/it lives you live (formal) |
| -imos | (nosotros/nosotras) vivimos | we live |
| -ís | (vosotros/vosotras) vivís | you live |
| -en | (ellos/ellas) viven (ustedes) viven | they live you live (formal) |
Different verb types in Spanish
In Spanish, as well as, in English you have different verb types. On this page the following types will be discussed.
- Auxiliary verbs
- Modal verbs
- Reflexive verbs
Auxiliary verbs in Spanish (haber, ser, estar)
Haber, ser and estar are the most used Spanish auxiliary verbs. They are important to be able to communicate in Spanish and to understand Spanish speaking people.
Find out more about Auxiliary verbs in Spanish!
Modal verbs in Spanish
In Spanish, modal verbs are used together with the infinitive of a verb. They "modify" the statement of the full verb in the sentences to express a possibility, necessity, ability, obligation or permission.
Find out more about Modal verbs in Spanish!
Spanish reflexive verbs
In Spanish, reflexive verbs are much more common than in English. The infinitive form of a reflexive verb has se attached to the end of it. The se on the end of the verb can mean himself, herself, itself, yourself, and oneself. Se is called a reflexive pronoun.
Reflexive verbs are often used to describe things you do to yourself every day or that involve a change, for example, to wash yourself or to go to sleep.
Find out more about reflexive verbs in Spanish!