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Welcome, language adventurer! If you're ready to take one of the biggest steps toward speaking Spanish, you've come to the right place. Today, we're unlocking the secret to a massive chunk of Spanish vocabulary: the regular -ar verbs.
Think about how many actions you do in a day: you work, you talk, you listen, you look for your keys. So many of these essential actions in Spanish are -ar verbs. Mastering them is like getting a master key to the language.
Ready? ¡Vamos! (Let's go!)
What Exactly is a Regular -ar Verb?
In Spanish, every verb in its original, unconjugated form is called an infinitive. It’s the "to ___" form of the verb, like "to speak" or "to sing." You can spot infinitives by their endings: -ar, -er, or -ir.
Today, we're focusing on the largest and most common group: -ar verbs.
A verb is considered regular when it follows a predictable, consistent pattern for conjugation. Once you learn the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you know how to conjugate thousands of them! It's a fantastic shortcut.
Here are a few common -ar verbs you'll see everywhere:
- Hablarto speak
- Cantarto sing
- Estudiarto study
- Trabajarto work
The Magic Formula: How to Conjugate -ar Verbs
Conjugating these verbs is a simple two-step process. Seriously, that's it!
Step 1: Find the Stem Drop the -ar ending from the infinitive. What's left is the verb's "stem."
- hablar
→habl- - cantar
→cant- - estudiar
→estudi-
Step 2: Add the Correct Ending Now, just add the correct present tense ending to the stem based on who is doing the action (the subject).
Here are the endings you need to memorize. Let's make this your new best friend!
| Subject Pronoun | Present Tense Ending | Example (with hablar) |
|---|---|---|
| yo (I) | -o | Yo hablo |
| tú (you, informal) | -as | Tú hablas |
| él/ella/usted (he/she/you, formal) | -a | Él habla |
| nosotros/nosotras (we) | -amos | Nosotros hablamos |
| vosotros/vosotras (you all, informal) | -áis | Vosotros habláis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes (they/you all) | -an | Ellos hablan |
Pro Tip: The 'Yo' Form
No matter what, for any regular verb in the present tense (-ar, -er, or -ir), the yo form always ends in -o. It's a simple rule you can always count on!
Let's See it in Action
Let's conjugate the verb comprarto buy together.
- Stem:
compr- - Add endings:
- Yo compro (I buy)
- Tú compras (You buy)
- Él compra (He buys)
- Nosotros compramos (We buy)
- Vosotros compráis (You all buy)
- Ellas compran (They buy)
See the pattern? It's the same every time. Once you have it down, you're all set!
How would you say 'We study' in Spanish?
Building Sentences with -ar Verbs
Now for the fun part! Let's use these verbs to make some real sentences.
- Caminar (to walk): Yo camino al parque todos los días. (I walk to the park every day.)
- Escuchar (to listen):
Ella escucha música clásica.(She listens to classical music.) - Necesitar (to need):
Ustedes necesitan ayuda.(You all need help.) - Trabajar (to work): Mi padre trabaja en una oficina. (My father works in an office.)
Common Mistakes
A frequent slip-up for beginners is using the wrong ending for the subject. It takes practice to make it automatic!
Drag the handle to compare
Remember, the yo form always ends in -o!
Your Turn to Practice!
Unscramble the sentence below. Drag the words into the correct order.
Arrange the words to form a correct sentence:
Making Sentences Negative
Ready for some good news? Making a sentence negative in Spanish is incredibly simple. You just add the word no directly before the conjugated verb.
Yo hablo español.→Yo **no** hablo español.(I don't speak Spanish.)Ellos cantan bien.→Ellos **no** cantan bien.(They don't sing well.)Nosotros necesitamos el coche.→Nosotros **no** necesitamos el coche.(We don't need the car.)
That's it! No extra "don't" or "doesn't" to worry about. Easy, right?
Asking Questions
You can also easily turn your statements into questions. There are two main ways:
-
Change your intonation. Just like in English, you can simply raise the pitch of your voice at the end of the sentence. In writing, this is shown with opening and closing question marks (
¿?).- Statement:
Tú trabajas los sábados.(You work on Saturdays.) - Question:
¿Tú trabajas los sábados?(Do you work on Saturdays?)
- Statement:
-
Invert the subject and verb. You can also flip the order of the subject and the verb. This is very common in Spanish.
- Statement:
Usted necesita algo.(You need something.) - Question:
¿Necesita usted algo?(Do you need something?)
- Statement:
A Note on Subject Pronouns
You might have noticed that sometimes the subject pronoun (like yo, tú, nosotros) is left out. Because the verb ending already tells you who is doing the action, these pronouns are often omitted in Spanish unless you need to add clarity or emphasis. Hablo español means the exact same thing as Yo hablo español.
You've just learned the single most important verb pattern in the Spanish language. By mastering regular -ar verbs, you've opened the door to expressing countless ideas, actions, and needs.
Keep practicing with new verbs, create your own sentences, and listen for them when you hear Spanish being spoken. Why not start with some of our beginner stories? ¡Tú puedes! (You can do it!)