Regular -AR, -ER, -IR Verb Conjugation Basics
Learn the “swap-the-ending” trick for Spanish verbs—present tense first, then the two most useful past tenses. Simple charts. Real sentences. Zero drama.
What “regular” means: the verb keeps its stem and follows a predictable ending pattern. You just drop -ar, -er, or -ir and attach the right ending for the subject (yo, tú, etc.).
Mexican Spanish note: in everyday Mexico Spanish, ustedes is the normal “you all.” You’ll see vosotros in Spain Spanish—useful to recognize, optional to memorize.
Yak Box: The 3-Step Conjugation Recipe
- Step 1: Find the infinitive (the dictionary form): hablar, comer, vivir.
- Step 2: Drop the ending: habl-, com-, viv-.
- Step 3: Add the new ending for the subject + tense.
Quick pronouns you’ll use most: yo (I), tú (you), él/ella/usted (he/she/you formal), nosotros/nosotras (we), ustedes (you all), ellos/ellas/ustedes (they/you all).
Meet Three Super-Regular Verbs
hablar
Meaning: to speak / to talk
Sentence: Yo hablo español. — I speak Spanish.
comer
Meaning: to eat
Sentence: Nosotros comemos tacos. — We eat tacos.
vivir
Meaning: to live
Sentence: Ellos viven en México. — They live in Mexico.
Present Tense Endings (Right Now / In General)
Use the present tense for habits, facts, and “right now.” The endings are the whole game.
| Subject | -AR (hablar) | -ER (comer) | -IR (vivir) |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablo | como | vivo |
| tú | hablas | comes | vives |
| él/ella/usted | habla | come | vive |
| nosotros/nosotras | hablamos | comemos | vivimos |
| ustedes | hablan | comen | viven |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablan | comen | viven |
Tiny Pattern To Memorize
| Pattern | Meaning | Sentence | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo + -o | I do | Yo trabajo mucho. | I work a lot. |
| Nosotros + -mos | We do | Nosotros estudiamos aquí. | We study here. |
| Ustedes/Ellos + -n | You all / They do | Ustedes comen temprano. | You all eat early. |
Preterite Endings (Finished Actions)
Use the preterite for actions that started and ended: yesterday, last week, one time, “done.”
| Subject | -AR | -ER | -IR |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | –é | –í | –í |
| tú | –aste | –iste | –iste |
| él/ella/usted | –ó | –ió | –ió |
| nosotros/nosotras | –amos | –imos | –imos |
| ustedes | –aron | –ieron | –ieron |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | –aron | –ieron | –ieron |
Quick Preterite Sentences
- Hablé con mi mamá. — I spoke with my mom.
- Comiste pan. — You ate bread.
- Vivimos aquí un año. — We lived here for a year.
Accent Tip (Yes, It Matters)
Preterite yo for -AR is -é and él/ella/usted is -ó. Those accents are not decoration.
Hablo (I speak) ≠ habló (he/she/you formal spoke).
Imperfect Endings (Used To / Ongoing Past)
Use the imperfect for background, habits in the past, and “used to.” Good vibes, not a “finished” action.
| Subject | -AR | -ER | -IR |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | –aba | –ía | –ía |
| tú | –abas | –ías | –ías |
| él/ella/usted | –aba | –ía | –ía |
| nosotros/nosotras | –ábamos | –íamos | –íamos |
| ustedes | –aban | –ían | –ían |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | –aban | –ían | –ían |
Imperfect Sentences You’ll Actually Use
- Cuando era niño, hablaba mucho. — When I was a kid, I used to talk a lot.
- Siempre comíamos juntos. — We always used to eat together.
- Vivían cerca de aquí. — They used to live near here.
Common Regular Verbs To Practice With
All regular. All useful. Grab them for drills (and real life).
| Infinitive | English Meaning | Sentence | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| trabajar | to work | Trabajo los lunes. | I work on Mondays. |
| estudiar | to study | Ella estudia en casa. | She studies at home. |
| mirar | to watch / to look at | Ustedes miran la tele. | You all watch TV. |
| aprender | to learn | Aprendemos rápido. | We learn quickly. |
| beber | to drink | Bebo agua. | I drink water. |
| vender | to sell | Ellos venden comida. | They sell food. |
| abrir | to open | Abres la puerta. | You open the door. |
| escribir | to write | Escribo un mensaje. | I write a message. |
| recibir | to receive | Reciben un paquete. | They receive a package. |
Practice Time (No Cheating… Okay, Minimal Cheating)
Drill 1: Present Tense Fill-Ins
- Yo ______ (hablar) con Ana. → Yo ______ con Ana.
- Tú ______ (comer) aquí. → Tú ______ aquí.
- Nosotros ______ (vivir) en la ciudad. → Nosotros ______ en la ciudad.
- Ustedes ______ (estudiar) español. → Ustedes ______ español.
- Ellos ______ (beber) café. → Ellos ______ café.
Answers
hablo, comes, vivimos, estudian, beben
Drill 2: Preterite (Finished Action)
- Ayer yo ______ (trabajar) mucho. → Ayer yo ______ mucho.
- La semana pasada nosotros ______ (aprender) eso. → La semana pasada nosotros ______ eso.
- Anoche ella ______ (comer) tarde. → Anoche ella ______ tarde.
- Ustedes ______ (abrir) la ventana. → Ustedes ______ la ventana.
Answers
trabajé, aprendimos, comió, abrieron
Drill 3: Imperfect (Used To / Ongoing Past)
- Cuando era joven, yo ______ (estudiar) aquí. → Cuando era joven, yo ______ aquí.
- De niño, tú ______ (vivir) con tus abuelos. → De niño, tú ______ con tus abuelos.
- Antes, nosotros ______ (comer) en casa. → Antes, nosotros ______ en casa.
- Ellos siempre ______ (mirar) películas. → Ellos siempre ______ películas.
Answers
estudiaba, vivías, comíamos, miraban
Common Mistakes (And Easy Fixes)
- Forgetting the stem stays the same: Drop only -ar/-er/-ir, not extra letters. hablar → habl-, not ha-.
- Mixing -ER and -IR in the present: They’re almost twins, but nosotros is different: comemos vs vivimos.
- Missing accents in the preterite: habló (he/she spoke) is not the same as hablo (I speak).
- Using “vosotros” by accident: In Mexico Spanish, stick to ustedes. Ustedes comen is the everyday choice.
Quick Reference Cheat Sheet
| Tense | -AR Key Endings | -ER Key Endings | -IR Key Endings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | o, as, a, amos, an | o, es, e, emos, en | o, es, e, imos, en |
| Preterite | é, aste, ó, amos, aron | í, iste, ió, imos, ieron | í, iste, ió, imos, ieron |
| Imperfect | aba, abas, aba, ábamos, aban | ía, ías, ía, íamos, ían | ía, ías, ía, íamos, ían |
FAQ: How Do I Know If A Verb Is Regular?
If you conjugate it and the stem stays the same while you just swap endings, it’s acting regular. If the stem changes (like tener → tengo) or the endings go off-script (like ir → voy), that’s irregular.
Final Yak
Regular verbs are Spanish on easy mode: drop the infinitive ending, add the tense ending, and you’re done. Start with the present, then add preterite + imperfect so you can talk about real life (and real stories).
Mini-challenge: pick one verb (hablar, comer, or vivir) and say it out loud in the present for all six subjects. It’s weirdly satisfying.
