Conjugations -er and -ir Verbs in the Spanish Simple Present Tense

In the previous lesson on the Spanish Simple Present Tense, you learned to use the simple present tense with regular -ar verbs – ones that follow simple rules that are easy to understand and use. For example, hablar, caminar and estudiar.

In this lesson you’ll learn about another set of conjugations in the simple present tense: the -er and -ir verbs.

Conjugations of -er Verbs

To conjugate -er verbs in the simple present tense, follow these steps:

1. Identify the verb stem: Remove the “-er” ending from the infinitive form of the verb. For example, let’s take the verb “comer” (to eat). The verb stem is “com-.”

2. Add the appropriate endings: Attach the corresponding endings to the verb stem based on the subject pronoun.

Let’s examine the conjugations using the verb “comer” (to eat):

• Yo como (I eat): The first-person singular form, “yo,” is followed by the verb stem “com-” and the ending “-o.”

• Tú comes (You eat): The second-person singular form, “tú,” requires the verb stem “com-” and the ending “-es.”

• Él/Ella/Usted come (He/She/You formal eat): The third-person singular form uses the subject pronouns “él” (he), “ella” (she), or “usted” (you formal). These pronouns are followed by the verb stem “com-” and the ending “-e.”

• Nosotros/Nosotras comemos (We eat): The first-person plural form denotes “we” and uses the subject pronouns “nosotros” (masculine) or “nosotras” (feminine). The verb stem “com-” is followed by the ending “-emos.”

• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes comen (They/You all eat): The third-person plural form represents “they” or “you all.” The subject pronouns “ellos” (masculine), “ellas” (feminine), or “ustedes” (you all) are followed by the verb stem “com-” and the ending “-en.”

Conjugations of -ir Verbs

-ir verbs, while similar to -er verbs, have their own set of endings. 

1. Identify the verb stem: Remove the “-ir” ending from the infinitive form of the verb. For “vivir,” the verb stem is “viv-.”

2. Add the appropriate endings: Attach the corresponding endings to the verb stem based on the subject pronoun. 

Let’s examine the conjugations using the verb “vivir” (to live):

• Yo vivo (I live): The first-person singular form, “yo,” is followed by the verb stem “viv-” and the ending “-o.”

• Tú vives (You live): The second-person singular form, “tú,” requires the verb stem “viv-” and the ending “-es.”

• Él/Ella/Usted vive (He/She/You formal live): The third-person singular form uses the subject pronouns “él” (he), “ella” (she), or “usted” (you formal). These pronouns are followed by the verb stem “viv-” and the ending “-e.”

• Nosotros/Nosotras vivimos (We live): The first-person plural form denotes “we” and uses the subject pronouns “nosotros” (masculine) or “nosotras” (feminine). The verb stem “viv-” is followed by the ending “-imos.”

• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes viven (They/You all live): The third-person plural form represents “they” or “you all.” The subject pronouns “ellos” (masculine), “ellas” (feminine), or “ustedes” (you all) are followed by the verb stem “viv-” and the ending “-en.”

By identifying the verb stem and applying the appropriate endings based on the subject pronoun, you can express actions and habits in the present time frame accurately. 

We’ve covered the conjugations for regular -er and -ir verbs in this lesson.

We’ll cover the conjugations of irregular verbs in the next lesson.

Regular practice and exposure to different verb forms will enhance your proficiency in using the simple present tense with ease.

Check out our series of Complete Spanish Grammar articles – everything you’ll ever need to know about Spanish grammar.

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