Conjugation of Verbs

A Verb-Chart can be found in the last pages of any Spanish textbook. To clarify the conjugation process in Spanish, we include some background.

A verb has a stem and an ending. In Spanish, we classify verbs according to their ending.

There are three main groups of verbs:

1. verbs ending in “ar” (e.g., estudiar - conversar - trabajar - cantar - cocinar - investigar - averiguar - trabajar - estar - bailar - dar)
2. Verbs ending in “er” (e.g., leer - beber - comprender - pretender - temer - tener - ver - comer - poner - meter - ser)
3. Verbs ending in “ir” (e.g., vivir - insistir - compartir - venir - oir - salir - pedir - ir - transmitir - aplaudir)

According to their endings, verbs are conjugated as follows:

Note

When written, usted can be shortened to Ud. (a capitol U must be used): nosotros is shortened to Nos., vosotros becomes Vos., and ustedes becomes Uds.

For the irregular verbs, you can consult the Verb Chart at the end of your textbook.

E.g., tener