Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Conjugating regular verbs
• Part 2 of 3: Conjugating reflexive verbs
• Part 3 of 3: Conjugating irregular verbs
• Tips

Conjugating verbs in Spanish can be tricky. To conjugate a regular verb in the present tense, you just need to know your subject, remove the ending from the verb, and add the ending for the corresponding subject. When you start conjugating reflexive or irregular verbs, the rules change a bit, but you can still do it if you know the most important facts. If you want to know how to conjugate Spanish verbs in the present tense, follow these steps.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Conjugating regular verbs

1. Understand topics. The subject is the noun to which the verb refers. To conjugate a verb in Spanish, you must first know the different personal pronouns in that language. They are:
   • Yo - I (formal)
   • Tú - you (singular informal)
   • Usted - you (singular formal)
   • El, ella - he she
   • Nosotros / as - we
   • Vosotros / ash - you (plural informal)
   • Ustedes - you (plural formal)
   • Ellos / as - she
     • While there are eight different topics, there are only six different forms of conjugation. El, ella and usted are conjugated in the same way, just like ellos, ellas and ustedes.
2. Determine the subject. Once you are familiar with topics, you need to find the noun that goes with the verb. Suppose the verb necesitar (need), who needs something? You? The person you are talking to? A group of guys? The subject determines the form of conjugation.
3. Remove the exit. All Spanish verbs end in "-ar", "-ir" or "-er". If you have removed the current output, you can add the new corresponding output. Unless the verb is reflexive, then there is "se" after the verb ending.
4. Conjugate "-ar" verbs. If you know the form of conjugation for "-ar" verbs in the present tense, you can add the form at the end of any regular "-ar" verb. These are the rules for conjugating it in the present tense, using the verb hablar (to speak):
   • Yo: o - hablo
   • Tú: as - hablas
   • El, Ella, Usted: a - habla
   • Nosotros / as: amos - hablamos
   • Vosotros / ash: áis - habláis
   • Ellos / as, Ustedes: an - hablan
     
     
5. Conjugate "-er" verbs. Learn the present tense conjugation form of "-er" verbs and just add it to the end of each verb. These are the endings for the verb "-er" in the present tense using the verb beber (drink) as an example:
   • Yo: o - bebo
   • Tú: es - bebes
   • El, Ella, Usted: e - bebe
   • Nosotros / as: emos - bebemos
   • Vosotros / ash: éis - bebéis
   • Ellos / as, Ustedes: and - be
6. Conjugate "-ir" verbs. Learn the present tense conjugation form of "-ir" verbs and add it to the end of each verb. These are the endings for the verb "-ir" in the present tense, using the verb vivir (life):
   • Yo: o - vivo
   • Tú: es - vives
   • El, Ella, Usted: e - vive
   • Nosotros / as: imos - vivimos
   • Vosotros / ash: is - vivís
   • Ellos / as, Ustedes: and - viven

Part 2 of 3: Conjugating reflexive verbs

1. Learn to conjugate the pronoun "se". To conjugate a reflexive verb, you must first learn how to conjugate it depending on the subject's personal pronoun. Each topic has its own form se. These conjugated forms of se work in any time. They are:
   • Yo: me
   • Tú: to
   • El, Ella, Usted: se
   • Nosotros / as: nos
   • Vosotros / ash: os
   • Ellos / as, Ustedes: se
2. Put the form of "se" before the verb. Before continuing, you can put the corresponding form of "se" before the verb. Think of this as removing "se" from the end of the verb before conjugating it. Remove the "se" ending - after all, you've already joined it.
3. Conjugate the verb. Now conjugate the verb according to the rules of conjugating a verb in the present tense - provided it is a regular verb. Put the verb after the correct form of se, and then you are done conjugating. You can omit the subject's personal pronoun before the reflexive pronoun when using a reflexive verb; for example you can "Yo me lavosay to say "I was myself", but "Me lavois more common. These are the forms of the conjugated reflexive verb levanto (to rise) in the present tense:
   • Yo: me levanto
   • Tú: to levantas
   • El, Ella, Usted: se levanta
   • Nosotros / as: nos levantamos
   • Vosotros / ash: os levantáis
   • Ellos / as, Ustedes: se levantan

Part 3 of 3: Conjugating irregular verbs

1. Conjugate verbs with a changing stem. These are the verbs where the stem (or "radically") changes, or strongly verbs. With strong verbs, the root vowel changes from the verb to the present tense. However, the trunk does not change to the nosotros or vosotros forms of the verb. There are a number of different ways in which the stem vowel can change. These are a few examples:
   • Conjugate verbs with a stem change of O to ue with dormir (sleeping) as an example:
     • Yo: duermo
     • Tú: duermes
     • El, Ella, Usted: duerme
     • Nosotros / as: dormimos
     • Vosotros / ash: dormís
     • Ellos / as, Ustedes: duermen
   • Conjugate verbs with a stem change of e to ie with querer (want) as an example:
     • Yo: quiero
     • Tú: quieres
     • El, Ella, Usted: quiere
     • Nosotros / as: queremos
     • Vosotros / ash: queréis
     • Ellos / as, Ustedes: quieren
   • Conjugate verbs with a stem change of e to i with udder (follow or continue) as an example:
     • Yo: sigo
     • Tú: sigues
     • El, Ella, Usted: sigue
     • Nosotros / as: seguimos
     • Vosotros / ash: seguís
     • Ellos / as, Ustedes: siguen
2. Conjugate verbs that change in the first person. Some verbs are irregular in the first person in the present tense. The other forms follow the rules of conjugating regular verbs. It is best to memorize these verbs to conjugate them correctly. These are a few examples of verbs that are irregular only in the first person (the yo form):
   • Conjugate verbs that form in the first person of c in zc change:
     • Conocer (are familiar with): Yo conozco
     • Agradecer (to thank): Yo agradezco
     • Ofrecer (to offer): Yo ofrezco
   • Conjugate verbs where in the first person one g appears:
     • Caer (fall): Yo caigo
     • Salir (going out): Yo salgo
     • Tener (to have): Yo tengo
   • Conjugate verbs with other changes in the yo form:
     • Dar (to give): Yo doy
     • Saber (know): Yo sé
     • Far (see): Yo veo
3. Conjugate other irregular verbs in the present tense. There are other commonly used verbs - and others less used - where the stem does not change, but are conjugated irregularly. Learning these by heart will help you master the basics of Spanish. These are a few common irregular verbs conjugated in the present tense:
   • Estar (to be):
     • Yo: estoy
     • Tú: estás
     • El, Ella, Usted: está
     • Nosotros / as: estamos
     • Vosotros / ash: estáis
     • Ellos / as, Ustedes: están
   • Ser (to be):
     • Yo: soy
     • Tú: eres
     • El, Ella, Usted: son
     • Nosotros / as: somos
     • Vosotros / ash: sois
     • Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes: son
   • Ir (to go):
     • Yo: voy
     • Tú: vas
     • El, Ella, Usted: va
     • Nosotros / as: vamos
     • Vosotros / ash: vais
     • Ellos / as, Ustedes: from

Tips

• You don't always have to use the personal pronoun. That's just for clarification. Necesito una toalla means the same as Yo necesito una toalla. However, with él / ella / usted and ellos / ellas / ustedes conjugations of verbs, it is useful to mention the subject.
• These conjugations work for both the present tense and the progressive present tense. For instance: Tocamos el piano means both We play the piano as We are playing the piano.
• Do you want to use the future tense? Then just put a conjugation of "ir" in front of it, and leave the actual verb in its infinitive form. Example: Voy a pasear al perro. This means, "I'm going to walk the dog." There is also a real future tense, but if you are just starting to learn Spanish, this is a great trick.
• In Latin America, vosotros is not widely used. You will be better understood if you use ustedes, which is used both formally and informally as you.
• To be able to remember these properly, you look for patterns. For example, "yo" will always end with o, él / ella / usted will have the same conjugations, and ellos / ellas / ustedes will also be the same.