The Simple Present Tense in Spanish, also known as “Presente Simple,” is essential for expressing habitual actions, general truths, and current states. Regular -ar verbs form the largest and most common group of verbs in Spanish, following a consistent and predictable conjugation pattern.
Conjugation Pattern
To conjugate regular -ar verbs in the Simple Present Tense:
- Remove the -ar ending from the infinitive.
- Add the appropriate ending for each subject pronoun.
The endings are:
Pronoun | Ending |
---|---|
yo | -o |
tú | -as |
él/ella/usted | -a |
nosotros/nosotras | -amos |
ellos/ellas/ustedes | -an |
Example: Hablar (to speak)
Let’s conjugate “hablar” as an example:
Pronoun | Conjugation |
---|---|
yo | hablo (I speak) |
tú | hablas (you speak) |
él/ella/usted | habla (he/she/you formal speak) |
nosotros/nosotras | hablamos (we speak) |
ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablan (they/you all formal speak) |
Common Regular -ar Verbs
Some frequently used regular -ar verbs include:
- trabajar (to work)
- estudiar (to study)
- cantar (to sing)
- bailar (to dance)
- cocinar (to cook)
Usage
The Simple Present Tense with -ar verbs is used to express:
- Habitual actions: “Trabajo todos los días” (I work every day)
- General truths: “El sol brilla” (The sun shines)
- Current states: “Ella estudia en la universidad” (She studies at the university)
Synonyms:
- English: Regular -AR Verbs in Present Simple
- Spanish: Verbos Regulares en -AR en Presente Simple, Presente de Indicativo, Presente