The present tense describes habitual actions, current events, and sometimes near future plans. This guide focuses on the indicative presente, which learners use every day.
Usage
The present tense expresses routines, ongoing actions, general truths, and sometimes immediate plans. It can also soften commands when used in the tú form.
Regular Verbs
Regular verbs follow predictable patterns in the present tense for -ar, -er, and -ir endings. Learners first memorize these endings and apply them to new verbs.
-ar Verbs
-ar verbs follow a consistent pattern in the present tense for all six persons. Here are examples with hablar to show the endings clearly.
| Person | Spanish Word | English Word | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablo | I speak | |
| tú | hablas | you speak | |
| él/ella/usted | habla | he/she/you (form.) speaks | |
| nosotros/nosotras | hablamos | we speak | |
| vosotros/vosotras | habláis | you all speak | |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablan | they/you all (form.) speak |
-er Verbs
-er verbs have their own set of endings in the present tense. Using comer as an example makes the pattern easy to see and practice.
| Person | Spanish Word | English Word | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | como | I eat | |
| tú | comes | you eat | |
| él/ella/usted | come | he/she/you (form.) eats | |
| nosotros/nosotras | comemos | we eat | |
| vosotros/vosotras | coméis | you all eat | |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | comen | they/you all (form.) eat |
-ir Verbs
-ir verbs follow a similar but slightly different pattern in the present tense. Vivir shows the endings that learners need to apply to other -ir verbs.
| Person | Spanish Word | English Word | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | vivo | I live | |
| tú | vives | you live | |
| él/ella/usted | vive | he/she/you (form.) lives | |
| nosotros/nosotras | vivimos | we live | |
| vosotros/vosotras | vivís | you all live | |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | viven | they/you all (form.) live |
Stem-Changing Verbs
Some common verbs change their stem vowel in the present tense for certain persons. These changes affect learners' ability to use popular verbs naturally in speech.
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs do not follow the standard patterns and must be learned individually. They are high-frequency verbs that appear in everyday conversation and writing.
ir / ser (to go / to be)
Ir and ser share the same irregular forms in the preterite but differ in the present; here are their distinct present forms for quick reference.
| Person | Spanish Word (ir) | English Word | Spanish Word (ser) | English Word | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | voy | I go | soy | I am | |
| tú | vas | you go | eres | you are | |
| él/ella/usted | va | he/she/you (form.) goes | es | he/she/you (form.) is | |
| nosotros/nosotras | vamos | we go | somos | we are | |
| vosotros/vosotras | vais | you all go | sois | you all are | |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | van | they/you all (form.) go | son | they/you all (form.) are |
hacer (to do, to make)
Hacer is irregular in the first person present and is widely used for activities, tasks, and weather expressions. Its forms are essential to learn.
| Person | Spanish Word | English Word | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hago | I do / I make | |
| tú | haces | you do / you make | |
| él/ella/usted | hace | he/she/you (form.) does / makes | |
| nosotros/nosotras | hacemos | we do / we make | |
| vosotros/vosotras | hacéis | you all do / make | |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hacen | they/you all (form.) do / make |
tener (to have)
Tener is irregular in the first person and appears in many common expressions for age, obligations, and sensations. Mastering its forms helps learners express needs and descriptions.
| Person | Spanish Word | English Word | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | tengo | I have | |
| tú | tienes | you have | |
| él/ella/usted | tiene | he/she/you (form.) has | |
| nosotros/nosotras | tenemos | we have | |
| vosotros/vosotras | tenéis | you all have | |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | tienen | they/you all (form.) have |
Signal Words
Signal words often appear with the present tense to indicate habitual actions, current moments, or near future events. They help learners identify when to use the presente.
Summary
The present tense describes routines, current actions, and immediate plans. Regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs follow predictable endings, while high-use irregular verbs must be learned.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025