Present Tense of Regular Verbs

The present tense is used to talk about actions or situations happening in the present. In Spanish, the present tense of regular verbs is formed by dropping the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir) and adding the appropriate verb endings.

Conjugation of Regular -ar Verbs

To conjugate regular -ar verbs in the present tense, follow these steps:

1. Start with the infinitive form of the verb, such as hablar (to speak).
2. Drop the -ar ending to find the stem, which is habl-.
3. Add the verb endings corresponding to the subject pronouns (yo, tú, él/ella/usted, nosotros/as, vosotros/as, ellos/ellas/ustedes).

Here is the complete conjugation of the verb hablar in the present tense:

• Yo: hablo
• Tú: hablas
• Él/Ella/Usted: habla
• Nosotros/Nosotras: hablamos
• Vosotros/Vosotras: habláis
• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: hablan

Note: The verb endings for -ar verbs are -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an.

Conjugation of Regular -er Verbs

To conjugate regular -er verbs in the present tense, follow these steps:

1. Start with the infinitive form of the verb, such as comer (to eat).
2. Drop the -er ending to find the stem, which is com-.
3. Add the verb endings corresponding to the subject pronouns.

Here is the complete conjugation of the verb comer in the present tense:

• Yo: como
• Tú: comes
• Él/Ella/Usted: come
• Nosotros/Nosotras: comemos
• Vosotros/Vosotras: coméis
• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: comen

Note: The verb endings for -er verbs are -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en.

Conjugation of Regular -ir Verbs

To conjugate regular -ir verbs in the present tense, follow these steps:

1. Start with the infinitive form of the verb, such as vivir (to live).
2. Drop the -ir ending to find the stem, which is viv-.
3. Add the verb endings corresponding to the subject pronouns.

Here is the complete conjugation of the verb vivir in the present tense:

• Yo: vivo
• Tú: vives
• Él/Ella/Usted: vive
• Nosotros/Nosotras: vivimos
• Vosotros/Vosotras: vivís
• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: viven

Note: The verb endings for -ir verbs are -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en.

Tips and Exceptions

• Most regular verbs follow the patterns described above, but some may have slight spelling changes in certain forms. For example, the verb jugar (to play) becomes juego in the yo form.
• Verbs that end in -car, -gar, or -zar have an irregular spelling change in the yo form to maintain the correct pronunciation. For example, the verb buscar (to search) becomes busco in the yo form, not busco.
• Remember that the subject pronouns (yo, tú, él/ella/usted, nosotros/as, vosotros/as, ellos/ellas/ustedes) are often omitted in Spanish since the verb endings indicate the subject. However, they can be used for emphasis or clarification.

Examples

Here are some examples of regular verbs conjugated in the present tense:

• Cantar (to sing):

  • Yo canto. (I sing.)
  • Tú cantas. (You sing.)
  • Él/Ella/Usted canta. (He/She/You sing.)
  • Nosotros/Nosotras cantamos. (We sing.)
  • Vosotros/Vosotras cantáis. (You all sing.)
  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes cantan. (They/You all sing.)

• Correr (to run):

  • Yo corro. (I run.)
  • Tú corres. (You run.)
  • Él/Ella/Usted corre. (He/She/You run.)
  • Nosotros/Nosotras corremos. (We run.)
  • Vosotros/Vosotras corréis. (You all run.)
  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes corren. (They/You all run.)

• Escribir (to write):

  • Yo escribo. (I write.)
  • Tú escribes. (You write.)
  • Él/Ella/Usted escribe. (He/She/You write.)
  • Nosotros/Nosotras escribimos. (We write.)
  • Vosotros/Vosotras escribís. (You all write.)
  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes escriben. (They/You all write.)

Remember that practicing regularly and using verbs in context will help you master the conjugation of regular verbs in the present tense.