Verb conjugation is the foundation of speaking Spanish correctly. Once you understand the patterns, it becomes much more manageable than it first appears.
In English, verbs change very little. You say "I speak," "you speak," "he speaks" and only that last form is different. In Spanish, the verb changes for every person and every tense. "To speak" becomes hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, and hablan depending on who is doing the speaking.
This might sound like a lot, but the good news is that most Spanish verbs follow predictable patterns. Once you learn the patterns for regular verbs, you can conjugate hundreds of verbs correctly.
Every Spanish verb infinitive ends in either -ar, -er, or -ir. The ending tells you which conjugation pattern to follow. For example, hablar (to speak) is an -ar verb, comer (to eat) is an -er verb, and vivir (to live) is an -ir verb.
To conjugate a regular verb, you remove the infinitive ending and add the appropriate ending for the person and tense you need.
The present tense is the first tense most learners tackle. Here are the endings for all three verb types:
| Subject | -ar (hablar) | -er (comer) | -ir (vivir) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | hablo | como | vivo |
| Tú | hablas | comes | vives |
| Él / Ella | habla | come | vive |
| Nosotros | hablamos | comemos | vivimos |
| Vosotros | habláis | coméis | vivís |
| Ellos / Ellas | hablan | comen | viven |
The preterite tense is used for actions that were completed in the past. "I spoke with her yesterday" or "we ate dinner at 7pm" would both use the preterite.
| Subject | -ar (hablar) | -er (comer) | -ir (vivir) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | hablé | comí | viví |
| Tú | hablaste | comiste | viviste |
| Él / Ella | habló | comió | vivió |
| Nosotros | hablamos | comimos | vivimos |
| Vosotros | hablasteis | comisteis | vivisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas | hablaron | comieron | vivieron |
Not every verb follows the regular patterns. Some of the most common Spanish verbs are irregular, meaning they have unique conjugations you have to memorize. The most important ones to learn first are ser (to be), estar (to be), ir (to go), tener (to have), and hacer (to do/make).
The upside is that irregular verbs are irregular because they get used so often. The more you practice them, the more natural they become. Repetition is the key.
Reading conjugation tables is a starting point, but it is not enough on its own. The most effective way to internalize conjugations is through active practice: being shown a verb and a subject and having to recall the correct form before looking it up.
Spaced repetition helps too. Reviewing forms you know less frequently and focusing more time on the ones that trip you up is far more efficient than drilling everything equally.
Tracking your progress also matters. Knowing which forms you have mastered versus which ones you keep getting wrong lets you focus your practice where it actually counts.
Spanish Conjugation Training lets you study any of 1,750 Spanish verbs across 12 tenses, quiz yourself in Memory or Type mode, and track exactly which forms you know. The free tier covers 51 verbs and the 3 core tenses.
Start practicing for free