Verbs: Present Tense — Mexican Spanish Grammar

In Spanish, verbs change their form, or conjugate, to show who is performing an action and when the action takes place. The present tense, or , is used to talk about actions happening now, routines, and general truths.

The basic, unconjugated form of a verb is called the infinitive. Infinitives always end in -ar, -er, or -ir. To conjugate a regular verb, you remove this ending and add a new one that matches the subject.

Regular Verbs: -ar Endings

To conjugate a regular verb ending in -ar, remove the -ar and add the appropriate ending from the list below.

-o (for - I)
-as (for - you, informal)
-a (for - he, she, you formal)
-amos (for - we)
-an (for - you all, they)

Let's look at the verb (to speak):

Note that in Mexican Spanish, is used for "you all" in both formal and informal situations.

Yo trabajo en una oficina.
I work in an office.
¿Tú cantas en la ducha?
Do you sing in the shower?
Ellos necesitan ayuda.
They need help.

Regular Verbs: -er Endings

For regular verbs ending in -er, remove the -er and add one of these endings:

-o (for )
-es (for )
-e (for )
-emos (for )
-en (for )

Example with the verb (to eat):

Nosotros aprendemos español.
We are learning Spanish.
Ella no come carne.
She doesn't eat meat.
¿Ustedes leen el periódico?
Do you all read the newspaper?

Regular Verbs: -ir Endings

For regular verbs ending in -ir, remove the -ir and add these endings. Notice they are almost identical to -er verbs, except for the form.

-o (for )
-es (for )
-e (for )
-imos (for )
-en (for )

Example with the verb (to live):

Yo escribo un correo electrónico.
I am writing an email.
Mi familia vive en Monterrey.
My family lives in Monterrey.
Ustedes abren la puerta.
You all open the door.

Uses of the Present Tense

The present tense is versatile and used in several situations:

1. To describe actions happening now.

¿Qué haces? Leo un libro.
What are you doing? I'm reading a book.
El teléfono suena.
The telephone is ringing.

2. To talk about habits and routines.

Corro tres veces por semana.
I run three times a week.
Siempre tomamos café en la mañana.
We always drink coffee in the morning.

3. To state general truths or facts.

La Tierra gira alrededor del Sol.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Los pingüinos no vuelan.
Penguins don't fly.

4. To talk about the near future.

This is very common in spoken Spanish.

Mañana visito a mis abuelos.
Tomorrow I'm visiting my grandparents.
Te llamo más tarde.
I'll call you later.

Omitting Subject Pronouns

Because the verb ending clearly indicates who is performing the action, the subject pronoun (, etc.) is often omitted in conversation unless it's needed for clarity or emphasis.

Hablamos español.
We speak Spanish.
¿Vives aquí?
Do you live here?
Tengo que irme.
I have to leave.

Common Irregular Verbs

Many of the most frequently used verbs are irregular, meaning they do not follow the standard conjugation patterns. These must be learned individually. Here are three essential ones:

(to be - for permanent characteristics, identity, origin)

Yo soy doctor.
I am a doctor.
Ellos son de Argentina.
They are from Argentina.

(to be - for location, temporary states, emotions)

Estoy cansado.
I am tired.
La sopa está muy caliente.
The soup is very hot.

(to go)

¿A dónde vas?
Where are you going?
Vamos al cine esta noche.
We are going to the movies tonight.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Mexican Spanish course

386 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 1. A few of them, with the words “Verbs: Present Tense” is about in bold:

Te presento a mi amiga Anna. Es estudiante.
This is my friend, Anna. She is a student.
Lesson 2
Los quiero y ellos me quieren.
I love them and they love me.
Lesson 32
Tengo dos coches, dos bicicletas y tres motos.
I have two cars, two bicycles, and three motorbikes.
Lesson 33

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