Priority Learning Order
| Priority | Tense/Form | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Present indicative | Describes current reality; most conversations start here |
| 2 | Ir + a + infinitive (periphrastic future) | Easiest way to talk about the near future |
| 3 | Preterite | Narrating completed past events |
| 4 | Imperfect | Describing ongoing past states and habitual actions |
| 5 | Present progressive | Emphasizing what is happening right now |
| 6 | Imperative (commands) | Giving/receiving instructions |
| 7 | Present perfect | Connecting past actions to the present |
| 8 | Future indicative | Formal future tense |
| 9 | Conditional | Polite requests, hypotheticals |
| 10 | Present subjunctive | Expressing wishes, doubt, and emotion |
| 11 | Imperfect subjunctive | Hypotheticals and past-rooted wishes |
Verb Classes
Spanish verbs fall into three classes based on their infinitive ending:
- -ar verbs (e.g., hablar — to speak)
- -er verbs (e.g., comer — to eat)
- -ir verbs (e.g., vivir — to live)
The stem is what remains after removing the infinitive ending: habl-, com-, viv-.
1. Present Indicative (Presente de Indicativo)
Use for: current facts, habits, and general truths.
Remove the infinitive ending and add:
| Person | -ar | -er | -ir |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | -o | -o |
| tú | -as | -es | -es |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | -e | -e |
| nosotros | -amos | -emos | -imos |
| vosotros* | -áis | -éis | -ís |
| ellos/Uds. | -an | -en | -en |
*vosotros is used in Spain; Latin American Spanish uses *ustedes* for all plural “you.”
Examples:
- Hablo con mi familia. — I speak with my family.
- Comemos en el restaurante. — We eat at the restaurant.
- Vivimos cerca de la iglesia. — We live near the church.
Present Indicative Irregularities
Yo-form irregulars (go-verbs): Many common verbs have an irregular yo form ending in -go but are otherwise regular.
| Verb | Yo form |
|---|---|
| tener (to have) | tengo |
| venir (to come) | vengo |
| poner (to put) | pongo |
| salir (to leave) | salgo |
| hacer (to do/make) | hago |
| traer (to bring) | traigo |
| caer (to fall) | caigo |
| ver (to see) | veo |
| saber (to know) | sé |
| conocer (to know/meet) | conozco |
Stem-changing verbs: The vowel in the stem changes in all forms except nosotros (and vosotros). This is called the “boot” or “shoe” pattern.
e → ie:
| Person | querer (to want) |
|---|---|
| yo | quiero |
| tú | quieres |
| él/ella | quiere |
| nosotros | queremos |
| ellos | quieren |
Other e→ie verbs: entender, empezar, pensar, preferir, sentir
o → ue:
| Person | poder (to be able to) |
|---|---|
| yo | puedo |
| tú | puedes |
| él/ella | puede |
| nosotros | podemos |
| ellos | pueden |
Other o→ue verbs: dormir, volver, encontrar, contar, recordar
e → i (only -ir verbs):
| Person | pedir (to ask for) |
|---|---|
| yo | pido |
| tú | pides |
| él/ella | pide |
| nosotros | pedimos |
| ellos | piden |
Other e→i verbs: servir, seguir, repetir, conseguir
Fully irregular verbs:
| Person | ser (to be) | estar (to be) | ir (to go) | tener (to have) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | soy | estoy | voy | tengo |
| tú | eres | estás | vas | tienes |
| él/ella | es | está | va | tiene |
| nosotros | somos | estamos | vamos | tenemos |
| ellos | son | están | van | tienen |
2. Ir + a + Infinitive (Futuro Perifrástico)
Use for: talking about plans or near-future intentions.
Structure: conjugated ir + a + infinitive
- Voy a comer. — I’m going to eat.
- Vamos a estudiar la Biblia. — We’re going to study the Bible.
- ¿Vas a ir a la iglesia? — Are you going to go to church?
No new endings to learn — just the present tense of ir (voy, vas, va, vamos, van).
3. Preterite (Pretérito Indefinido)
Use for: completed past actions with a clear beginning and end.
| Person | -ar | -er / -ir |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -é | -í |
| tú | -aste | -iste |
| él/ella/Ud. | -ó | -ió |
| nosotros | -amos | -imos |
| ellos/Uds. | -aron | -ieron |
Note: nosotros -ar and -ir forms are identical to present tense; context clarifies meaning.
Examples:
- Hablé con el pastor. — I spoke with the pastor.
- Comieron en casa. — They ate at home.
- Vivimos en México por tres años. — We lived in Mexico for three years.
Preterite Irregularities
Ser and Ir share the same preterite forms (context distinguishes them):
| Person | ser / ir |
|---|---|
| yo | fui |
| tú | fuiste |
| él/ella | fue |
| nosotros | fuimos |
| ellos | fueron |
Common irregular preterite stems: These verbs use irregular stems with a shared set of endings: -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -ieron (no accent marks).
| Verb | Stem | Yo | Él/Ella |
|---|---|---|---|
| tener | tuv- | tuve | tuvo |
| estar | estuv- | estuve | estuvo |
| poder | pud- | pude | pudo |
| poner | pus- | puse | puso |
| saber | sup- | supe | supo |
| venir | vin- | vine | vino |
| querer | quis- | quise | quiso |
| hacer | hic- / hiz- | hice | hizo |
| decir | dij- | dije | dijo |
| traer | traj- | traje | trajo |
Stem-changing -ir verbs change e→i or o→u in third-person forms only:
- pedir: pidió, pidieron
- dormir: durmió, durmieron
- sentir: sintió, sintieron
Spelling-change verbs (-car, -gar, -zar) adjust spelling in the yo form to preserve the sound:
| Verb | Yo preterite |
|---|---|
| buscar (to look for) | busqué |
| llegar (to arrive) | llegué |
| empezar (to begin) | empecé |
4. Imperfect (Pretérito Imperfecto)
Use for: ongoing or habitual past states and actions (“used to,” “was doing”).
| Person | -ar | -er / -ir |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -aba | -ía |
| tú | -abas | -ías |
| él/ella/Ud. | -aba | -ía |
| nosotros | -ábamos | -íamos |
| ellos/Uds. | -aban | -ían |
Examples:
- Cuando era niño, iba a la iglesia cada domingo. — When I was a child, I went to church every Sunday.
- Comíamos juntos cada noche. — We used to eat together every night.
Imperfect Irregularities
Only three verbs are irregular in the imperfect:
| Person | ser | ir | ver |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | era | iba | veía |
| tú | eras | ibas | veías |
| él/ella | era | iba | veía |
| nosotros | éramos | íbamos | veíamos |
| ellos | eran | iban | veían |
5. Present Progressive (Presente Progresivo)
Use for: emphasizing an action in progress right now.
Structure: estar (conjugated) + present participle (-ndo form)
Forming the present participle:
- -ar verbs: drop -ar, add -ando → hablar → hablando
- -er / -ir verbs: drop ending, add -iendo → comer → comiendo, vivir → viviendo
Examples:
- Estoy leyendo la Biblia. — I am reading the Bible.
- Están comiendo en el restaurante. — They are eating at the restaurant.
Present Participle Irregularities
Stem-changing -ir verbs apply their stem change to the participle:
- pedir → pidiendo
- dormir → durmiendo
- servir → sirviendo
-er/-ir verbs with a vowel before the ending use -yendo:
- leer → leyendo
- creer → creyendo
- oír → oyendo
- ir → yendo
6. Imperative (Imperativo)
Use for: giving commands and instructions.
Informal (tú) commands
Affirmative tú commands use the él/ella present indicative form:
| Verb | Tú command |
|---|---|
| hablar | habla |
| comer | come |
| vivir | vive |
Negative tú commands use the tú present subjunctive form (see section 10):
- No hables. — Don’t speak.
- No comas eso. — Don’t eat that.
Irregular affirmative tú commands:
| Verb | Command |
|---|---|
| tener | ten |
| venir | ven |
| poner | pon |
| salir | sal |
| hacer | haz |
| decir | di |
| ser | sé |
| ir | ve |
Formal (usted / ustedes) commands
Use the present subjunctive form for all formal commands (affirmative and negative):
| Person | -ar | -er / -ir |
|---|---|---|
| Ud. | -e | -a |
| Uds. | -en | -an |
- Hable más despacio, por favor. — Please speak more slowly.
- No coman en esta área. — Don’t eat in this area.
Nosotros commands (“Let’s…”)
Use the nosotros present subjunctive form:
- Oremos juntos. — Let’s pray together.
- Comamos. — Let’s eat.
7. Present Perfect (Pretérito Perfecto)
Use for: past actions that connect to or affect the present.
Structure: haber (conjugated) + past participle
Conjugating haber in present:
| Person | haber |
|---|---|
| yo | he |
| tú | has |
| él/ella | ha |
| nosotros | hemos |
| ellos | han |
Forming the past participle:
- -ar verbs: drop -ar, add -ado → hablar → hablado
- -er / -ir verbs: drop ending, add -ido → comer → comido, vivir → vivido
Examples:
- He leído la Biblia esta mañana. — I have read the Bible this morning.
- Hemos comido en ese restaurante. — We have eaten at that restaurant.
Irregular Past Participles
| Verb | Past Participle |
|---|---|
| hacer | hecho |
| decir | dicho |
| poner | puesto |
| volver | vuelto |
| ver | visto |
| escribir | escrito |
| abrir | abierto |
| morir | muerto |
| romper | roto |
| cubrir | cubierto |
8. Future Indicative (Futuro Simple)
Use for: future events, predictions, and formal statements.
Unlike most tenses, the future is added to the full infinitive (no stem removal):
| Person | All verbs |
|---|---|
| yo | -é |
| tú | -ás |
| él/ella/Ud. | -á |
| nosotros | -emos |
| ellos/Uds. | -án |
Examples:
- Hablaré con el pastor mañana. — I will speak with the pastor tomorrow.
- Viviremos en paz. — We will live in peace.
Future Irregularities
A set of common verbs use an irregular stem but the same endings:
| Verb | Future Stem | Yo | Ellos |
|---|---|---|---|
| tener | tendr- | tendré | tendrán |
| venir | vendr- | vendré | vendrán |
| poner | pondr- | pondré | pondrán |
| salir | saldr- | saldré | saldrán |
| poder | podr- | podré | podrán |
| saber | sabr- | sabré | sabrán |
| haber | habr- | habré | habrán |
| querer | querr- | querré | querrán |
| hacer | har- | haré | harán |
| decir | dir- | diré | dirán |
9. Conditional (Condicional Simple)
Use for: polite requests, hypotheticals, and “would” statements.
Like the future, the conditional is added to the full infinitive:
| Person | All verbs |
|---|---|
| yo | -ía |
| tú | -ías |
| él/ella/Ud. | -ía |
| nosotros | -íamos |
| ellos/Uds. | -ían |
Examples:
- ¿Podría hablar con usted? — Could I speak with you?
- Comería más, pero estoy lleno. — I would eat more, but I’m full.
Conditional Irregularities
The conditional uses the same irregular stems as the future:
- tener → tendría, tendrías, tendría…
- hacer → haría, harías, haría…
- (Apply the same stem changes listed in the future section above)
10. Present Subjunctive (Presente de Subjuntivo)
Use for: wishes, doubt, emotion, recommendations, and hypotheticals.
Formation: Start from the yo present indicative, drop the -o, and add the “opposite” vowel endings (-ar verbs take -e endings; -er/-ir verbs take -a endings):
| Person | -ar | -er / -ir |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -e | -a |
| tú | -es | -as |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | -a |
| nosotros | -emos | -amos |
| ellos/Uds. | -en | -an |
Examples:
- Espero que vengas a la iglesia. — I hope you come to church.
- Es importante que hablemos. — It’s important that we talk.
- No creo que coman carne. — I don’t think they eat meat.
Because the subjunctive starts from the yo present form, verbs with irregular yo forms (go-verbs, etc.) carry that irregularity into all subjunctive forms:
- tener (yo: tengo) → tenga, tengas, tenga, tengamos, tengan
- hacer (yo: hago) → haga, hagas, haga, hagamos, hagan
- salir (yo: salgo) → salga, salgas, salga, salgamos, salgan
Fully Irregular Present Subjunctives
| Verb | Subjunctive forms |
|---|---|
| ser | sea, seas, sea, seamos, sean |
| estar | esté, estés, esté, estemos, estén |
| ir | vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayan |
| saber | sepa, sepas, sepa, sepamos, sepan |
| haber | haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayan |
| dar | dé, des, dé, demos, den |
11. Imperfect Subjunctive (Imperfecto de Subjuntivo)
Use for: hypotheticals about the present/future (“if I were…”), past-rooted wishes, and polite requests.
Formation: Take the ellos preterite form, remove -ron, and add the following endings. There are two equally valid sets; the -ra forms are far more common in Latin American Spanish.
| Person | -ra form | -se form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -ra | -se |
| tú | -ras | -ses |
| él/ella/Ud. | -ra | -se |
| nosotros | -ramos | -semos |
| ellos/Uds. | -ran | -sen |
Examples:
- Si pudiera, iría a Jerusalén. — If I could, I would go to Jerusalem.
- Quería que habláramos. — She wanted us to talk.
Because the imperfect subjunctive is based on the ellos preterite, all preterite irregularities carry over:
- tener (ellos preterite: tuvieron) → tuviera, tuvieras, tuviera…
- ser/ir (ellos preterite: fueron) → fuera, fueras, fuera…
- hacer (ellos preterite: hicieron) → hiciera, hicieras, hiciera…
Quick Reference: Tense Endings at a Glance
| Tense | -ar (yo / tú / él / nos / ellos) | -er (yo / tú / él / nos / ellos) | -ir (yo / tú / él / nos / ellos) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | -o / -as / -a / -amos / -an | -o / -es / -e / -emos / -en | -o / -es / -e / -imos / -en |
| Preterite | -é / -aste / -ó / -amos / -aron | -í / -iste / -ió / -imos / -ieron | -í / -iste / -ió / -imos / -ieron |
| Imperfect | -aba / -abas / -aba / -ábamos / -aban | -ía / -ías / -ía / -íamos / -ían | -ía / -ías / -ía / -íamos / -ían |
| Future | -é / -ás / -á / -emos / -án (added to full infinitive) | ← same | ← same |
| Conditional | -ía / -ías / -ía / -íamos / -ían (added to full infinitive) | ← same | ← same |
| Pres. Subj. | -e / -es / -e / -emos / -en | -a / -as / -a / -amos / -an | -a / -as / -a / -amos / -an |
| Imp. Subj. (-ra) | -ra / -ras / -ra / -ramos / -ran (from ellos preterite stem) | ← same | ← same |