Present Tense of the Verbs

First conjugation -AR

The fundamental parts of the Spanish verb

The infinitive: The basic, unconjugated form, the one that corresponds to the English “to do” (something). For example, to speak, to work, to sing, etc.

The Spanish infinitive always ends in r

The ending: The last two letters of the infinitive.

The ending always consists of two letters.

The fundamental parts of the Spanish verb

The Spanish infinitive always ends in r

hablarcomerescribircantaraprenderleer

salirconocercostarcorrerfinalizarfreír

The fundamental parts of the Spanish verb

hablarcomerescribircantaraprenderleer

hablarcomerescribircantaraprenderleer

The ending always consists of two letterssalirconocercostarcorrerfinalizarfreír

salirconocercostarcorrerfinalizarfreír

There are three types or categories of verbs in Spanish:

those that end in ar, those that end in er, and those that end in ir

The fundamental parts of the Spanish verb

The stem or root: Whatever is left after removing the ending from the infinitive.

The stem can consist of a variable number of letters, depending on the length of the verb in question.

The fundamental parts of the Spanish verb

AR endingHABL

stem

The infinitive – the ending = the stem

salirconocercostarcorrerfinalizarfreír

hablarcomerescribircantaraprenderleer

The fundamental parts of the Spanish verb

The infinitive: The basic, unconjugated form of the verb. estudiar

The fundamental parts of the verb

The ending: The last two letters of the infinitive.

The stem: What is left after taking the ending from the infinitive.

ar

estudi

When we conjugate any verb we always begin with its stem.

To conjugate: To put a verb in its correct person and number so that we know who is doing the action.

Verb Conjugation

So let’s take the verb HABLARwe write down the pronoun and the stem…

• Yo habl- Ns. habl -

• Tú habl – Vs. habl -

• Él, ella habl - Ellos, ellas habl-

Ud. Uds.

Then you add these terminations at the stem of the word.

Yo -O Nosotros -AMOS

Tú -AS Vosotros -ÁIS

Él, ella Ud. -A Ellos, ellas, Uds. - AN

a

hablar

ah bloa

ah blasa

ah blaa

habl mosa

áhabl isá

ah blana

Verbs of the 1st conjugation (-ar)

All persons and numbers are based on the stem.

Notice which vowel gets the emphasis!

yo

túUd.élella

nosotros/as

vosotros/as

ellosellas

Uds.

trabajar

aatrab joa

atrab jasa

atrab jaa

trabaj mosa

átrabaj isá

atrab jana

Verbs of the 1st conjugation (-ar)

Its stem?

The emphasis?

buscar

aub scou

ub scasu

ub scau

busc mosa

ábusc isá

ub scanu

Verbs of the 1st conjugation (-ar)

Its stem?

The emphasis?

a

estudiar

uest diou

uest diasu

uest diau

estudi mosa

áestudi isá

uest dianu

Verbs of the 1st conjugation (-ar)

Its stem?

The emphasis?

Take the verb HABLAR . Remove the ending and add the terminations . This is what we call

AFFIRMATIVE “to conjugate a verb”

Yo hablo – I talk Nosotros/ as hablamos

We talk

Tú hablas – you talk Vosotros hablais

You all talk

Él, ella habla

he, she talks

Usted habla - you talk (formal)

Ellos, ellas hablan – they talk

Ustedes hablan – you all

talk (formal)

To form the NEGATIVE add NO between pronoun and verb

Yo no hablo – I don’t talk

Nosotros/ as no hablamos

We don’t talk

Tú no hablas – you don’t talk

Vosotros no hablais

You all don’t talk

Él, ella no habla

he, she doesn’t talks

Usted no habla - you don’t talk (formal)

Ellos, ellas no hablan – they don’t talk

Ustedes no hablan –

you all don’t talk (formal)

To ask a question SWITCH the verb with the pronounINTERROGATIVE

¿Hablo yo?– do I talk? ¿ Hablamos

nosotros/ as? Do we talk?

¿ Hablas tú?– do you talk

¿ Hablais vosotros – Do You all talk?

¿ Habla él, ella?

Does he, she talk?

¿ Habla Ud.? - do you talk ?(formal)

¿ Hablan Ellos, ellas ? –Do they talk

Ustedes hablan – you all

talk (formal)

estudio estudiamos

estudias estudiáis

estudia estudian

La biblioteca es un buen lugar para estudiar.

Verb forms that refer to people that are within the conversation flip to their “opposite” form.

¿Qué estudias?

Estudio matemáticas.

¿Qué estudias tú?

estudio estudiamos

estudias estudiáis

estudia estudian

La biblioteca es un buen lugar para estudiar.

Verb forms that refer to people that are outside the conversation do not change.

¿Qué estudia Juan?

Estudia filosofía.

FIN