Conjugation of Spanish verbs: A guide to all tenses and moods

Understanding Spanish verbs

Before we begin, let’s take a moment to understand Spanish verbs. The first step to conjugating verbs in Spanish is knowing what type of verb you’re dealing with. These are some of the most common types of Spanish verbs:

Types of Spanish verbs

• Regular verbs: These follow predictable patterns when conjugated. They’re divided into three groups based on their infinitive endings: -ar verbs (hablar, cantar), -er verbs (comer, beber), and -ir verbs (vivir, escribir).
• Irregular verbs: These don’t follow standard conjugation patterns and must be memorized individually, for example, the verbs ser and estar, tener, and haber.
• Stem-changing verbs: These verbs change their stem in certain conjugations but otherwise follow regular endings. For example, pensar changes to pienso and poder changes to puedo.
• Reflexive verbs: These are verbs where the subject performs an action on itself, always accompanied by a reflexive pronoun (lavarse, peinarse). Check out our full guide to Spanish reflexive pronouns for a complete breakdown.
• Pronominal verbs: Similar to reflexive verbs, but the pronoun doesn’t always indicate an action on oneself (irse, quejarse).
• Impersonal verbs: These verbs are only conjugated in the third-person singular and don’t have a specific subject (llover, nevar).
• Auxiliary verbs: These are used to form compound tenses or the passive voice (haber, ser, estar).

The basics of Spanish verb conjugations

Although English conjugates verbs based on verb tense, English conjugations are nothing compared to Spanish conjugations. A conjugated verb can stand on its own in Spanish, as it will give you information about:

• Subject: The conjugation indicates who is performing the action, even if the subject pronoun is omitted. For example, “hablo” implies “yo” (I) as the subject.
• Number: Whether the subject is singular or plural. For example, “hablan” indicates a plural subject.
• Person: First person (I/we), second person (you), or third person (he/she/it/they).
• Tense: When the action is taking place — present, past, future. For example, “hablé” indicates a completed action in the past.
• Mood: Indicative (stating facts), subjunctive (expressing doubt, desire, or hypothesis), or imperative (commands). The conjugation can indicate which mood is being used.
• Aspect: Whether the action is completed, ongoing, or habitual. For example, the imperfect tense “hablaba” suggests a habitual or ongoing action in the past.
• Formality: In some cases, the conjugation can indicate the level of formality. For example, “usted habla” vs. “tú hablas” shows a formal vs. informal address.
• Reflexivity: If it’s a reflexive verb form, it indicates that the subject is performing the action on itself.
• Gender: In some cases, particularly with past participles used as adjectives, the verb form can indicate gender. For example, “Está cansada” implies that the subject is feminine, while “Está cansado” implies that the subject is masculine. For more information, make sure to check out our ultimate guide to gender in Spanish!
• Regional usage: Some conjugations, like the use of “vosotros” in Spain or “vos” in parts of Latin America, can give you information about where the speaker is from.

Subject pronouns

Subject pronouns in Spanish indicate who is performing the action of a verb. Unlike in English, subject pronouns are often omitted in Spanish sentences because the verb conjugation usually provides enough information about the subject. The omission is known as “pronoun dropping” or “pro-drop” and allows for more efficient communication while still maintaining clarity.

So, does that mean you don’t need to bother to learn the Spanish subject pronouns? Absolutely not! Subject pronouns form the basis for conjugations, as each subject pronoun will (generally) affect how the verb is conjugated, depending on the tense and mood. Figuring out the subject pronouns is the first part of figuring out how to conjugate a verb, so let’s get started with the Spanish subject pronouns!

Singular subject pronouns

Singular subject pronouns in Spanish cover the first, second, and third-person singular forms. Just like English, Spanish differentiates the third-person pronoun by gender. However, it also introduces different formality levels for the second-person pronoun as well as regional variations.

Here are the singular Spanish subject pronouns:

Plural subject pronouns

Plural subject pronouns in Spanish are just slightly more complicated than single subject pronouns. The first-person plural “nosotros/nosotras” distinguishes between groups that include males (or mixed gender) and all-female groups.

The second-person plural has two forms: “vosotros/vosotras” used informally in Spain and “ustedes” used formally in Spain and both formally and informally in Latin America.

The third-person plural also distinguishes between genders: “ellos” for all-male or mixed groups and “ellas” for all-female groups. This gender distinction in plural pronouns allows for more specific communication.

Use of tú vs usted

One of the quirks of Spanish is that it uses a formal second-person pronoun to show respect. “Tú” is used in informal situations with friends, family members, children, and peers. “Usted,” on the other hand, is reserved for formal situations, such as speaking with strangers, the elderly, authority figures, or in professional settings.

The choice of pronouns can vary significantly by region and cultural context. Some Spanish-speaking countries use “tú” more frequently, while others prefer “usted” in most situations. Personal preference and the specific relationship between speakers also play a role in this choice.

For more details, check out our full guide on when to use tú vs. usted in Spanish.

Easy Spanish verb conjugation guide

Conjugating verbs is super easy once you know what you’re doing. Next time you need to conjugate a verb, follow these steps:

1. Identify the verb’s infinitive form: In Spanish, infinitives always end in -ar, -er, or -ir.
2. Determine the subject of the verb: Spanish has six main subject pronouns, which we’ve already covered in the previous section.
3. Identify the tense and mood you want to use: Is it present, past, or future? Indicative or subjunctive? You’ll find details on how to conjugate for each of these in the following sections.
4. Remove the infinitive ending: It’s gonna be either -ar, -er, or -ir.
5. Add the appropriate ending for the subject and tense: These endings vary depending on the verb type, tense, and subject. Refer to the section above for guidance.
6. Watch out for irregular verbs: Many common verbs don’t follow the regular conjugation pattern and must be memorized separately.
7. Pay attention to accent marks: Some conjugations require adding or changing accent marks to maintain proper pronunciation rules. Check out our complete Spanish accent mark guide for more.

For example, let’s take the verb “hablar” and conjugate it in the present indicative tense for the subject “nosotros” (we):

1. Identify the verb’s infinitive form: The infinitive is “hablar”.
2. Determine the subject of the verb: We’re using “nosotros” (we).
3. Identify the tense and mood: We’re using present indicative.
4. Remove the infinitive ending: Remove -ar from “hablar”, leaving us with the stem “habl-”.
5. Add the appropriate ending: For -ar verbs in the present indicative, the “nosotros” ending is -amos. So we add this to our stem: habl + amos = hablamos.
6. Watch out for irregular verbs: “Hablar” is a regular verb, so no irregularities to consider here.
7. Pay attention to accent marks: In this case, no accent mark is needed. The stress naturally falls on the second-to-last syllable, following Spanish pronunciation rules.

And that’s it! Conjugating in Spanish is quite easy if you follow the steps above and reference the right conjugation table.

Regular Spanish verb conjugation charts

Conjugating regular verbs is quite predictable. You just have to follow the steps above, using the suffix that matches the subject, tense, and mood. Spanish verbs fall into three categories: -ar, -er, and -ir. Each of these three categories has different conjugation patterns:

-AR verb

To conjugate -ar verbs, you must remove the -ar ending and add the appropriate suffix for the subject. The -ar verb endings are generally consistent across regular verbs, making them easy to learn and conjugate. Here’s how to conjugate -ar verbs in present, past, and future tenses:

Present tense of “hablar” (to speak)

Past tense of “hablar” (to speak)

Future tense of “hablar” (to speak)

-ER verbs

For -er verbs, remove the -er ending and add the appropriate suffix. The endings for -er verbs are slightly different from -er verbs, but they follow a consistent pattern for regular verbs. Many -er verbs are irregular, so it’s important to learn these exceptions. Here’s how to conjugate -er verbs in present, past, and future tenses:

Present tense of “comer” (to eat)

Past tense of “comer” (to eat)

Future tense of “comer” (to eat)

-IR verbs

To conjugate -ir verbs, remove the -ir ending and add the appropriate suffix. The -ir verb endings are very similar to -er verbs in many tenses, with some variations:

Present tense of “vivir” (to live)

Past tense of “vivir” (to live)

Future tense of “vivir” (to live)

Irregular verb conjugation charts

Irregular verbs are a different thing. You might as well throw out everything you’ve learned about conjugating verbs because these don’t follow predictable patterns. Yup, that means you’ll just have to memorize every single conjugation form. The good news is that there aren’t that many irregular verbs, so you don’t have to worry about memorizing too many of them.

Here are the present tense conjugations of four of the most common irregular verbs:

Present tense of “ser” (to be)

Present tense of “estar” (to be)

Present tense of “ir” (to go)

Present tense of “tener” (to have)

Conjugation in different tenses in Spanish

So, you’re looking for a complete Spanish conjugation chart? This section will walk you through every single Spanish tense, mood, and pronoun and show you how to conjugate each of them.

Indicative mood simple tenses

The indicative mood in Spanish is used to express facts, certainties, and objective reality in both simple and continuous tenses:

Present

Present tense indicative mood conjugation for “hablar” (to talk)

Present tense indicative mood conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Present tense indicative mood conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Preterit

Preterit tense indicative mood conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Preterit tense indicative mood conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Preterit tense indicative mood conjugation for “vivr” (to live)

Imperfect

Imperfect tense indicative mood conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Imperfect tense indicative mood conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Imperfect tense indicative mood conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Future

Future tense indicative mood conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Future tense indicative mood conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Future tense indicative mood conjugation for “vivr” (to live)

Conditional

Conditional tense indicative mood conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Conditional tense indicative mood conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Conditional tense indicative mood conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Indicative Mood Compound Tenses

Compound tenses in indicative mood use the auxiliary verb “haber” with a past participle to express completed actions or states in relation to a specific time frame.

Present perfect

Present perfect tense conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Present perfect tense conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Present perfect tense conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Preterit perfect

Preterit perfect tense conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Preterit perfect tense conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Preterit perfect tense conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Past perfect

Past perfect tense conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Past perfect tense conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Past perfect tense conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Conditional perfect

Conditional perfect tense conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Conditional perfect tense conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Conditional perfect tense conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Future perfect

Future perfect tense conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Future perfect tense conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Future perfect tense conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Subjunctive mood simple tenses

The subjunctive mood’s simple tenses are used to express doubt, emotion, wishes, or subjective perceptions in dependent clauses.

Present

Present tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Present tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Present tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Imperfect 1

Imperfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Imperfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Imperfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Imperfect 2

Imperfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Imperfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Imperfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Future

Future tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Future tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Future tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Subjunctive mood compound tenses

Compound tenses in the subjunctive mood combine the auxiliary verb “haber” with a past participle to express completed hypothetical or uncertain actions in dependent clauses.

Present perfect

Present perfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Present perfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Present perfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Past perfect 1

Past perfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Past perfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Past perfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Past perfect 2

Past perfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Past perfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Past perfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Future perfect

Future perfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “hablar” (to speak)

Future perfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “comer” (to eat)

Future perfect tense subjunctive mood conjugation for “vivir” (to live)

Practical tips for learning Spanish verbs and conjugations

If you’re a tad overwhelmed after going through the conjugation tables, fret not. Conjugating in Spanish becomes second nature once you’ve been speaking Spanish for a while. With that said, here are some specific tips that you can use to learn to conjugate in Spanish:

1. Start with high-frequency verbs: Focus on common verbs like ser (to be), estar (to be), ir (to go), and tener (to have). These are used often and will give you a good foundation. For example, learn the conjugations of “ser’ in the present tense: soy, eres, es, somos, son, sois.
2. Learn verb endings in groups: Study the patterns for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs together. This helps you recognize the similarities and differences. For example, in the present tense, -ar verbs end in -o, -as, -a, -amos, -an, -áis.
3. Practice with conjugation drills: Use online tools or apps that offer conjugation exercises to reinforce your learning. Websites like Conjuguemos.com provide interactive drills for various tenses and verb types.
4. Create verb charts: Make your own charts for different tenses and moods. The act of writing helps memorization. Create a chart for the verb “hablar” in present, past, and future tenses to visualize the changes in endings.
5. Learn in context: Practice using verbs in full sentences rather than in isolation. This helps with both meaning and the correct usage. Instead of just memorizing “como, comes, come,” create sentences like “Yo como pasta todos los días.” (I eat pasta every day).
6. Focus on one tense at a time: Master the present tense before moving on to past or future tenses. Once comfortable with the present, move to the preterit, then imperfect, and so on.
7. Use spaced repetition: Review verbs and conjugations at increasing intervals to improve long-term retention. Start with daily review, then every other day, then weekly, etc.
8. Immerse yourself: Watch Spanish TV shows, listen to podcasts, or read books to see verbs used in natural contexts. For example, watch La Casa de Papel with Spanish subtitles to see how verbs are used in dialogue.
9. Group irregular verbs: Many irregular verbs follow similar patterns. Group these together for easier learning. For example, verbs like “poder” (can), “poner” (to put), and “tener” (to have) have similar stem changes in the present tense.
10. Learn common stem-changing verbs: Many verbs in Spanish undergo predictable stem changes. Learn these patterns, such as e → ie (pensar → pienso), o → ue (dormir → duermo), and e → i (pedir → pido).

Common Spanish verb conjugation mistakes to avoid

Mastering Spanish verb conjugations can be challenging, even for advanced learners. Here’s a quick guide to help you navigate some of the most common conjugation mistakes and improve your Spanish skills:

Mixing up “ser” and “estar”

One of the most common mistakes is confusing the conjugations of ser vs. estar, since both mean “to be” in English. And as if that wasn’t enough, they’re both irregular, too. That means it’s quite easy to confuse the conjugation of one verb for the other, although they cannot be used interchangeably. Remember:

• Use ser for permanent characteristics, professions, and origins. For example, “Ella es alta.” (She is tall).
• Use estar for temporary states, locations, and emotions. For example, “Estoy feliz hoy” (I am happy today).

Irregular verbs in the present tense

Many high-frequency verbs are irregular in the present tense. Don’t fall into the trap of applying regular conjugation rules to these verbs.

Some of the biggest offenders are:

• Ir (to go): yo voy, tú vas, él/ella/usted va (not -io, -ias, -ia)
• Tener (to have): yo tengo, tú tienes, él/ella/usted tiene (not “teno,” “tenes,” “tene”)

Stem-changing verbs

Some verbs change their stem in certain conjugations, and forgetting to change the stem is one of the most common errors. Some examples are:

• Pensar (to think): yo pienso, tú piensas, él/ella/usted piensa (not “penso,” “pensas,” “pensa”)
• Dormir (to sleep): yo duermo, tú duermes, él/ella/usted duerme (not “dormo,” “dormes,” “dorme”)

Preterite vs. imperfect past tense

Choosing between the Spanish preterit and imperfect past tenses can be tricky. Remember:

• Use preterit for completed actions or specific time periods. For example, “Ayer cené con mis amigos.” (Last night, I had dinner with my friends.)
• Use imperfect for habitual actions or ongoing states in the past. For example, “De niño, jugaba fútbol cada día.” (As a child, I used to play soccer every day)

Subject-verb agreement

Always remember to check that your verb agrees with the subject in person and number!

• Incorrect: Nosotros come pizza. (We eats pizza.)
• Correct: Nosotros comemos pizza. (We eat pizza.)

Reflexive verbs

Don’t forget to include the reflexive pronoun with reflexive verbs!

• Incorrect: Yo baño por la mañana. (I shower in the morning)
• Correct: Yo me baño por la mañana. (I shower myself in the morning)

Present progressive formation

When forming the present progressive, remember to use “estar” + gerund:

• Incorrect: Soy comiendo. (I am eating)
• Correct: Estoy comiendo. (I am eating)

Subjunctive mood

The subjunctive mood often trips up learners. It’s used for uncertainty, wishes, and certain conjunctions. A common mistake Spanish learners make is using the indicative conjugation when they should be using the subjunctive mood.

• Incorrect: Espero que vienes a la fiesta. (Using indicative “vienes.”)
• Correct: Espero que vengas a la fiesta. (Using subjunctive “vengas.”)

Future tense conjugations

Learners often misapply regular conjugation rules to irregular verbs in the future tense:

• Incorrect: Yo ponería la mesa. (Incorrectly applying the regular rules to “poner.”)
• Correct: Yo pondría la mesa. (Correct irregular conjugation.)

Another common error is confusing the future tense ending with conditional endings:

• Incorrect: Yo comeré la cena si tendría tiempo. (Mixing future “comeré” with incorrect conditional “tendría”)
• Correct: Yo comeré la cena si tengo tiempo. (Using future “comeré” with present “tengo”)

Imperative mood

Forming the imperative (command) form correctly can be challenging, especially with irregular verbs and in the negative form.

A common positive command error is:

• Incorrect: ¡Das la razón! (Using indicative instead of imperative for “tomar”)
• Correct: ¡Dame la razón! (Correct imperative form)

A common negative command error is:

• Incorrect: ¡No comes tanto! (Using indicative instead of subjunctive for a negative command)
• Correct: ¡No comas tanto! (Correct negative command using subjunctive)

Conquer Spanish conjugations like a pro

Conjugating verbs and Spanish doesn’t have to be difficult. While it is an advanced system that can be somewhat difficult to understand at first, it is an integral part of the Spanish language that is second nature for native speakers. And if you’re just starting to learn Spanish and don’t know how you’re supposed to memorize everything, don’t worry! Nobody learned to conjugate any verb in a day, so just be patient with yourself and know that it does get easier.

And if you’d like to space out your Spanish conjugation plans with some other grammar and vocabulary topics, take a look at our Spanish blog. We regularly publish all kinds of blogs, including on linguistic topics, like our guide to the Spanish sentence structure, and on cultural topics, like our list of 150 interesting facts about Mexico.