3.2: Los verbos regulares "-er", "-ir"
- Page ID
- 75221
Regular "-er", "-ir" ending verbs
In 2.2.0 we mentioned that in Spanish, the basic form of a verb, or the infinitive form, always ends in either "-ar", "-er", OR "-ir".
(In the examples below, all infinitive endings are in blue.)
Infinitive form |
---|
bailar estudiar comer beber escribir vivir |
As a review, to conjugate "-ar" ending verbs, remove the "-ar" ending and replace it with the following endings:
(In the charts below, the subject pronouns and their conjugation endings are noted in blue.)
Subject Pronoun (Singular) | Conjugation of -ar (bailar) | Subject Pronoun (Plural) | Conjugation of -ar (bailar) |
---|---|---|---|
Yo | bailo | nosotros/nosotras | bailamos |
tú | bailas | vosotros/vosotras | bailáis |
usted, él/ella | baila | ustedes, ellos/ellas | bailan |
Regular verbs ending in "-er", "-ir" will follow the same conjugation pattern as regular "-ar" ending verbs, but with the following new endings:
Subject Pronoun (Singular) | Conjugation of -er (comer) | Subject Pronoun (Plural) | Conjugation of -er (comer) |
---|---|---|---|
Yo | como | nosotros/nosotras | comemos |
tú | comes | vosotros/vosotras | coméis |
usted, él/ella | come | ustedes, ellos/ellas | comen |
Subject Pronoun (Singular) | Conjugation of -ir (abrir) | Subject Pronoun (Plural) | Conjugation of -ir (abrir) |
---|---|---|---|
Yo | abro | nosotros/nosotras | abrimos |
tú | abres | vosotros/vosotras | abrís |
usted, él/ella | abre | ustedes, ellos/ellas | abren |
¡Ojo! The endings for "-er" and "-ir" are almost the same, except for the "nosotros, nosotras" and the "vosotros, vosotras" form.
When two verbs are used together in a sentence with no change of subject pronoun or noun, the second verb is not conjugated (infinitive). In a negative sentence, place the "no" before the conjugated verb:
Examples |
---|
Yo debo barrer el piso hoy.
Yo no asisto a muchos conciertos.
|
Common regular "-er", "-ir" verbs
-er verbs | -ir verbs |
---|---|
aprender (a) - to learn | abrir - to open |
barrer - to sweep | asistir (a) - to attend (a place/event) |
beber - to drink | compartir - to share |
comer - to eat | consumir - to consume |
comprender - to understand | decidir - to decide |
correr - to run | definir - to define |
creer - to believe (in) | describir - to describe |
deber - should | escribir - to write |
leer - to read | insistir - to insist |
meter - to put in; to insert | permitir - to allow |
prender - to catch; to turn on | persistir - to persist |
romper - to break | prohibir - to prohibit; to forbid |
temer - to fear; to dread | recibir - to receive |
vender - to sell | vivir - to live |
¡Ojo!
- Aprender: The "a" is required only when used with another verb in the infinitive:
Aprendo el español. (but) Aprendo "a" hablar el español.
- Asistir: Is not to be confused with the verb 'to assist' (helping someone). The "a" is required in the sentence when used with a "noun of place or event". When "a" is used with the masculine singular definite article "el", "a + el" combine to "al":
Asisto "al" partido de fútbol los domingos. Asistimos "a" la universidad.
- Prohibir: Requires a written accent on the letter "i" for all the conjugations except the "nosotros, nosotras" and the "vosotros, vosotras" form: prohíbo, prohíbes, prohíbe, prohibimos, prohibís, prohíben. All conjugations that require an accent on letter "i" are noted in bold.