Verbs Ending in -ar/-er/-ir

In Spanish, verbs are conjugated according to the subject. There are three regularly conjugated verb types and they are divided into different verb categories according to their endings:

• Type I: -ar (hablar)
• Type II: -er (comer)
• Type III: -ir (vivir)

In present tense, all regular verbs drop the –ar, -er, -ir endings and and get the following endings:

Stem-changing verbs

In Spanish, a large number of verbs present some irregularity in the present tense. Normally, it is a vowel alteration. Stem-changing verbs undergo a vowel change in every person in the present tense except the nosotros/-as and vosotros/-as i.e. the 1st and 2nd person plural forms. With some verbs, vowel changes happen in other tenses as well.

Note that the vowel change happens in the verb stem, e.g. the stem of the verb pensar (think) is pens without the ending -ar. The endings of the stem-changing verbs are in general the same as the endings of regular verbs.

Possible vowel changes are e → ie, o → ue, e → i and u → ue.

Other verbs with the vowel change e → ie:

• preferir (to prefer)
• 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)
• sonreír (to smile)

Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs are verbs that require reflexive pronouns. They indicate that the subject performs the action on itself. In the base (infinitive) form of the reflexive verb (levantarse), the reflexive pronoun is at the end of the verb. When the verb is conjugated according to the subject, the reflexive pronoun is placed before the verb, me levanto:

Me levanto temprano para ir a la iglesia.

I get up early to go to church.

To conjugate a reflexive verb in the present tense, add the following reflexive pronouns before the conjugated verb me, te, se, nos, os, se:

María se levanta temprano para comprar las entradas.

María is getting up early to buy the tickets.

Some reflexive verbs undergo a vowel change like, for example, the verb vestirse (to get dressed) e → i, the verb acostarse (to go to bed) o → ue and verb sentarse (to sit down) e → ie:

Me visto ahora.

I’ll get dressed now.

Some regular verbs can become reflexive verbs with a reflexive pronoun. 

For example: 

• levantar = to get somebody up 
• levantarse = to get up (oneself)

Mañana te levantas temprano para la sesión de fotos.

You are getting up early tomorrow for the photo shoot.

Dative Verbs

In Spanish, there are some verbs that always require the dative pronoun. These include gustar (to like), interesar (to interest), encantar (to love) and parecer (to seem). With these verbs, the pronoun answers the question whom. The dative pronouns are me, te, le, nos, os, les:

Me interesan las tareas creativas.

I am interested in creative tasks.

The verb gustar is thought of in Spanish as “to please someone”. It is conjugated according to the gender and number of the noun. The most common forms are gusta and gustan, but other verb forms are possible, for example in different tenses. Note the conjugation of the verb depending on singular or plural form:

Te gusta_ este libro_. 

You like this book.

Te gustan estos libros.

You like these books.

In a sentence, the subject can be emphasised with the preposition a + the prepositional form of the personal pronoun:

• a mí me
• a ti te
• a él/ella/usted le
• a nosotros/-as nos
• a vosotros/-as os

A mí me gusta tocar la guitarra, pero a María le gusta tocar el piano.

I like to play the guitar, but Maria likes to play the piano.

A ellos les gusta cocinar. 

They like to cook.