Introduction to Spanish verbs

Free Spanish Video Lesson

Understanding **THE ROOT** of Spanish Verbs

Before you start learning and practicing Spanish verb conjugation, make sure you know these 2 basic concepts: there are 3 groups of verbs (AR-ER-IR), and there are "Regular" and "Irregular" verbs

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Spanish verb conjugation - Basic Concepts

1. AR-ER-IR Verbs

All Spanish verbs end in "ar", "er" or "ir" in their infinitive form. Here you are some examples:

  • "AR" VERBS: hablar (to speak), mirar (to look), cantar (to sing)
  • "ER" VERBS: comer (to eat), beber (to drink), vender (to sell)
  • "IR" VERBS: vivir (to live), escribir (to write), subir (to go up, to rise, to move up)

2. REGULAR or IRREGULAR Verbs:

All Spanish verbs are either "regular" or "irregular".

"Regular" means that the initial part of the verb (the root = "la raíz") DOESN'T CHANGE when you conjugate it.
Look at the verb hablar in present tense.

Notice how the initial part "habl" (la raíz) NEVER CHANGES!

  • hablo
  • hablas
  • habla
  • hablamos
  • habláis
  • hablan

Now let's conjugate the "irregular" verb "ser" (to be):

Look how the root (la raíz) CHANGES!

  • soy
  • eres
  • es
  • somos
  • sois
  • son