Regular endings
| hablar (-ar) | comer (-er) | vivir (-ir) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablo | como | vivo |
| tú | hablas | comes | vives |
| él/ella/usted | habla | come | vive |
| nosotros | hablamos | comemos | vivimos |
| ellos/ustedes | hablan | comen | viven |
In most of Spain, informal plural vosotros is also common: habláis, coméis, vivís.
High-frequency irregulars
soy (ser) · estoy (estar) · voy (ir) · tengo (tener) · hago (hacer) · puedo (poder) · quiero (querer)
Spanish often omits the subject pronoun because the verb ending identifies the person: Trabajo en Londres is normally enough for “I work in London.”
Practice
Complete with the correct present form.
- Yo ___ (vivir) en Southampton.
- Nosotros ___ (comer) a las dos.
- Ana ___ (tener) dos hermanos.
- ¿Tú ___ (hablar) español?
- Ellos ___ (ir) al trabajo en tren.
Answers: 1 vivo · 2 comemos · 3 tiene · 4 hablas · 5 van.
Frequently asked questions
Does Spanish need do/does for questions?
No. Spanish does not use an auxiliary equivalent to English do/does: “¿Hablas español?”
Can the present describe something happening now?
Yes. Spanish often uses the simple present where English prefers a continuous form, depending on context.
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