Present tense: regular verbs
A1Grammar path · Lesson 12 of 86 · Stage A1 · The present tense
You use the present tense for what you do regularly, general facts and even fixed plans. Regular verbs follow one simple recipe: remove -ar, -er or -ir from the infinitive and add the ending for the person. Hablar gives hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, hablan, comer gives como, comes, come, comemos, comen, vivir gives vivo, vives, vive, vivimos, viven. Because the ending already shows who acts, the subject pronoun is often dropped. The usual trap is assuming every verb works this way: irregular verbs like tener and stem-changers like querer change inside the stem, while regular verbs keep their stem intact.
Practise this lesson · 9 sentences
Form
(sujeto) + raíz + -o / -as / -a / -amos / -an (-ar); -o / -es / -e / -emos / -en (-er); -o / -es / -e / -imos / -en (-ir)(sujeto) + no + verbo en presente¿(sujeto) + verbo en presente + complemento?When to use it
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly, often with frequency words like todos los días or los sábados.
Facts and descriptions
Use it for things that are true in general or right now, like where someone lives or what language is spoken somewhere.
Plans and schedules in the near future
With a future time word, the present can express something planned or scheduled.
The three regular groups: hablar · comer · vivir
Signal words
Don't confuse it with
Regular verbs just drop the ending and add the standard one: hablo, como, vivo. Irregular verbs like ser, ir and tener have their own forms (soy, voy, tengo), so memorize them instead of applying the recipe.
Stem-changing verbs: e→ie, o→ue, e→iRegular verbs keep the same stem in every person (como, comemos). Stem-changers use the same endings but their stem changes except in nosotros: quiero, puedo, pido but queremos, podemos, pedimos.
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate -ar verbs in the present tense?
Drop -ar and add -o, -as, -a, -amos, -an. For example, hablar becomes hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, hablan.
What is the difference between -er and -ir endings?
They are the same in almost every person; only nosotros differs: comemos but vivimos.
Do I need to say yo or tú before the verb?
Usually not, because the ending already shows who acts: Hablo español is enough. Use the pronoun only for emphasis or contrast.
How do you conjugate the ustedes form?
It is identical to ellos: ustedes hablan, ustedes comen, ustedes viven. Usted matches él: usted habla.
Can the present tense talk about the future?
Yes, with a future time word for a fixed plan: Mañana trabajo hasta las seis.
How can I tell if a verb is regular?
You cannot always tell from the infinitive. Learn the common irregular and stem-changing verbs; most others, like trabajar, comer and vivir, are regular.