The present tense is a verb tense that describes the present moment. The present tense is also used when telling general truths:
Los caballos son animales.
Horses are animals.
In Spanish, verbs are conjugated according to the subject. There are three verb categories which are conjugated regularly. Depending on the verb’s ending, they belong to different categories:
- Type I: -ar (viajar = to travel)
- Type II: -er (leer = to read)
- Type III: -ir (escribir = to write)
| –AR-verbs (viaj+) | –ER-verbs (le+) | –IR-verbs (escrib+) |
|---|---|---|
| viajo | leo | escribo |
| viajas | lees | escribes |
| viaja | lee | escribe |
| viajamos | leemos | escribimos |
| viajáis | leĂ©is | escribĂs |
| viajan | leen | escriben |
The pronoun can be used to emphasise who the doer of the action is, but it is not necessary, as it is clear from the verb ending:
Tú hablas muy rápido. / Hablas muy rápido.
You speak very fast.
Ellos nunca comen tarde. / Nunca comen tarde.
They never eat late.
Nosotros vivimos en Finlandia desde hace 5 años. / Vivimos en Finlandia desde hace 5 años.
We have been living in Finland for 5 years.
| CONDUCIR (to drive) | CONOCER (to know someone) | TRADUCIR (to translate) | HACER (to do) | SALIR (to leave, to go out) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| conduzco | conozco | traduzco | hago | salgo |
| conduces | conoces | traduces | haces | sales |
| conduce | conoce | traduce | hace | sale |
| conducimos | conocemos | traducimos | hacemos | salimos |
| conducĂs | conocĂ©is | traducĂs | hacĂ©is | salĂs |
| conducen | conocen | traducen | hacen | salen |
| SABER (to know, can) | DAR (to give) | VER (to see) | PONER (to put) | TRAER (to bring) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sé | doy | veo | pongo | traigo |
| sabes | das | ves | pones | traes |
| sabe | da | ve | pone | trae |
| sabemos | damos | vemos | ponemos | traemos |
| sabéis | dais | veis | ponéis | traéis |
| saben | dan | ven | ponen | traen |
Stem-changing verbs
In Spanish, a large number of verbs present some irregularity in the present tense. Normally, it is a vowel change. Stem-changing verbs undergo a vowel change in every person in the present tense except nosotros/-as and vosotros/-as, i.e. the 1st and 2nd person plural forms.
Note that the vowel change occurs in the stem of the verb, for example, the stem of the verb pensar (to think) is pens, without the –ar ending. As a rule, the endings of stem-changing verbs are the same as those of regularly conjugated verbs.
Possible vowel changes are e → ie, o → ue, e → i and u → ue.
| E → IE PENSAR (to think) | O → UE PODER (can, to be able to) | E → I PEDIR (to ask) | U → UE JUGAR (to play) |
|---|---|---|---|
| pienso | puedo | pido | juego |
| piensas | puedes | pides | juegas |
| piensa | puede | pide | juega |
| pensamos | podemos | pedimos | jugamos |
| pensáis | podĂ©is | pedĂs | jugáis |
| piensan | pueden | piden | juegan |
Other verbs with the vowel change e → ie:
- preferir (toprefer)
- sentir (to feel)
- entender (to understand)
Other verbs with the vowel change o → ue:
- volver (to return)
- doler (to hurt)
- encontrar (to find)
Other verbs with the vowel change e → i:
- servir (to serve)
- seguir (to follow)
- sonreĂr (to smile)
| TENER (to have, to own) | DECIR (to say) | VENIR (to come) |
|---|---|---|
| tengo | digo | vengo |
| tienes | dices | vienes |
| tiene | dice | viene |
| tenemos | decimos | venimos |
| tenĂ©is | decĂs | venĂs |
| tienen | dicen | vienen |
Irregular verbs
Many important verbs in Spanish are conjugated irregularly. Below there are some examples of irregular verbs in the present tense that need to be memorised:
| SER (to be) | ESTAR (to be) | IR (to go) | OĂŤR (to hear) |
|---|---|---|---|
| soy | estoy | voy | oigo |
| eres | estás | vas | oyes |
| es | está | va | oye |
| somos | estamos | vamos | oĂmos |
| sois | estáis | vais | oĂs |
| son | están | van | oyen |
Gerund
Gerund is a verb tense that expresses an action happening at the moment. It is formed with the auxiliary verb estar, which is conjugated according to the subject, and the main verb ending in –ando or –iendo.
Los niños están haciendo los deberes.
The children are doing their homework.
If the verb’s ending is –ar, its ending in gerund is –ando
- hablar → hablando
- ayudar → ayudando
If the verb’s ending is –er or -ir, its ending in gerund is –iendo
- comer → comiendo
- tener → teniendoÂ
- vivir → viviendo
- conducir → conduciendo
Remember that the verb estar is conjugated according to the subject, but the gerund form of the main verb is the same in all persons:
Estoy conduciendo hacia el centro.
I’m driving towards the centre.
Vosotros estáis conduciendo hacia el centro.
You are driving towards the centre.
| Base form | Gerund |
|---|---|
| pedir | pidiendo |
| decir | diciendo |
| dormir | durmiendo |
| leer | leyendo |
| oĂr | oyendo |