Making clear, simple statements in Spanish relies on choosing the right tense and sticking to straightforward sentence patterns. This guide walks through the key ways to express facts, habitual actions, and past events.
Present Tense
Use the present tense to describe current actions, general truths, and habits. Regular endings for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs follow predictable patterns that you can apply to new verbs.
-ar Verbs
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
yo hablo
I speak
tú hablas
you speak
él/ella/Ud. habla
he/she/you(formal) speaks
nosotros hablamos
we speak
vosotros habláis
you all speak
ellos/ellas/Uds. hablan
they/you all(formal) speak
-er Verbs
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
yo como
I eat
tú comes
you eat
él/ella/Ud. come
he/she/you(formal) eats
nosotros comemos
we eat
vosotros coméis
you all eat
ellos/ellas/Uds. comen
they/you all(formal) eat
-ir Verbs
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
yo vivo
I live
tú vives
you live
él/ella/Ud. vive
he/she/you(formal) lives
nosotros vivimos
we live
vosotros vivís
you all live
ellos/ellas/Uds. viven
they/you all(formal) live
Imperfect Tense
Use the imperfect tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past, as well as background details like time, age, and weather. The endings for -ar verbs differ from those for -er and -ir verbs.
-ar Verbs
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
yo hablaba
I used to speak / I was speaking
tú hablabas
you used to speak / you were speaking
él/ella/Ud. hablaba
he/she/you(formal) used to speak / was speaking
nosotros hablábamos
we used to speak / we were speaking
vosotros hablabais
you all used to speak / were speaking
ellos/ellas/Uds. hablaban
they/you all(formal) used to speak / were speaking
-er and -ir Verbs
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
yo comía
I used to eat / I was eating
tú comías
you used to eat / you were eating
él/ella/Ud. comía
he/she/you(formal) used to eat / was eating
nosotros comíamos
we used to eat / we were eating
vosotros comíais
you all used to eat / were eating
ellos/ellas/Uds. comían
they/you all(formal) used to eat / were eating
Preterite Tense
Use the preterite tense to describe completed actions in the past. Regular endings for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs are consistent, and signal words can help you decide when to use it.
-ar Verbs
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
yo hablé
I spoke / I talked
tú hablaste
you spoke / you talked
él/ella/Ud. habló
he/she/you(formal) spoke / talked
nosotros hablamos
we spoke / we talked
vosotros hablasteis
you all spoke / talked
ellos/ellas/Uds. hablaron
they/you all(formal) spoke / talked
-er Verbs
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
yo comí
I ate
tú comiste
you ate
él/ella/Ud. comió
he/she/you(formal) ate
nosotros comimos
we ate
vosotros comisteis
you all ate
ellos/ellas/Uds. comieron
they/you all(formal) ate
-ir Verbs
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
yo viví
I lived
tú viviste
you lived
él/ella/Ud. vivió
he/she/you(formal) lived
nosotros vivimos
we lived
vosotros vivisteis
you all lived
ellos/ellas/Uds. vivieron
they/you all(formal) lived
Key Vocabulary
Familiar vocabulary for times, places, and common actions helps you make concrete statements that listeners can easily understand. Practice short sentences using everyday words.
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
ayer
yesterday
hoy
today
mañana
tomorrow
ahora
now
la semana pasada
last week
el año pasado
last year
siempre
always
a veces
sometimes
nunca
never
de vez en cuando
occasionally
Spanish
English
Note
☀️ Hoy
Today
Time marker
🌅 Esta mañana
This morning
Specific time
🌇 Ayer
Yesterday
Past time
🏖️ La semana pasada
Last week
Past period
📅 Mañana
Tomorrow
Future time
🗓️ El próximo mes
Next month
Future period
🏠 Casa
House
Common place
🏢 Trabajo
Work / Job
Setting
🏫 Escuela
School
Setting
🛒 Mercado
Market
Place
🍽️ Cena
Dinner
Event
Summary
Making statements in Spanish turns on choosing the right tense for the moment you want to describe and using consistent endings for each verb type. Start with simple sentences in the present, then add imperfect and preterite forms to talk about the past.
