When you’re learning the Spanish language, one of the first tenses you’ll encounter is the present tense, specifically the indicative present tense. Often times this tense is referred to simply as the present tense. The beauty of this tense lies in its immediacy—it’s all about what’s happening right now. In this blog post about the indicative present tense, we’ll embark on a two-fold exploration: starting with the basics and then delving into the intriguing world of irregularities.
1. A Beginner’s Dive into the Spanish Present Tense
What it’s used for
- to describe an action that occurs now
- describing an ongoing experience
- a future act that will occur soon within a specified time frame
- as a colloquial alternative to the conditional tense
- routine or repeated actions
- permanent situations
Regular Verbs
In Spanish, most verbs fall into one of three categories based on their infinitive endings: -ar, -er, and -ir. Here’s a quick guide on how to conjugate them in the present tense.
-ar verbs (e.g., “hablar” – to talk)
- yo hablo (I talk)
- tú hablas (you talk)
- él/ella/usted habla (he/she/you(formal) talk)
- nosotros/nosotras hablamos (we talk)
- vosotros/vosotras habláis (yall or you guys talk)
- ellos/ellas/ustedes hablan (they/you all talk)
-er verbs (e.g., “comer” – to eat)
- yo como (I eat)
- tú comes (you eat)
- él/ella/usted come (he/she/you(formal) eat)
- nosotros/nosotras comemos (we eat)
- vosotros/vosotras coméis (yall or you guys eat)
- ellos/ellas/ustedes comen (they/you all eat)
-ir verbs (e.g., “vivir” – to live)
- yo vivo (I live)
- tú vives (you live)
- él/ella/usted vive (he/she/you(formal) live)
- nosotros/nosotras vivimos (we live)
- vosotros/vosotras vivís (yall or you guys live)
- ellos/ellas/ustedes viven (they/you all live)
I recommend you practice with the regular conjugations until you are decently comfortable with them. Then move on to studying the irregularities.
2. Unraveling the Irregularities
When it comes to the Spanish present tense, not all verbs follow the rules. But fear not! Many irregularities can be grouped, which makes them easier to learn.
Stem-changing verbs
o -> ue (e.g., “dormir” – to sleep)
- yo duermo, tú duermes, él duerme, nosotros dormimos, vosotros dormís, ellos duermen
e -> ie (e.g., “pensar” – to think)
- yo pienso, tú piensas, él piensa, nosotros pensamos, vosotros pensáis, ellos piensan
e -> i (e.g., “pedir” – to ask for)
- yo pido, tú pides, él pide, nosotros pedimos, vosotros pedís, ellos piden
The Boot Shape
You can use the boot shape pattern for all three of these groups. If you write the singular conjugations on the left half, and the plural ones on the right half, then highlight / draw around the irregular conjugations, you can notice a boot shape. This pattern can help you to learn the conjugations. Here are the conjugations for the verb competir, which means to compete.
| Yo compito | Nosotros/Nosotras competimos |
| Tú compites | Vosotros/Vosotras competís |
| Él/Ella/Usted compite | Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes compiten |
Yo-Go Verbs
Verbs that have a ‘go’ in the yo form.
e.g., “hacer” (to do/make)
- yo hago, tú haces, él hace, nosotros hacemos, vosotros hacéis, ellos hacen
Guir Verbs
These are verbs whose infinitive ends in guir. They follow the patterns of both the e -> i stem-changing group and the yo go group, so they can be thought of as their own group.
Let’s break down “seguir” (to follow) as an example:
- yo sigo (notice the ‘g’ in the ‘yo’ form)
- tú sigues
- él/ella/usted sigue
- nosotros/nosotras seguimos
- vosotros/vosotras seguís
- ellos/ellas/ustedes siguen
“Conseguir” (to get/obtain) follows a similar pattern:
- yo consigo
- tú consigues
- él/ella/usted consigue
- nosotros/nosotras conseguimos
- vosotros/vosotras conseguís
- ellos/ellas/ustedes consiguen
So, while these verbs are a part of the e -> i stem-changing group, it’s also essential to remember their “yo” form has a “go” in it.
Yo Irregulars
Verbs that are only irregular in the ‘yo’ form.
e.g., “dar” (to give)
- yo doy, tú das, él da, nosotros damos, vosotros dais, ellos dan
Completely Irregular Verbs
Some verbs are uniquely irregular, but these are commonly used, so they’re important to know.
- “ser” (to be): soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son
- “ir” (to go): voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van
- “tener” (to have): tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tenéis, tienen
While the Spanish present tense can seem intimidating due to its irregularities, breaking it down into patterns and groups can simplify the learning process. Remember, it’s all about practice. The more you use these conjugations, the more second-nature they’ll become.
3. Ejemplos
These examples are ordered to correspond with the six uses of the present tense listed earlier.
1. Yo hablo español. (I speak Spanish.)
2. Ellos estudian en la biblioteca. (They are studying in the library.)
3. Mañana viajo a Tampa. (Tomorrow I’m traveling to Tampa.)
4. Si tengo tiempo, juego videojuegos. (If I have time, I play video games.)
5. Yo paseo a mí perro todos los días. (I walk my dog every day.)
6. Ellos viven en Luisiana. (They live in Louisiana.)
En conclusión
The indicative present tense has many uses. A lot of verbs are regular, though there are many irregular verbs too, most of which can be grouped together based on their irregular conjugations. Practicing using the present tense is a key step in learning Spanish.