Learn To Conjugate 88 Regular Verbs in Spanish

The path to fluency begins with a strong grasp of regular verbs in Spanish. By learning how to conjugate the most common regular verbs—such as hablar (to talk), comer (to eat), and vivir (to live)—you’ll feel confident and ready for any conversation. 

Once you’ve mastered the most common regular Spanish verbs in this guide, you may want more practice using them in spontaneous conversations. By providing personalized guidance and valuable feedback, a Rosetta Stone tutor can accelerate your progress and help you gain confidence in your speaking abilities. 

Table of Contents

• What are regular verbs in Spanish? 
• Mastering regular verb conjugation in key Spanish verb tenses 
• The key to subject-verb agreement with regular verbs
• How to conjugate 5 regular -AR verbs
• 55 other regular verbs in Spanish with -AR endings
• How to conjugate 5 regular -ER verbs
• 7 other regular verbs in Spanish with -ER endings
• How to conjugate the top 5 regular -IR verbs
• 8 other regular verbs in Spanish with -IR endings
• Frequently asked questions about regular verbs in Spanish

What are regular verbs in Spanish? 

Regular verbs follow predictable conjugation patterns across all Spanish verb tenses. They are classified into three groups based on their infinitive endings: -AR, -ER, and -IR. Since the verb’s root (the part before the infinitive ending) remains constant, learners can quickly identify and apply consistent conjugation patterns across different tenses.

Although thousands of verbs in Spanish follow the same conjugation patterns, it’s important not to assume that there are only regular verbs in Spanish. Irregular verbs in Spanish, those that conjugate in a more complicated way, make up a good chunk of the most common Spanish verbs.

Mastering regular verb conjugation in key Spanish verb tenses 

While familiarity with common infinitives in Spanish like bailar (to dance) and correr (to run) is essential, they’re rarely used in a sentence without changing the ending. Verbs typically have to be conjugated in a specific tense to indicate when an action took place. 

Each Spanish verb tense has its own set of conjugation rules. Below is an overview of three of the most common Spanish verb tenses and when they are used. For a comprehensive list of verb endings for all tenses, you’ll want to consult a reliable Spanish conjugation dictionary. 

Present tense conjugation

The simple present tense is used to talk about habitual actions, routines, and things happening now. Regular verbs in Spanish are conjugated in the present tense by dropping the infinitive ending (-AR, -ER, -IR) and adding the following endings: 

Subject Pronoun	-AR Verbs	-ER Verbs	-IR Verbs
Yo  I	-o	-o	-o
Tú  You (informal)	-as	-es	-es
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	-a	-e	-e
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	-amos	-emos	-imos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	-áis	-éis	-ís
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	-an	-en	-en

When talking about your hobbies and interests in Spanish, you’ll use a variety of -AR, -ER, and IR verbs in the present tense. For example: 

• Dibujo en el parque cada mañana. = I draw in the park every morning. 
• Mi mamá y yo corremos maratones para recaudar dinero para caridad. = My mom and I run marathons to raise money for charity. 
• Marta escribe poesía en su tiempo libre. = Marta writes poetry in her spare time. 

Preterite tense conjugation

The preterite tense in Spanish is used to express completed actions in the past. You form it by dropping the infinitive ending and adding the following endings: 

Subject Pronoun	-AR Verbs	-ER Verbs	-IR Verbs
Yo  I	-é	-í	-í
Tú  You (informal)	-aste	-iste	-iste
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	-ó	-ió	-ió
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	-amos	-imos	-imos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	-asteis	-isteis	-isteis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	-aron	-ieron	-ieron

When sharing details about a trip you took, the preterite tense will be useful to describe what you did, the foods you ate, and other completed actions. 

• Viajé a Ecuador el año pasado. = I traveled to Ecuador last year. 
• Comimos pupusas en Honduras. = We ate pupusas in Honduras. 
• Mis amigos subieron al Aconcagua, la montaña más alta de Sudamérica. = My friends climbed Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America. 

Future tense conjugation

The simple future tense is used to talk about events that will happen. Unlike other tenses, it’s formed by using the full infinitive of the verb followed by these endings: 

Subject Pronoun	-AR Verbs	-ER Verbs	-IR Verbs
Yo  I	-é	-é	-é
Tú  You (informal)	-ás	-ás	-ás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	-á	-á	-á
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	-emos	-emos	-emos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	-éis	-éis	-éis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	-án	-án	-án

Imagine you’re planning a party with friends. You can conjugate verbs in the future tense to coordinate details. 

• Tú prepararás los postres. = You will prepare the desserts. 
• Beberemos vino y cerveza. = We will drink wine and beer. 
• Abriré regalos en la sala de estar. = I will open gifts in the living room. 

The key to subject-verb agreement with regular verbs

While tenses indicate when an action happened, subject pronouns like yo (I) and ella (she)  identify who is performing an action. Subject pronouns are key parts of speech in Spanish that determine the correct verb conjugation, ensuring agreement in person and number between the subject and the verb.

For example, the regular verb necesitar (to need) changes its ending to agree with the subject pronoun. 

• Tú necesitas llamar al doctor. = You need to call the doctor. 
• Vosotros necesitáis regresar a casa. = You need to go home. 

To ensure accurate subject-verb agreement when speaking Spanish, precise pronunciation of vowel sounds is vital. In the above examples, the slight vowel change between hablas and habláis distinguishes between the singular “you” and the plural “you all (informal)” in Spanish. 

By utilizing tools like TruAccent speech recognition in Rosetta Stone’s app, learners can receive immediate feedback on their verb pronunciation and speak Spanish more confidently. 

How to conjugate 5 regular -AR verbs

Once you know how to conjugate the most common Spanish -AR verbs, you’ll be better equipped to participate in everyday conversations with native speakers. 

For example, you could ask someone, ¿Qué te gusta hacer? (What do you like to do?) to get to know them better. Remember that there is a unique Spanish grammar rule for the verb gustar (to like) as well as other common -AR verbs, requiring a different sentence structure. 

1. Hablar (to speak/to talk)

Hablar, one of the most common action verbs in Spanish, expresses the act of speaking or conversing. 

• Hablé con mi abuela por teléfono ayer. = I spoke with my grandmother on the phone yesterday.
• Nunca hablamos de política. = We never talk about politics. 

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	hablo	hablé	hablaré
Tú  You (informal)	hablas	hablaste	hablarás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	habla	habló	hablará
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	hablamos	hablamos	hablaremos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	habláis	hablasteis	hablaréis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	hablan	hablaron	hablarán

2. Mirar (to look at/to watch) 

The regular verb mirar describes looking at something or watching something. Remember that when the object being looked at is a person, you need to include the personal “a.” Compare the following examples:

• Miró a su mamá y sonrió. = She looked at her mom and smiled. 
• Miro la tele después de la cena. = I watch TV after dinner. 

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	miro	miré	miraré
Tú  You (informal)	miras	miraste	mirarás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	mira	miró	mirará
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	miramos	miramos	miraremos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	miráis	mirasteis	miraréis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	miran	miraron	mirarán

3. Tomar (to take/to drink)

Want to tomar un tren (take a train) to Barcelona or tomar maté (drink mate) in Argentina? Use this versatile verb to navigate your way through Spanish-speaking countries. 

• Tomaré un taxi al aeropuerto. = I will take a taxi to the airport.
• Tomé un vaso pequeño de horchata. = I drank a small glass of horchata. 

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	tomo	tomé	tomaré
Tú  You (informal)	tomas	tomaste	tomarás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	toma	tomó	tomará
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	tomamos	tomamos	tomaremos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	tomáis	tomasteis	tomaréis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	toman	tomaron	tomarán

4. Escuchar (to listen to/to hear) 

You’ll use escuchar frequently when talking about your interest in music or in other everyday conversations to understand what others are saying. 

• Escucho música pop mientras trabajo. = I listen to pop music while I work.
• Hola, ¿me escuchas? = Hello, can you hear me?

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	escucho	escuché	escucharé
Tú  You (informal)	escuchas	escuchaste	escucharás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	escucha	escuchó	escuchará
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	escuchamos	escuchamos	escucharemos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	escucháis	escuchasteis	escucharéis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	escuchan	escucharon	escucharán

5. Llevar (to take/to wear) 

While it shares the meaning of “to take” with tomar, the verb llevar specifically implies the action of transporting something from one place to another. It’s also used to indicate that someone is wearing something specific like a coat or a swimming suit. 

• Llevamos guantes cuando hace frío. = We wear gloves when it’s cold. 
• Llevaron a su perro al parque esta mañana. = They took their dog to the park this morning. 

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	llevo	llevé	llevaré
Tú  You (informal)	llevas	llevaste	llevarás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	lleva	llevó	llevará
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	llevamos	llevamos	llevaremos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	lleváis	llevasteis	llevaréis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	llevan	llevaron	llevarán

55 other regular verbs in Spanish with -AR endings

Here’s a more comprehensive list of regular verbs in Spanish that end in -AR. By following the same conjugation patterns demonstrated above, you can quickly learn the conjugations of these and many other regular -AR verbs in Spanish.

Spanish	English
acabar	to finish
aceptar	to accept
ahorrar	to save
alquilar	to rent
ayudar	to help
bailar	to dance
cambiar	to change
caminar	to walk
cantar	to sing
cenar	to have dinner
cocinar	to cook
comprar	to buy
contestar	to answer
cortar	to cut
crear	to create
dejar	to leave
desayunar	to have breakfast
descansar	to rest
desear	to want
disfrutar	to enjoy
encantar	to love
enseñar	to teach
entrar	to enter
esperar	to wait
estudiar	to study
evitar	to avoid
ganar	to win
gastar	to spend
gritar	to scream
gustar	to like
intentar	to try
lavar	to wash
limpiar	to clean
llamar	to call
llorar	to cry
manejar	to drive
montar	to ride
nadar	to swim
necesitar	to need
olvidar	to forget
parar	to stop
pasar	to pass
patinar	to skate
platicar	to chat
pintar	to paint
preguntar	to ask
preparar	to prepare
presentar	to present
quedar	to stay
regresar	to return
terminar	to finish
tratar	to treat
usar	to use
viajar	to travel
visitar	to visit

How to conjugate 5 regular -ER verbs

Without knowing how to conjugate some common Spanish -ER verbs, your conversations about food, drink, and other everyday topics would be quite limited!  Start your -ER verb journey with these regular verbs then advance to more complex irregular verbs such as perder (to miss/to lose), a verb often used to make excuses in Spanish. 

1. Comer (to eat) 

Learning the conjugations of comer is an excellent way to practice using your Spanish food words. This common verb will allow you to talk about your everyday meals and dietary preferences. 

• ¿Qué comiste anoche? = What did you eat last night? 
• Mi hija no come carne roja. = My daughter doesn’t eat red meat. 

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	como	comí	comeré
Tú  You (informal)	comes	comiste	comerás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	come	comió	comerá
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	comemos	comimos	comeremos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	coméis	comisteis	comeréis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	comen	comieron	comerán

2. Beber (to drink) 

Like the regular Spanish verb tomar, beber expresses the action of drinking.

• Los atletas beben mucho agua. = Athletes drink a lot of water. 
• Bebo café con moderación. = I drink coffee in moderation. 

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	bebo	bebí	beberé
Tú  You (informal)	bebes	bebiste	beberás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	bebe	bebió	beberá
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	bebemos	bebimos	beberemos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	bebéis	bebisteis	beberéis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	beben	bebieron	beberán

3. Deber (should/must) 

The auxiliary verb deber is used to express obligation or necessity. It’s also the regular verb in Spanish you use when you owe a person money or a favor. 

• El medio ambiente debe ser respetado. = The environment should be respected. 
• No me debes nada. = You don’t owe me anything. 

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	debo	debí	deberé
Tú  You (informal)	debes	debiste	deberás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	debe	debió	deberá
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	debemos	debimos	deberemos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	debéis	debisteis	deberéis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	deben	debieron	deberán

4. Aprender (to eat) 

If you’re learning Spanish, you should be able to say so! You’ll use the regular verb aprender to express that you are acquiring the language.

• Aprendieron español en Colombia. = They learned Spanish in Colombia. 
• Aprenderemos italiano antes de viajar a Sicilia el próximo año. = We will learn Italian before traveling to Sicily next year. 

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	aprendo	aprendí	aprenderé
Tú  You (informal)	aprendes	aprendiste	aprenderás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	aprende	aprendió	aprenderá
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	aprendemos	aprendimos	aprenderemos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	aprendéis	aprendisteis	aprenderéis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	aprenden	aprendieron	aprenderán

5. Comprender (to understand) 

When speaking Spanish, it is important to be able to say you don’t understand—especially if you are a beginner! Comprender is a synonym of the irregular verb entender, the irregular and more common verb meaning “to understand.”

• No comprendo lo que dices. = I don’t understand what you are saying. 
• Mi hermana no comprende ni una palabra de portugués. = My sister doesn’t understand a word of Portuguese. 

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	comprendo	comprendí	comprenderé
Tú  You (informal)	comprendes	comprendiste	comprenderás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	comprende	comprendió	comprenderá
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	comprendemos	comprendimos	comprenderemos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	comprendéis	comprendisteis	comprenderéis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	comprenden	comprendieron	comprenderán

7 other regular verbs in Spanish with -ER endings

While the most frequently used -ER verbs in Spanish, such as ser (to be) and tener (to have), are irregular, there are still many regular verbs in Spanish ending in -ER that are used frequently. These verbs follow predictable conjugation patterns across all tenses, making them easier to master.

Spanish	English
correr	to run
depender	to depend
esconder	to hide
meter	to put
prometer	to promise
sorprender	to surprise
vender	to sell

How to conjugate the top 5 regular -IR verbs

By having a strong grasp of common Spanish -IR verbs, you can express yourself more fluently in a variety of situations. From talking about where you live to what school you go to, you’ll find these verbs essential for communication. 

1. Vivir (to live) 

The verb vivir is one of the most fundamental verbs in Spanish. You’ll use it primarily to talk about where you live. 

• Mis abuelos viven en Alemania. = My grandparents live in Germany. 
• Viví en Tailandia por un año. = I lived in Thailand for a year. 

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	vivo	viví	viviré
Tú  You (informal)	vives	viviste	vivirás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	vive	vivió	vivirá
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	vivimos	vivimos	viviremos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	vivís	vivisteis	viviréis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	viven	vivieron	vivirán

2. Escribir (to write) 

When you want to talk about writing something like una carta (a letter) or un correo electrónico (an email), use the verb escribir. 

• El periodista escribió un artículo sobre la pandemia. = The journalist wrote an article about the pandemic. 
• Escribiré una novela sobre mis viajes alrededor del mundo. = I will write a novel about my travels around the world. 

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	escribo	escribí	escribiré
Tú  You (informal)	escribes	escribiste	escribirás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	escribe	escribió	escribirá
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	escribimos	escribimos	escribiremos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	escribís	escribisteis	escribiréis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	escriben	escribieron	escribirán

3. Recibir (to receive) 

To talk about the gifts you received on Christmas or Three Kings Day, use the regular Spanish verb recibir. 

• Ella recibió muchos juguetes el Día de Reyes. = She received many toys on Three Kings Day.
• Recibirán los resultados mañana. = They’ll receive the results tomorrow. 

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	recibo	recibí	recibiré
Tú  You (informal)	recibes	recibiste	recibirás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	recibe	recibió	recibirá
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	recibimos	recibimos	recibiremos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	recibís	recibisteis	recibiréis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	reciben	recibieron	recibirán

4. Abrir (to open) 

To express the act of opening something, the verb abrir will come in handy. It’s the opposite of the irregular stem-changing verb cerrar (to close). 

• Mis hermanos y yo abrimos regalos cada Nochebuena. = My siblings and I open gifts every Christmas Eve. 
• Javier abrió todas las ventanas para ventilar la casa. = Javier opened all the windows to air out the house. 

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	abro	abrí	abriré
Tú  You (informal)	abres	abriste	abrirás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	abre	abrió	abrirá
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	abrimos	abrimos	abriremos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	abrís	abristeis	abriréis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	abren	abrieron	abrirán

5. Asistir (to attend) 

Beware of this common false cognate in Spanish! You’ll want to use asistir to indicate that you plan to attend events or classes not to assist someone. 

• Mis niños asistirán a una escuela privada. = My children will attend private school. 
• Asistimos al partido de fútbol anoche. = We attended the soccer game last night. 

Subject Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Future
Yo  I	asisto	asistí	asistiré
Tú  You (informal)	asistes	asististe	asistirás
Él, Ella, Usted He, She, You (formal)	asiste	asistió	asistirá
Nosotros, Nosotras  We	asistimos	asistimos	asistiremos
Vosotros, Vosotras  You all (informal)	asistís	asististeis	asistiréis
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes  They, You all (formal)	asisten	asistieron	asistirán

8 other regular verbs in Spanish with -IR endings

Now that you’ve grasped the common patterns of regular -IR verb conjugation, you can apply it to other regular -IR verbs in Spanish, minimizing the need to memorize individual conjugations.

Spanish	English
aburrir	to bore
compartir	to share
confundir	to confuse
decidir	to decide
insistir	to insist
ocurrir	to happen
unir	to join
subir	to go up

Frequently asked questions about regular verbs in Spanish

Understanding regular verbs in Spanish is essential for communicating effectively in Spanish, so use the answers to these frequently asked questions to help you know the most important elements of these verbs.

What are regular verbs in Spanish? 

Unlike irregular verbs, regular verbs follow predictable patterns and maintain a consistent root when changing the ending based on the subject pronoun and tense. 

What are the main groups of regular verbs in Spanish? 

Spanish verbs are categorized into three main groups based on their infinitive forms: -AR, -ER, and -IR. The infinitive is the unconjugated form of the verb. 

For example, the verb cocinar (to cook) is an infinitive. It hasn’t been conjugated yet so it doesn’t tell us who is doing the cooking or when. The -AR ending of cocinar indicates its verb group, which determines the appropriate conjugations. Similarly, the -ER ending of comer (to eat) and the -IR ending of vivir (to live) indicate their respective verb groups, which dictate their conjugation patterns. 

What are some common mistakes learners make when conjugating regular verbs? 

It’s common for learners to struggle with verb conjugation, even if the verb is regular. One of the most frequent errors stems from subject-verb agreement. Every subject pronoun in Spanish requires a different verb ending, and making these changes in spontaneous conversation can be challenging. 

Learners might also mix up usted and tú in Spanish. Both mean “you” but require distinct verb endings and indicate different levels of formality. 

Are there only regular verbs in Spanish? 

No, Spanish has both regular and irregular verbs. Regular verbs follow predictable conjugation patterns whereas irregular verbs don’t follow the regular -AR, -ER, and -IR verb patterns. For example, the present tense yo form of the verb ir (to go) is voy (I go). 

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