Spanish Verb Endings Made Simple

By Lingobi, Published on 04/02/2025

One of the first things you’ll notice when learning Spanish is how verbs change depending on who is doing the action. Unlike English, Spanish verbs have different endings based on the subject and tense.

The Three Verb Types

Spanish verbs are grouped into three categories based on their endings in the infinitive form:

-AR Verbs: hablar (to speak), estudiar (to study), cantar (to sing)
-ER Verbs: comer (to eat), leer (to read), correr (to run)
-IR Verbs: vivir (to live), escribir (to write), abrir (to open)

Present Tense Endings

In the present tense, these verbs follow specific patterns:

-AR Verbs: yo hablo, tú hablas, él/ella habla, nosotros hablamos, ellos hablan
-ER Verbs: yo como, tú comes, él/ella come, nosotros comemos, ellos comen
-IR Verbs: yo vivo, tú vives, él/ella vive, nosotros vivimos, ellos viven

Why This Matters

Mastering verb endings helps you form sentences correctly and understand conversations better. Spanish relies on these endings to indicate who is performing the action, so paying attention to them is crucial!

Want to improve your Spanish verbs? Start practicing today with Lingobi.