Spanish Present Tense: Regular -ar, -er and -ir Verbs

In English the present tense barely changes: I speak, you speak, we speak — he/she/it speaks adds an -s. In Spanish the ending changes with the grammatical person and often makes the subject clear. The good news: regular verbs follow three patterns, and once you know them you can use hundreds of verbs.

Stem + ending

Every Spanish infinitive ends in -ar, -er or -ir. Take that ending off to get the stem, then add the ending for the person you need:

The three patterns

Here are the six forms for one verb of each group. The stem stays the same; only the ending changes.

Notice two things. -er and -ir verbs share most endings and differ only in nosotros and vosotros. And the vosotros forms carry a written accent: habláis, coméis, vivís. Other regular verbs to try: trabajar, estudiar, beber, leer, escribir, abrir.

You usually drop the pronoun

Because the ending often shows the person, Spanish usually leaves out yo, tú, él and the rest. Use the pronoun when you want contrast or emphasis:

Tú, usted, vosotros, ustedes

Spanish has more than one word for “you.” Tú is informal and usted is formal; both are singular. Usted takes the same verb form as él/ella: usted habla. For the plural, Spain and Latin America differ:

Ustedes always takes the ellos form. In Latin America, vosotros forms appear mostly in formal texts or religious language, so learners there can focus on recognizing them. Some regions also use vos instead of tú, with its own forms (vos hablás, common in Argentina) — worth knowing if you learn with speakers from those areas.

What the present tense covers

The Spanish present is used for habits and facts, and also often for what is happening right now and for fixed plans — places where English often uses -ing:

Spanish also has estar + -ando/-iendo (estoy leyendo) to stress that something is in progress, but the simple present is very common where English needs the continuous.

Common mistakes

Using the -er ending with an -ir verb. In the nosotros form, -ir verbs keep the i.

Matching the verb to “you” instead of the subject. Mi hermano is él, so the verb takes the él form.

Using the tú form with usted. Usted is formal “you,” but its verb form is the same as él/ella.

Dropping the accent in vosotros forms. Habláis, coméis, vivís carry a written accent.

Quick exercise

Put the verb in the correct present-tense form.

1. Yo ___ en una oficina. (trabajar)
2. ¿Tú ___ carne? (comer)
3. Nosotros ___ cerca del centro. (vivir)
4. Mis padres ___ español e inglés. (hablar)
5. Vosotros ___ mucho café. (beber)
6. Usted ___ muy bien. (escribir)