Episode 009 The ABC of Spanish Verbs: "Hablo un poco de español 🗣️ ¿Y tú?"

1. Introduction to Spanish Verbs

Spanish conjugation is more complex than in English. Understanding who is doing the action is crucial for correct conjugation.

When conjugating verbs, you need to know who is performing the action. Here are the Spanish subject pronouns:

• Yo - I

• Tú - You (informal, singular)

• Él - He

• Ella - She

• Nosotros - We (masculine or mixed group)

• Nosotras - We (feminine)

• Vosotros - You all (informal, plural, masculine or mixed group)

• Vosotras - You all (informal, plural, feminine)

• Ellos - They (masculine or mixed group)

• Ellas - They (feminine)

2. Types of Regular Verbs

Spanish verbs fall into three regular conjugation patterns based on their endings:

• -AR Verbs: These verbs end in -ar (e.g., hablar - to speak).

  • Example: Yo hablo (I speak).

• -ER Verbs: These verbs end in -er (e.g., beber - to drink).

  • Example: Yo bebo (I drink).

• -IR Verbs: These verbs end in -ir (e.g., vivir - to live).

  • Example: Yo vivo (I live).

Example Conjugations

Here’s how you conjugate each type of regular verb in the present tense:

1. -AR Verb (Hablar - to speak)

   • Yo hablo - I speak

   • Tú hablas - You speak

   • Él/Ella habla - He/She speaks

   • Nosotros/Nosotras hablamos - We speak

   • Vosotros/Vosotras habláis - You all speak

   • Ellos/Ellas hablan - They speak

2. -ER Verb (Beber - to drink)

   • Yo bebo - I drink

   • Tú bebes - You drink

   • Él/Ella bebe - He/She drinks

   • Nosotros/Nosotras bebemos - We drink

   • Vosotros/Vosotras bebéis - You all drink

   • Ellos/Ellas beben - They drink

3. -IR Verb (Vivir - to live)

   • Yo vivo - I live

   • Tú vives - You live

   • Él/Ella vive - He/She lives

   • Nosotros/Nosotras vivimos - We live

   • Vosotros/Vosotras vivís - You all live

   • Ellos/Ellas viven - They live

Tips for Conjugation

• Identify the subject: Determine who is performing the action (I, you, he, she, etc.).

• Select the verb type: Identify if the verb ends in -ar, -er, or -ir.

• Apply the correct endings: Use the proper conjugation based on the subject and verb type.

A message from Silvia

¡Hola, chicos! 🌟

Understanding Spanish verbs is a big step towards fluency. Remember, practice makes perfect! Keep this guide handy as you practice, and soon you’ll be conjugating verbs like a pro. ¡No te rindas! (Don’t give up!) Keep listening to our episodes, and you'll see how these concepts come together.

¡Ánimo y sigue practicando! 😊 (Keep going and keep practicing!)

Con cariño,

Silvia