Meaning and Usage
The verb ver means to see in English. It is commonly used to talk about perceiving with the eyes, watching something, or experiencing an event visually. Ver is an irregular verb, so it does not follow the typical conjugation patterns in Spanish.
Present Tense Conjugation
The present tense of ver is used to describe actions happening right now or habitual actions related to seeing or watching.
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Conjugation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | veo | I see | Yo veo la película todos los viernes. | I see the movie every Friday. |
| tú | ves | you see (informal) | ¿Ves ese pájaro en el árbol? | Do you see that bird in the tree? |
| él/ella/usted | ve | he/she/you see (formal) | Ella ve la televisión por la noche. | She watches TV at night. |
| nosotros/as | vemos | we see | Nosotros vemos el mar desde aquí. | We see the sea from here. |
| vosotros/as | veis | you all see (informal) | Vosotros veis muchas estrellas. | You all see many stars. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | ven | they/you all see | Ellos ven el partido de fútbol. | They see the soccer game. |
Past Tense (Preterite) Conjugation
In the preterite tense, ver expresses actions of seeing that happened at a specific point in the past. Note its irregular stem without accent marks.
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Conjugation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | vi | I saw | Yo vi un accidente ayer. | I saw an accident yesterday. |
| tú | viste | you saw (informal) | ¿Viste la película anoche? | Did you see the movie last night? |
| él/ella/usted | vio | he/she/you saw | Él vio a su amigo en la fiesta. | He saw his friend at the party. |
| nosotros/as | vimos | we saw | Nosotros vimos el eclipse solar. | We saw the solar eclipse. |
| vosotros/as | visteis | you all saw (informal) | Vosotros visteis el concierto. | You all saw the concert. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | vieron | they/you all saw | Ellos vieron la obra de teatro. | They saw the play. |
Imperfect Tense Conjugation
The imperfect tense describes past habitual or ongoing actions related to seeing.
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Conjugation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | veía | I used to see / I was seeing | Yo veía muchas películas cuando era niño. | I used to see many movies when I was a child. |
| tú | veías | you used to see / were seeing | Cuando eras joven, ¿veías dibujos animados? | When you were young, did you watch cartoons? |
| él/ella/usted | veía | he/she/you used to see | Ella veía las estrellas cada noche. | She used to see the stars every night. |
| nosotros/as | veíamos | we used to see | Nosotros veíamos los partidos juntos. | We used to watch the matches together. |
| vosotros/as | veíais | you all used to see | Vosotros veíais las noticias siempre. | You all always used to watch the news. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | veían | they/you all used to see | Ellos veían películas en casa. | They used to watch movies at home. |
Imperative Mood
The imperative of ver is used to give commands or requests about seeing or watching something.
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Conjugation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tú | ve | see (you informal) | ¡Ve esa película! | See that movie! |
| usted | vea | see (you formal) | Vea la presentación ahora. | See the presentation now. |
| vosotros/as | ved | see (you all informal) | Ved el partido juntos. | See the match together. |
| ustedes | vean | see (you all formal) | Vean esas diapositivas. | See those slides. |
Summary
The verb ver is essential in Spanish for any discussion about seeing, watching, or noticing things. Its irregular forms must be memorized to use it correctly in multiple tenses, especially the present, preterite, and imperfect. Practice with real-life examples helps solidify its different uses in context.
