We call “regular verbs” the kind of verbs that always follow the same pattern when you conjugate them. And so, In this article we will first get into understanding the pattern they follow to be able to conjugate them in the blink of an eye, and then we will list all the 50 most common regular verbs with their English translation. We have also included a practice exercise at the end to see how much you grasped from this article. Let’s do it!
What makes a Verb “Regular”?
In Spanish, the infinitive form of a verb (regular or irregular) always ends in either -ar, -er or -ir (except for the reflexive verbs, which end in -se). When it comes to conjugate a verb, that’s when we can classify them as regular or irregular. To conjugate a regular verb, we need to change the ending of the infinitive form according to the tense and the subject. For example, to conjugate the verb “trabajar”, we only need to change the ending -ar for another one that corresponds to the tense and subject of the phrase. Therefore, depending on the ending of the verb (-ar, -er, -ir) we will always follow the same pattern when conjugating regular verbs, meaning that they are always consistent.
Let’s take a look at the tables below to learn the patterns that we will always follow to conjugate regular verbs in simple present tense. For these tables, we are using three different verbs with the three different endings in the infinitive form.
| Subject | -ar (trabajar) |
|---|---|
| Yo | trabajo |
| Tú | trabajas |
| Él/Ella/Usted | trabaja |
| Nosotros | trabajamos |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | trabajan |
| Subject | -er (comer) |
|---|---|
| Yo | como |
| Tú | comes |
| Él/Ella/Usted | come |
| Nosotros | comemos |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | comen |
| Subject | -ir (vivir) |
|---|---|
| Yo | vivo |
| Tú/ vos | vives/ vivís |
| Él/Ella/Usted | vive |
| Nosotros | vivimos |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | viven |
Top 50 regular verbs
The verbs listed below are the most important and most used regular verbs in the Spanish language. We highly recommend you memorize them so that you can put them into practice in the exercise at the end of this article. Give it a try!
Ending in -ar:
- Trabajar = to work.
- Hablar = to speak.
- Llevar = to carry, bring, to wear.
- Dejar = to leave, abandon, to let, allow.
- Llamar = to call, to name.
- Tomar = to take, drink.
- Mirar = to watch, look out.
- Esperar = to wait for, to hope.
- Entrar = to enter, go in, come in.
- Terminar = to finish, end.
- Necesitar = to need, require.
- Preguntar = to ask, inquire.
- Gustar = to please, be pleasing.
- Comprar = to buy, purchase.
- Ayudar = to help.
- Estudiar = to study.
- Acabar = to finish, end.
- Ganar = to win, gain, earn, get, acquire.
- Usar = to use.
- Olvidar = to forget.
- Presentar = to present, to introduce.
- Crear = to create, make.
- Considerar = to consider.
- Pasar = to pass, to spend time, to happen.
- Viajar = to travel.
- Evitar = to avoid, to prevent.
- Contestar = to answer.
- Imaginar = to imagine.
Ending in -er:
- Comer = to eat.
- Correr = to run.
- Aprender = to learn.
- Vender = to sell.
- Deber = to owe, must, should, ought to.
- Comprender = to understand, comprehend.
- Beber = to drink.
- Temer = to fear, be afraid of.
- Romper = to break (something).
- Depender = to depend.
Ending in -ir:
- Vivir = to live.
- Existir = to exist.
- Recibir = to receive, to welcome, greet.
- Permitir = to permit, allow.
- Decidir = to decide, settle, resolve.
- Subir = to go up, rise, move up, climb, raise up.
- Compartir = to share, to divide up.
- Consistir = to consist.
- Insistir = to insist.
- Ocurrir = to occur, happen.
- Abrir = to open.
- Sufrir = to suffer, to undergo.
Regular Verbs – Quiz/Worksheet
Regular verbs are easy! You just need to put the conjugations into practice, and eventually using them will become a second nature.
Complete each phrase with the correct conjugation of the verb in parentheses.
1. Yo (vivir)________ en Bogotá. (I live in Bogotá).
2. En mi casa (comer) ________ a las dos de la tarde. (In my house, we eat at two in the afternoon).
3. Yo (trabajar) ________ para una empresa española. (I work for a Spanish company).
4. -¿Qué idiomas (hablar) ________ usted? -Yo________ español e inglés. (-What languages do you speak? -I speak Spanish and English).
5. ¿A qué hora (abrir) ________ el museo? (What time does the museum open?).
6. ¿Qué carrera (estudiar) ________ en la universidad? (What major do you study at the university?).
7. Ana (llevar) ________ puesto un sombrero blanco. (Ana is wearing a white hat).
8. No (beber) ________ alcohol. (I don’t drink alcohol).
9. Mi esposo y yo (pasar) ________ los fines de semana en el campo. (My husband and I spend the weekends in the countryside).
10. Mis primos (viajar) ________ muy seguido a México. (My cousins travel very often to Mexico).
11. Enfrente de la terminal de autobuses (vender) ________ artesanías. (In front of the bus terminal, they sell handicrafts).
12. Los fantasmas no (existir) ________. (Ghosts do not exist).
13. ¿(Necesitar) ________ algo? (Do you need something?).
14. Esta asociación (ayudar)________ a los necesitados. (This association helps those in need).
15. Los estudiantes de español siempre (olvidar) ________ cómo conjugar los verbos. (Spanish students always forget how to conjugate verbs).
Answers to the exercise:
1. Yo vivo en Bogotá.
2. En mi casa comemos a las dos de la tarde.
3. Yo trabajo para una empresa española.
4. -¿Qué idiomas habla usted? -Yo hablo español e inglés.
5. ¿A qué hora abre el museo?
6. ¿Qué carrera estudias en la universidad?
7. Ana lleva puesto un sombrero blanco.
8. No bebo alcohol.
9. Mi esposo y yo pasamos los fines de semana en el campo.
10. Mis primos viajan muy seguido a México.
11. Enfrente de la terminal de autobuses venden artesanías.
12. Los fantasmas no existen.
13. ¿Necesitas algo?
14. Esta asociación ayuda a los necesitados.
15. Los estudiantes de español siempre olvidan cómo conjugar los verbos.
Last words…
Do you feel like you still struggle to conjugate verbs correctly? Truth is that practice makes progress! Don’t wait anymore and book a lesson right away with one of our tutors to have real life conversations in Spanish with native speakers! Conjugating Spanish verbs will never be a difficult task anymore. We’re happy to help! Carry on!
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