GCSE Spanish: Present Tense Verbs Guide

Regular -ar verbs

Most Spanish verbs end in -ar, like hablar (to speak). Remove the -ar and add: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an for yo, tú, él/ella, nosotros, vosotros, ellos/ellas — so yo hablo, nosotros hablamos, ellos hablan.

Regular -er and -ir verbs

-er verbs like comer (to eat) take -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en. -ir verbs like vivir (to live) take -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en.

Key irregular verbs

ser (to be): soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son. tener (to have): tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tenéis, tienen. ir (to go): voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van. hacer (to do/make): hago, haces, hace, hacemos, hacéis, hacen.

Using the present tense

The present tense describes what happens now or regularly — como can mean "I eat" or "I am eating". It's also used for near-future plans with ir a + infinitive, e.g. voy a comer ("I am going to eat").

Common mistakes

• Forgetting to change the verb ending to match the subject.
• Mixing up the endings for -ar, -er and -ir verbs.
• Using ser where tener is needed in set phrases like tengo hambre ("I am hungry", literally "I have hunger").