Present: regular -ER/-IR verbs

Lesson

The Present Tense (Presente) - Regular -ER and -IR Verbs

Hello there! 👋 Today we're going to learn how to conjugate regular Spanish verbs ending in -ER and -IR in the present tense (Presente). This is super useful for talking about daily activities, habits, and general facts.

Conjugating regular verbs is quite straightforward. All you need to do is remove the -ER or -IR ending and add the correct ending for each person.

Let's take a look at the verb comer (to eat). The verb stem is com-.

Yo como pan cada día.

I eat bread every day.

Now, let's move on to verbs ending in -IR. For example, vivir (to live/reside). The stem is viv-.

Notice that the endings for -IR verbs are very similar to those for -ER, with one key difference for nosotros/nosotras and vosotros/vosotras!

Ella vive en un piso bonito.

She lives in a nice flat.

• We use the Presente to talk about habits and routines: Yo como fruta cada día. (I eat fruit every day.)
• To describe facts and general truths: El agua hierve a cien grados. (Water boils at a hundred degrees.)
• To express actions happening right now: Ella escribe un email ahora. (She is writing an email now.)

Brilliant work! You're now ready to practise these verbs and start using them in your daily conversations. ¡Vamos!