Present Tense Spanish: Discover How to Master It!

The Spanish Present Tense is the perfect place to start when learning Spanish.

Not only is it the most widely used tense, but once you have the verb endings down, you will notice a pattern that repeats itself in nearly all the other tenses.

Verbs in the present tense are, for the most part, predictable, so mastering them is totally attainable!

The Spanish present tense is used not only to talk about what’s happening right now, but also…

• To talk about the future.

               -No tengo tiempo hoy, voy mañana. => I don’t have time today, I’m going tomorrow.

• To talk about an ongoing action.

              -Estudio música en el conservatorio. => I am studying music at the conservatory.

• To convey an action you’re in the habit of doing.

              -Miro mucha televisión. => I watch a lot of TV.

• To narrate past events.

You most likely have been doing this in English without realizing!

How many times have you asked your friends about the ending of a movie after watching it?

English speakers have been using the present simple in these situations without even blinking an eye.

So strategically speaking, the present tense is going to help you immensely in your learning process.

You will need to devote a considerable amount of time on it but keep in mind that Spanish conjugation is the bulk of the hard work!

If you had trouble getting your point across before, you will now be able to express yourself in a clearer way while talking to native speakers.

Mastering the Spanish present tense will provide you with a nice boost to your confidence to push past your fear of speaking Spanish.

Ready To Get Started?

As far as Spanish verbs go, regular verbs are always the best place to start.

Why?

They are nicely predictable.

Work your way through the article, taking time with each section, making sure you understand everything and have the concepts down before moving on to the next.

Start with the regular verbs. Conjugate, conjugate, conjugate.

I can’t stress enough how important is to work hard on those conjugations. Take mental breaks!

Then, move on to the irregular verbs. Look for patterns. Repetition will help you immensely.

When it starts reacting to improperly conjugated verbs, you will realize your brain has not burned up and you are making progress. It will take time, effort, and positive thinking! Yes, you can!

Finally, in case you feel like you have the basics down and want to skip to the tricky topics like the stem-changing verbs, feel free to use this clickable table of contents (below) to jump to the section you most need help on.

Present Tense Spanish, Part 1: Regular Verbs

There are three unique categories that Spanish verbs fall into:

1. Verbs that end in AR -  For instance, cocinar (to cook), viajar (to travel), hablar (to talk/speak), etc.
2. Verbs that end in ER - For instance, comer (to eat), beber (to drink), leer (to read), etc.
3. Verbs that end in IR - For instance, vivir (to live), decidir (to decide), escribir (to write), etc.

To conjugate these verbs in the Spanish present tense, you take the root (also called the stem) of the word and add the correct ending, depending on the person (yo, tú, él, nosotros, etc.) and the type of verb in front of us (-ar/-er/-ir).

The type of verb (-ar/-er/-ir) determines the ending.

Let’s first start with the -ar verbs in the present tense.

1) -AR Verbs in Present Tense

Conjugate -ar verbs as follows:

Let’s put the puzzle together for the verb cocinar which means “to cook.”

Now we can build a complete sentence. For example:

2) -ER Verbs in Present Tense

Conjugate the -er verbs as follows:

Don’t the endings for the -er verbs look awfully familiar?

For the first person singular (yo), they are almost the same as the ones for the -ar verbs, except you use an “e” instead of an “a.”

Let’s take the verb beber which means “to drink.”

Now we can use it in a complete sentence.

Bebo cafe todas las mañanas antes de estudiar español. => I drink coffee every morning before studying Spanish.

3) -IR Verbs in Present Tense

Conjugate the -ir verbs as follows:

No, you haven’t lost your mind.

The -ir verbs share most of the same endings with the -er verbs, except for the vos, nosotros, and vosotros forms.

Let’s look at the verb escribir.

What about in a sentence?

Paula escribe para la revista desde hace quince años. => Paula has been writing for the magazine for fifteen years.

Now comes every Spanish learner’s favorite part. It’s perhaps the most difficult.

Have no fear, I’m here to teach you just what you need to know with the present tense in Spanish.

Present Tense Spanish, Part 2: Irregular Verbs

If the regular verbs had healthy roots, the irregular ones need a root canal.

They are so rebellious they will test your limits. The good news is, all you need is to learn the specifics and then practice with repetition and patience.

You can do this!

To make things a bit easier on you, we will start with simple examples then move on to more complex ones. Take baby steps.

First Person Irregular in Spanish Present Tense

Some verbs are irregular ONLY in the first person and regular in all other forms.

Yeah, what the heck, right?

However, as far as irregular verbs go, they are fairly easy to learn.

Let’s take a closer look at one of the verbs from the list: hacer which means “to do” or “to make.”

The first person form is irregular in the Spanish present tense.

The other forms are regular:

Tener & Venir in the Present Tense

The verbs tener and venir are not only irregular, but also stem-changers.

In addition, they have another thing in common; they share a pattern of conjugation.

First, let's take a look at tener.

Now let's look at the useful Spanish verb venir which means to come.

Below, you will see the conjugations for venir in the Spanish present tense.

Present Tense Spanish, Part 3: Stem-Changing Verbs

As the word indicates, stem-changing verbs change their stem (or root) in the present tense in all forms EXCEPT for vos, nosotros, and vosotros.

Starting to lose faith?

Do no panic!

It is a very common feeling that can be reversed. Take a break if you need to and remember to take baby steps.

When stem-changers are conjugated, the stem (root) changes in a predictable way.

Yes, you heard that right, PREDICTABLE!!!

Spanish Stem-Changing e => i

These types of stem-changing verbs in Spanish can ONLY be found in -ir verbs.

The letter “e” in the stem changes to “i” except in the vos, nosotros, and vosotros forms.

Some of the most common e => i stem-changing verbs are...

Let’s look at a couple of examples.

How about another useful one, servir, which as you can tell from the name means "to serve."

Spanish Stem-Changing Verbs e => ie

These types of present tense stem-changing verbs can be found in all three verb forms (-ar, -er, and -ir).

The letter “e” in the stem changes to “ie” except in… yep, you guessed it, the vos, nosotros, and vosotros forms.

Some of the most common e => ie stem-changing verbs are:

Let’s look at a couple of examples.

Spanish Stem-Changing Verbs o => ue

These types of stem-changing verbs can be found in all three verb types (-ar, -er, -ir).

The letter “o” in the stem changes to “ue” in these words.

Let’s look at a couple of examples.

Irregular as Irregular Can be (Ser, Estar, & Ir)...

The verbs ser (to be), estar (to be), and ir (to go) take the crown as far as irregularity.

They are so irregular that it is easier to just learn them on there own!

Finally, onto the all important Spanish verb ir, which ever Spanish learner needs to know.

Present Tense Spanish, Part 4: Orthography-Ruled-Changing Verbs

This is a good time to take a break, have a cup of tea, coffee, meditate…whatever soothes your soul.

Maybe take the rest of the day off, recharge your batteries.

*****

Are you ready to tackle the last challenge from the Spanish present tense verbs?!

Brace yourself for the spelling-changing verbs.

Good news: they also have to follow certain rules!

Consonant + -Cer/-Cir Ending Verbs

When the verb ends in a consonant + -cer or -cir, you need to change the “c” to “z” in the first person.

The yo form seems to be selfish like this.

Remembering this will help you master the Spanish present tense!

Let’s look at one example.

Ejercer - to practice a profession, to exercise a right

The first person form is irregular:

Yo ejerzo mi derecho al voto. => I exercise my right to vote.

The other forms are regular:

*Exception alert: the verb mecer follows this pattern, even though it ends in a vowel + -cer.

Vowel + -cer/-cir Ending Verbs

When verbs end in a vowel + -cer or -cir, you need to add a “z” before the “c” when it comes to the first person.

Let’s look at one example.

Conducir - to drive

The first person form is irregular.

The other forms are regular.

Spanish -ger/-gir Ending Verbs

Verbs that end in -ger and -gir change the “g” to “j” in the first person.

Let’s look at one example.

Dirigir - to direct

The first person form is unfortunately irregular.

Yo dirijo la película. => I direct the movie.

Thankfully, the other forms are regular.

Spanish -guir Ending Verbs

Verbs that end in -guir change the “gu” to “g” in the first person.

Let’s look at one example.

Distinguir - to distinguish, to differentiate

The first person form is irregular:

Keep in mind the other forms are regular.

Spanish -uir Ending Verbs

Verbs that end in -uir (not guir) add a “y” before “o,” “e,” and “a” in all forms except vos, nosotros, and vosotros.

Let’s look at one example.

Spanish -iar/-uar Ending Verbs

These present tense Spanish verbs change with the exception of vos, nosotros, and vosotros forms (notice a pattern here?).

Some verbs that end in -iar or -uar take a written accent to the “i” or the “u.”

Let’s look at one example.

Now let's take a look at the most common -iar and -uar verbs.

Conclusion: How to Conjugate the Spanish Present Tense

Congratulations, you made it this far!

Is your mind spinning with all the different variations and conjugations?

No worries, Spanish is meant to be learned piece by piece and not all at once! Take your time and learn as you go.

What part from this present tense Spanish article do need the most help on?

I included a clickable table of contents below for you to choose which section you want/need to come back to.

So there you have it. Do you feel like a pro yet?

Mastering the present tense in Spanish is often a Spanish learners first major achievement.

As mentioned at the beginning, understanding this tense frees you up to speak naturally on the here and now, the future, and even instances describing the past. It's a must learn!

Sure, you can always move on to other tenses, but make sure you understand the Spanish present tense first and fully so that the foundation is there.

Now it's time to get some confidence and get started speaking today!