Spanish Verbs
The Present Tense
Formation
There are 3 sets of conjugations for regular verbs in the present tense.
This tense is formed by adding the endings to the stem of the verb.
Here are the endings for regular verbs that end in -ar.
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| first person | o | amos |
| second person | as | áis |
| third person | a | an |
yo hablo
tú hablas
él/ella/usted habla
nosotros hablamos
vosotros habláis
ellos/ellas/ustedes hablan
Here are the endings for regular verbs that end in -er.
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| first person | o | emos |
| second person | es | éis |
| third person | e | en |
yo bebo
tú bebes
él/ella/usted bebe
nosotros bebemos
vosotros bebéis
ellos/ellas/ustedes beben
Here are the endings for regular verbs that end in -ir.
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| first person | o | imos |
| second person | es | ís |
| third person | e | en |
yo escribo
tú escribes
él/ella/usted escribe
nosotros escribimos
vosotros escribís
ellos/ellas/ustedes escriben
Usage
In general,
the present tense in Spanish will correspond with these English equivalents:
yo hablo = I speak, I do speak, I am speaking, I am
speaking (near future)
yo trabajo = I work, I do work, I am working, I am
working (near future)
Keep in mind that the present tense is generally used for describing what is happening now, in the present time, but also has a few other uses.
The present
tense can also be used to indicate an event in the near future:
Salgo esta noche. I am leaving tonight.
As well as habitual actions:
Jennifer canta en el coro.
Jennifer sings in the chorus.
Grammar Exercises
Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the answer key.
Regular Verbs in the Present Tense
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb.
1. Eduardo __________ español. (hablar)
2. Yo __________ muy bien. (bailiar)
3. Mis amigos y yo __________ en el coro.
(cantar)
4. Tú __________ la foto. (mirar)
5. Mauricio __________ el español. (enseñar)
6. Yo __________ cinco cursos. (tomar)
7. Carlos __________ mucho. (estudiar)
8. Marisol y Julia __________ en una oficina.
(trabajar)
Answer Key
1. habla
2. bailo
3. cantamos
4. miras
5. enseña
6. tomo
7. estudia
8. trabajan