Spanish Grammar Guide
A reference for the grammar terms you’ll encounter while learning Spanish.
Parts of Speech
Noun (Sustantivo)
A person, place, thing, or idea. In Spanish, every noun has a gender (masculine or feminine) and a number (singular or plural).
- el libro (the book), la iglesia (the church), los amigos (the friends)
Verb (Verbo)
An action or state of being. Spanish verbs are highly conjugated — the ending of the verb changes depending on who is doing the action and when.
- hablar (to speak), comer (to eat), vivir (to live)
Adjective (Adjetivo)
Describes a noun. In Spanish, adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in gender and number.
- un libro nuevo (a new book), una iglesia nueva (a new church)
Adverb (Adverbio)
Modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. Many Spanish adverbs end in -mente (equivalent to English -ly).
- rápidamente (quickly), bien (well), muy (very)
Article (Artículo)
Goes before a noun to indicate definiteness. Must agree with the noun in gender and number.
- Definite (el, la, los, las) — the
- Indefinite (un, una, unos, unas) — a / an / some
Pronoun (Pronombre)
Replaces a noun to avoid repetition. See the Pronouns section below.
Preposition (Preposición)
Links nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words. Common ones: a (to/at), de (of/from), en (in/on), con (with), por (by/for), para (for/in order to).
Conjunction (Conjunción)
Connects words, phrases, or clauses. Common ones: y (and), pero (but), porque (because), si (if), cuando (when).
Noun Gender & Agreement
Gender (Género)
Every Spanish noun is either masculine or feminine. This is grammatical gender — not a statement about the thing itself. Articles and adjectives must match the noun’s gender.
- Masculine: el hombre (the man), el pan (the bread)
- Feminine: la mujer (the woman), la verdad (the truth)
Number (Número)
Nouns are either singular (one) or plural (more than one). Plural is typically formed by adding -s or -es.
- el libro → los libros, la ciudad → las ciudades
Agreement (Concordancia)
Adjectives and articles must match the gender and number of the noun they modify. This is called agreement.
- el libro interesante → los libros interesantes
- la historia interesante → las historias interesantes
Verb Forms
Infinitive (Infinitivo)
The base, unconjugated form of a verb — the “dictionary form.” Spanish infinitives end in -ar, -er, or -ir.
- hablar (to speak), comer (to eat), vivir (to live)
Infinitives are used after other verbs (quiero comer — I want to eat) and are the form listed in dictionaries and vocabulary lists.
Conjugation (Conjugación)
The process of changing a verb’s ending to match the subject (who is doing it), tense (when), and mood (how certain/real). This is the core skill of Spanish grammar.
Person & Number (Persona y Número)
Conjugations change based on who is performing the action:
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | yo (I) | nosotros (we) |
| 2nd | tú (you, informal) | ustedes (you all) |
| 3rd | él / ella (he / she) | ellos / ellas (they) |
In Latin American Spanish, ustedes is used for both formal and informal “you all.” Vosotros is European Spanish and not used in Latin America.
Subject Pronoun (Pronombre de Sujeto)
The pronoun indicating who performs the action: yo, tú, él, ella, nosotros, ustedes, ellos, ellas.
Because Spanish verb endings already indicate the subject, subject pronouns are usually omitted unless needed for clarity or emphasis.
- Hablo español. (I speak Spanish.) — not Yo hablo español.
Present Participle / Gerund (Gerundio)
The -ing form of a verb, formed by adding -ando (for -ar verbs) or -iendo (for -er/-ir verbs). Used with estar to form the progressive.
- hablando (speaking), comiendo (eating), viviendo (living)
- Estoy comiendo. (I am eating.)
Past Participle (Participio Pasado)
A verb form used in perfect tenses and as an adjective. Formed with -ado (-ar verbs) or -ido (-er/-ir verbs). Many are irregular.
- hablado (spoken), comido (eaten), vivido (lived)
- escrito (written), hecho (done/made), puesto (put)
Regular vs. Irregular Verbs
- Regular verbs follow a predictable conjugation pattern.
- Irregular verbs do not follow the standard pattern and must be memorized individually.
- ir (to go), ser (to be), tener (to have), hacer (to do/make) are common irregular verbs.
Stem-Changing Verbs (Verbos con Cambio de Raíz)
Verbs where the vowel in the stem (root) changes in certain conjugations. Common patterns: e → ie, o → ue, e → i.
- querer (to want): quiero, quieres, quiere, queremos, quieren
- poder (to be able): puedo, puedes, puede, podemos, pueden
Reflexive Verbs (Verbos Reflexivos)
Verbs where the subject performs the action on itself. They are used with reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, se) and are listed in the infinitive with -se attached.
- levantarse (to get oneself up), llamarse (to call oneself / to be named)
- Me llamo Juan. (My name is Juan. / I call myself Juan.)
Moods (Modos)
Mood indicates the speaker’s attitude toward what they’re saying — whether it is fact, desire, doubt, or command.
Indicative (Indicativo)
The most common mood. Used to state facts, describe reality, and ask straightforward questions. Most tenses you learn first are in the indicative.
- Ella come tacos. (She eats tacos.) — stated as fact
Subjunctive (Subjuntivo)
Used to express doubt, wishes, emotions, hypothetical situations, and recommendations. Triggered by certain expressions (e.g., espero que, es importante que, quiero que).
- Espero que vengas. (I hope that you come.)
- Es importante que estudies. (It’s important that you study.)
Imperative (Imperativo)
Used to give commands or make direct requests.
- ¡Habla más despacio! (Speak more slowly!)
- ¡Vengan aquí! (Come here!)
Conditional (Condicional)
Expresses what would happen under certain conditions. Often paired with si (if) clauses.
- Iría si pudiera. (I would go if I could.)
Tenses (Tiempos Verbales)
Present (Presente)
Describes actions happening now, habitual actions, or general truths.
- Como arroz todos los días. (I eat rice every day.)
- La Biblia dice que Dios es amor. (The Bible says that God is love.)
Preterite (Pretérito Indefinido)
Describes completed past actions with a clear beginning and end. The “snapshot” past tense.
- Fui a la iglesia el domingo. (I went to church on Sunday.)
- Comió la cena. (He ate dinner.)
Imperfect (Pretérito Imperfecto)
Describes ongoing or repeated past actions, background conditions, or states of being in the past. The “video” past tense — no clear endpoint.
- De niño, iba a la iglesia cada semana. (As a child, I used to go to church every week.)
- Llovía cuando salimos. (It was raining when we left.)
Preterite vs. Imperfect
This is one of the most important distinctions in Spanish:
| Use Preterite | Use Imperfect |
|---|---|
| Completed event | Ongoing state or action |
| Specific point in time | Habitual or repeated past action |
| Sequence of events | Background description |
| Comí. (I ate — and finished.) | Comía. (I was eating / I used to eat.) |
Future (Futuro)
Describes actions that will happen. Can also express probability in the present.
- Hablaré con el pastor mañana. (I will speak with the pastor tomorrow.)
- ¿Dónde estará? (I wonder where he is. / Where could he be?)
Conditional (Condicional)
Describes what would happen. (See also the Conditional mood above.)
- Comería más, pero estoy lleno. (I would eat more, but I’m full.)
Present Perfect (Pretérito Perfecto)
Describes actions that have recently happened or are connected to the present. Formed with haber + past participle.
- He leído la Biblia hoy. (I have read the Bible today.)
- ¿Has comido? (Have you eaten?)
Past Perfect / Pluperfect (Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto)
Describes an action that was completed before another past action. Formed with había/habías/… + past participle.
- Ya había comido cuando llegó. (I had already eaten when he arrived.)
Present Progressive (Presente Progresivo)
Describes an action happening right now. Formed with estar + gerund.
- Estoy leyendo la Biblia. (I am reading the Bible.)
Pronouns (Pronombres)
Direct Object Pronoun (Pronombre de Objeto Directo)
Replaces the direct receiver of the action: me, te, lo, la, nos, los, las.
- ¿Ves el libro? Sí, lo veo. (Do you see the book? Yes, I see it.)
Indirect Object Pronoun (Pronombre de Objeto Indirecto)
Indicates to whom or for whom the action is done: me, te, le, nos, les.
- Le di el libro. (I gave him/her the book.)
Reflexive Pronoun (Pronombre Reflexivo)
Used with reflexive verbs: me, te, se, nos, se.
- Me lavo las manos. (I wash my hands.)
Key Verb Pairs
Ser vs. Estar (both mean “to be”)
One of the most important distinctions in Spanish.
| Ser | Estar |
|---|---|
| Permanent or defining traits | Temporary states or conditions |
| Identity, origin, time, relationships | Location, emotions, ongoing actions |
| Soy cristiano. (I am Christian.) | Estoy cansado. (I am tired.) |
| La iglesia es grande. (The church is big.) | La iglesia está cerca. (The church is nearby.) |
Por vs. Para (both can mean “for”)
- Por — reason/motive, duration, exchange, on behalf of, through/by
- Lo hago por amor. (I do it out of love.)
- Para — purpose/goal, recipient, deadline, destination
- Estudio para aprender. (I study in order to learn.)
Saber vs. Conocer (both mean “to know”)
- Saber — to know a fact or how to do something
- Sé que Dios existe. (I know that God exists.)
- Conocer — to know/be familiar with a person, place, or thing
- Conozco esa iglesia. (I know / am familiar with that church.)
Other Important Terms
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
The set of words in a language. Building vocabulary is essential alongside learning grammar.
Accent Mark (Acento / Tilde)
The mark (´) over a vowel (á, é, í, ó, ú). In Spanish, accent marks indicate stress and distinguish between otherwise identical words.
- sí (yes) vs. si (if)
- él (he) vs. el (the)
Tilde
In Spanish, tilde specifically refers to the (~) over the letter ñ (eñe), which is a distinct letter of the Spanish alphabet.
Agreement (Concordancia)
The rule that articles, adjectives, and pronouns must match the gender and number of the noun they refer to.
Stem / Root (Raíz)
The core part of a verb after removing the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, -ir). Conjugation rules are applied to the stem.
- hablar → stem: habl-
- comer → stem: com-
Ending (Terminación / Desinencia)
The suffix added to the verb stem during conjugation. The ending encodes person, number, tense, and mood.
Sentence Structure (Estructura de la Oración)
Spanish is generally Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), but word order is more flexible than in English. Adjectives typically follow nouns (la casa blanca — the white house).
Formal vs. Informal Register
- Informal (tú) — used with friends, family, peers, and children
- Formal (usted) — used with strangers, elders, or in professional settings; conjugated like the 3rd person singular