Spanish conjugation
Spanish verbs fall into three families by their infinitive ending: -ar (hablar), -er (comer) and -ir (vivir). Each family has its own set of endings, and most Spanish tenses are built by swapping the -ar/-er/-ir for the right ending.
Spanish verb endings chart
The -er and -ir families share most endings; they differ only in the nosotros and vosotros forms of the present (comemos / vivimos) and in the imperative. The future and conditional are the easiest tenses: add the ending straight onto the whole infinitive (hablaré, comería).
hablar -ar
Present
| yo | hablo |
|---|---|
| tú | hablas |
| él/ella/usted | habla |
| nosotros | hablamos |
| vosotros | habláis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablan |
Stem-changing verbs
Many common verbs change their stem vowel when it is stressed: e→ie (pensar → pienso), o→ue (poder → puedo), e→i (pedir → pido). The nosotros and vosotros forms keep the original vowel, which is why these are called “boot verbs”.
The yo-go verbs
A group of everyday verbs add a -g- in the yo form of the present: tengo, vengo, pongo, salgo, hago, digo. That irregular yo form then carries through the whole present subjunctive (tenga, venga, ponga).
Two past tenses
The preterite (hablé) reports completed events; the imperfect (hablaba) describes background, habits and ongoing states. See our preterite vs imperfect guide for the full logic.
The 276 most common Spanish verbs
Ordered by how often they appear in everyday Spanish. Each links to a full table with every tense.
- 1serto be (permanent state)
- 2haberto have (auxiliary) / there is
- 3estarto be (temporary/location)
- 4tenerto have
- 5hacerto do/make
- 6poderto be able to/can
- 7decirto say/tell
- 8irto go
- 9verto see
- 10darto give
- 11saberto know (facts/how to)
- 12quererto want/love
- 13llegarto arrive
- 14pasarto happen/pass/spend (time)
- 15debershould/must/to owe
- 16ponerto put/place
- 17parecerto seem/appear
- 18quedarto stay/remain/agree to meet
- 19creerto believe/think
- 20hablarto speak/talk
- 21llevarto carry/wear/take
- 22dejarto leave/let/allow
- 23seguirto follow/continue
- 24encontrarto find
- 25llamarto call
- 26venirto come
- 27pensarto think
- 28salirto leave, go out
- 29volverto return
- 30tomarto take, drink
- 31conocerto know (be familiar with)
- 32vivirto live
- 33sentirto feel
- 34tratarto try, deal with
- 35mirarto look at
- 36contarto count, to tell
- 37empezarto begin, start
- 38esperarto wait, to hope
- 39buscarto look for
- 40existirto exist
- 41entrarto enter
- 42trabajarto work
- 43escribirto write
- 44perderto lose
- 45producirto produce
- 46ocurrirto occur, happen
- 47entenderto understand
- 48pedirto ask for
- 49recibirto receive
- 50recordarto remember
- 51terminarto finish, end
- 52permitirto allow, permit
- 53aparecerto appear
- 54conseguirto get, achieve
- 55comenzarto begin, start
- 56servirto serve, be useful
- 57sacarto take out, get
- 58necesitarto need
- 59mantenerto maintain, keep
- 60resultarto result, turn out
- 61leerto read
- 62caerto fall
- 63cambiarto change
- 64presentarto present, introduce
- 65crearto create
- 66abrirto open
- 67considerarto consider
- 68oírto hear
- 69acabarto finish, end up
- 70convertirto convert, turn into
- 71ganarto win, earn
- 72formarto form, shape
- 73traerto bring
- 74partirto leave, split
- 75morirto die
- 76aceptarto accept
- 77realizarto carry out/accomplish
- 78suponerto suppose/assume
- 79comprenderto understand
- 80lograrto manage to/achieve
- 81explicarto explain
- 82preguntarto ask (a question)
- 83tocarto touch/play (instrument)
- 84reconocerto recognize
- 85estudiarto study
- 86alcanzarto reach/achieve
- 87nacerto be born
- 88dirigirto direct/manage
- 89correrto run
- 90utilizarto use
- 91pagarto pay
- 92ayudarto help
- 93gustarto like (be pleasing)
- 94jugarto play (a game/sport)
- 95escucharto listen (to)
- 96cumplirto fulfill/turn (age)
- 97ofrecerto offer
- 98descubrirto discover
- 99levantarto lift/raise
- 100intentarto try/attempt
- 101usarto use
- 102decidirto decide
- 103repetirto repeat
- 104dedicarto dedicate
- 105situarto place/locate
- 106actuarto act
- 107comprarto buy
- 108establecerto establish
- 109incluirto include
- 110continuarto continue
- 111subirto go up/climb
- 112cerrarto close
- 113romperto break
- 114disponerto arrange/have available
- 115sucederto happen
- 116preferirto prefer
- 117dependerto depend
- 118moverseto move (oneself)
- 119moverto move (something)
- 120indicarto indicate
- 121quedarseto stay/remain
- 122desarrollarto develop
- 123completarto complete
- 124dividirto divide
- 125evitarto avoid
- 126marcarto mark; to dial
- 127negarto deny; to refuse
- 128referirto refer
- 129cortarto cut
- 130andarto walk; to go around
- 131mostrarto show
- 132obtenerto obtain; to get
- 133añadirto add
- 134contenerto contain
- 135exigirto demand; to require
- 136defenderto defend
- 137colocarto place; to put
- 138proponerto propose
- 139cuidarto take care of
- 140olvidarto forget
- 141asegurarto assure; to ensure
- 142cantarto sing
- 143identificarto identify
- 144excederto exceed
- 145reflejarto reflect
- 146responderto respond; to answer
- 147intervenirto intervene
- 148contestarto answer
- 149ordenarto order; to arrange
- 150fijarto fix; to set
- 151obligarto force, oblige
- 152adquirirto acquire
- 153cubrirto cover
- 154celebrarto celebrate
- 155variarto vary
- 156procederto proceed; to originate
- 157aplicarto apply
- 158descubrirseto be revealed; to take off one's hat
- 159extenderto extend, spread
- 160destacarto stand out, highlight
- 161imaginarto imagine
- 162derivarto derive, stem from
- 163conducirto drive; to lead
- 164afirmarto affirm, state
- 165publicarto publish
- 166manifestarto express; to demonstrate
- 167confirmarto confirm
- 168mezclarto mix
- 169sonreírto smile
- 170viajarto travel
- 171enseñarto teach, show
- 172disfrutarto enjoy
- 173avanzarto advance, progress
- 174reducirto reduce
- 175superarto overcome, surpass
- 176asistirto attend
- 177lucharto fight, struggle
- 178expresarto express
- 179visitarto visit
- 180renunciarto resign, give up
- 181invitarto invite
- 182conservarto preserve, keep
- 183revisarto review, check
- 184combinarto combine, mix
- 185consumirto consume
- 186justificarto justify
- 187retirarto withdraw, remove
- 188reunirto gather, meet
- 189representarto represent
- 190basarto base (on)
- 191surgirto arise, emerge
- 192controlarto control
- 193separarto separate
- 194participarto participate
- 195señalarto point out, indicate
- 196acompañarto accompany
- 197reflexionarto reflect, think over
- 198confiarto trust
- 199opinarto think, give opinion
- 200revelarto reveal
- 201adoptarto adopt
- 202registrarto search / record
- 203elegirto choose / elect
- 204descansarto rest
- 205ejercerto practice (a profession)
- 206insistirto insist
- 207provocarto cause / provoke
- 208limitarto limit
- 209orientarto guide / orient
- 210destruirto destroy
- 211sufrirto suffer
- 212fabricarto manufacture
- 213asumirto take on / assume
- 214localizarto locate
- 215negociarto negotiate
- 216felicitarto congratulate
- 217odiarto hate
- 218amarto love
- 219besarto kiss
- 220abrazarto hug
- 221temerto fear
- 222soñarto dream
- 223comerto eat
- 224beberto drink
- 225dormirto sleep
- 226despertarto wake (someone) up
- 227bailarto dance
- 228nadarto swim
- 229volarto fly
- 230saltarto jump
- 231caminarto walk
- 232conducirseto behave, conduct oneself
- 233pintarto paint
- 234dibujarto draw
- 235construirto build, construct
- 236repararto repair, fix
- 237limpiarto clean
- 238lavarto wash
- 239cocinarto cook
- 240prepararto prepare
- 241vestirto dress (someone)
- 242peinarto comb (hair)
- 243afeitarto shave (someone)
- 244plancharto iron
- 245barrerto sweep
- 246regalarto give (as a gift)
- 247prestarto lend
- 248devolverto return (something)
- 249robarto steal
- 250venderto sell
- 251comprarseto buy oneself
- 252gastarto spend (money/time)
- 253ahorrarto save (money)
- 254invertirto invest
- 255calcularto calculate
- 256medirto measure
- 257pesarto weigh
- 258acercarseto approach, get closer
- 259alejarseto move away, distance oneself
- 260acostarseto go to bed, lie down
- 261levantarseto get up, stand up
- 262sentarseto sit down
- 263ponerseto put on / to become
- 264quitarseto take off (clothing)
- 265irseto leave, go away
- 266reírseto laugh
- 267enojarseto get angry
- 268preocuparseto worry
- 269equivocarseto make a mistake
- 270acordarseto remember
- 271enamorarseto fall in love
- 272casarseto get married
- 273divorciarseto get divorced
- 274mudarseto move (residence)
- 275graduarseto graduate
- 276jubilarseto retire
Not in the list? Conjugate any Spanish verb. Our engine knows thousands more.
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Spanish conjugation FAQ
How many tenses are there in Spanish?
Spanish has 14 commonly listed tenses: 7 simple and 7 compound, spread across the indicative and subjunctive moods, plus the imperative. In everyday speech you mainly need the present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, present perfect and present subjunctive.
What is the difference between ser and estar?
Both mean “to be”. Ser describes identity and lasting characteristics (Soy profesora, La casa es grande); estar describes states, conditions and location (Estoy cansada, Madrid está en España).
Do I need the vosotros forms?
Vosotros is the informal plural “you” used in Spain. In Latin America, ustedes is used for all plural “you”, so learners focused on Latin American Spanish can treat vosotros as recognition-only.