Spanish Verbs
Spanish verbs (verbos) are action words or state-of-being words that are the backbone of every sentence. Spanish verbs are highly inflected, meaning they change form extensively to indicate person (who), number (how many), tense (when), mood (how certain), and aspect (completion). This makes Spanish verbs more complex than English verbs, but also more expressive.
Key Characteristics
Three Conjugation Groups
Spanish verbs are divided into three groups based on their infinitive endings: -ar (hablar), -er (comer), and -ir (vivir). Each group follows its own conjugation pattern.
Person and Number
Verbs change to show who is doing the action (yo, tú, él/ella, nosotros, vosotros, ellos/ellas) and how many (singular or plural).
Multiple Tenses
Spanish has more tenses than English, including distinct past tenses for different situations (preterite vs imperfect).
Subject Pronouns Optional
Because verb endings show who is acting, subject pronouns (yo, tú, él) are often omitted unless needed for clarity or emphasis.
Visual Examples
Explore these verbs with images and audio pronunciation from our visual dictionary.
ayuda
/ah-YOO-dah/
he/she/it helps
A1
camino
/ka-MEE-no/
I walk
A1
como
/KO-mo/
I eat
A1
crees
/kreh-ess/
you believe
A1
creo
/KREH-oh/
I think
A1
cuenta
/KWEN-tah/
he/she/it counts
A1
debo
/DEH-boh/
I have to
A1
decir
/deh-SEER/
to say
A1
deja
/DEH-hah/
leaves (behind)
A1
dejar
/de-HAR/
to leave
A1
dice
/dee-seh/
he/she/it says
A1
digo
/DEE-go/
I say
A1Types of Verbs
Regular -ar Verbs
The largest group; follow predictable patterns
Regular -er Verbs
Medium-sized group with their own patterns
Regular -ir Verbs
Smallest regular group, similar to -er verbs
Irregular Verbs
Very common verbs with unpredictable changes
Stem-changing Verbs
Verbs where the vowel in the stem changes
Reflexive Verbs
Actions done to oneself
Formation Rules
Present tense formation for regular -ar verbs
Preterite (simple past) adds specific endings
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Confusing ser and estar (both mean "to be")
✓ Use "ser" for permanent characteristics and "estar" for temporary states or locations.
Soy estudiante (I am a student - permanent) | Estoy cansado (I am tired - temporary)
❌ Mixing up preterite and imperfect
✓ Preterite is for completed actions; imperfect is for ongoing or habitual past actions.
Comí pizza ayer (I ate pizza yesterday - completed) | Comía pizza cada viernes (I used to eat pizza every Friday - habitual)
❌ Forgetting reflexive pronouns
✓ Reflexive verbs need their pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se).
✗ Llamo María | ✓ Me llamo María (My name is María)
How Spanish Verbs Differ from English
Conjugation Complexity
English verbs barely change (I speak, you speak, he speaks). Spanish verbs change significantly for each person and tense.
More Tenses
Spanish distinguishes between types of past actions (preterite vs imperfect) that English combines into simple past tense.
Subjunctive Mood
Spanish regularly uses the subjunctive mood for doubt, wishes, and hypotheticals. English rarely uses it.
Pro Tips for Using Verbs
💡 Learn the most common irregular verbs first
Example: ser, estar, ir, hacer, tener, poder, decir, ver - these appear constantly
💡 Practice conjugations in complete sentences, not just charts
Example: Instead of just memorizing "hablo, hablas, habla...", practice "Yo hablo español con mis amigos"
Browse All 119 Spanish Verbs
Explore our complete collection of Spanish verbs, organized by CEFR proficiency level. Click any word to see detailed definitions, usage examples, and pronunciation guides.