Present Tense in Spanish

Learning the Spanish present tense is one of the first and most important steps in mastering Spanish. Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your skills, this guide will take you from the basics to advanced usage of the present tense in Spanish—with examples and Spanish Present Tense Quizzes at the end of the page to help you along the way.

What Is the Present Tense in Spanish?

The present tense (el presente de indicativo) is used to describe:
✔ Actions happening now
✔ Habitual actions
✔ General truths
✔ Near-future events

Unlike English, Spanish has different verb endings for each subject pronoun, making conjugation essential.

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1. Regular Verbs in the Present Tense

Spanish verbs are divided into three categories based on their infinitive endings: -ar, -er, and -ir. Each follows a specific conjugation pattern.

-AR Verbs (Example: Hablar – “to speak”)

Person (English)	Pronoun (Spanish)	Ending	Conjugation	English Translation
1st person singular	Yo	-o	hablo	I speak
2nd person singular (informal)	Tú	-as	hablas	You speak
3rd person singular	Él/Ella/Usted	-a	habla	He/She/You (formal) speaks
1st person plural	Nosotros	-amos	hablamos	We speak
2nd person plural (Spain, informal)	Vosotros	-áis	habláis	You all speak
3rd person plural	Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	-an	hablan	They/You all speak

Example Sentences:

• Yo hablo español. (I speak Spanish.)
• Nosotros hablamos con el profesor. (We talk with the teacher.)

-ER Verbs (Example: Comer – “to eat”)

Person (English)	Pronoun (Spanish)	Ending	Conjugation	English Translation
1st person singular	Yo	-o	como	I eat
2nd person singular (informal)	Tú	-es	comes	You eat
3rd person singular	Él/Ella/Usted	-e	come	He/She/You (formal) eats
1st person plural	Nosotros	-emos	comemos	We eat
2nd person plural (Spain, informal)	Vosotros	-éis	coméis	You all eat
3rd person plural	Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	-en	comen	They/You all eat

Example Sentences:

• Tú comes una manzana. (You eat an apple.)
• Ellos comen en el restaurante. (They eat at the restaurant.)

-IR Verbs (Example: Vivir – “to live”)

Person (English)	Pronoun (Spanish)	Ending	Conjugation	English Translation
1st person singular	Yo	-o	vivo	I live
2nd person singular (informal)	Tú	-es	vives	You live
3rd person singular	Él/Ella/Usted	-e	vive	He/She/You (formal) lives
1st person plural	Nosotros	-imos	vivimos	We live
2nd person plural (Spain, informal)	Vosotros	-ís	vivís	You all live
3rd person plural	Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	-en	viven	They/You all live

Example Sentences:

• Ella vive en Madrid. (She lives in Madrid.)
• Vosotros vivís cerca del parque. (You all live near the park.)

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2. Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense

Some Spanish verbs don’t follow the regular patterns. Here are the most common irregular verbs:

Ser (to be) & Estar (to be)

Person (English)	Pronoun (Spanish)	Ser	English	Estar	English
1st person singular	Yo	soy	I am	estoy	I am
2nd person singular (informal)	Tú	eres	You are	estás	You are
3rd person singular	Él/Ella/Usted	es	He/She/You (formal) is	está	He/She/You (formal) is
1st person plural	Nosotros	somos	We are	estamos	We are
2nd person plural (Spain, informal)	Vosotros	sois	You all are	estáis	You all are
3rd person plural	Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	son	They/You all are	están	They/You all are

Examples:

• Yo soy estudiante. (I am a student.)
• Tú estás cansado. (You are tired.)

Ir (to go) & Tener (to have)

Person (English)	Pronoun (Spanish)	Ir	English	Tener	English
1st person singular	Yo	voy	I go	tengo	I have
2nd person singular (informal)	Tú	vas	You go	tienes	You have
3rd person singular	Él/Ella/Usted	va	He/She/You (formal) goes	tiene	He/She/You (formal) has
1st person plural	Nosotros	vamos	We go	tenemos	We have
2nd person plural (Spain, informal)	Vosotros	vais	You all go	tenéis	You all have
3rd person plural	Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	van	They/You all go	tienen	They/You all have

Examples:

• Nosotros vamos al cine. (We go to the cinema.)
• Ella tiene un perro. (She has a dog.)

Stem-Changing Verbs (e → ie, o → ue, e → i)

Some verbs change their stem in all forms except nosotros and vosotros:

1. Pensar (e → ie) – “to think”
   • Yo pienso, tú piensas, él piensa
2. Dormir (o → ue) – “to sleep”
   • Yo duermo, tú duermes, él duerme
3. Pedir (e → i) – “to ask for”
   • Yo pido, tú pides, él pide

Examples:

• Yo pienso mucho. (I think a lot.)
• Ella duerme ocho horas. (She sleeps eight hours.)

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3. Advanced Uses of the Present Tense

1. Present for Future Actions

In Spanish, the present tense can describe future events if the context is clear.

• Mañana viajo a México. (Tomorrow, I travel to Mexico.)
• La reunión es a las 5. (The meeting is at 5.)

2. General Truths & Facts

• El sol sale por el este. (The sun rises in the east.)
• Los perros ladran. (Dogs bark.)

3. Ongoing Actions (with “estar + gerundio”)

While not strictly present tense, this structure is essential for describing current actions.

• Estoy estudiando español. (I am studying Spanish.)
• Ellos están trabajando. (They are working.)

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Practice Exercise

Test your knowledge with these exercises:

1. Conjugate “escribir” (to write) in the present tense for yo, tú, nosotros.
2. Correct the sentence: “Yo tengo 25 años.” (Is it correct?)
3. Translate: “She always eats breakfast at 8 AM.”

*(Answers: 1. escribo, escribes, escribimos / 2. Correct! / 3. Ella siempre desayuna a las 8 de la mañana.)*

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Final Thoughts

Mastering the present tense in Spanish opens the door to fluent communication. Start with regular verbs, practice irregular ones, and gradually incorporate advanced uses. Keep practicing, and soon, conjugating will become second nature!

For all the Spanish conjugations you can use our free Spanish Conjugations Tool.

Now You can Check your level and practice with the Spanish Present Tense Quizzes!

Regular Verbs:

Irregular Verbs