Present tense: regular -ar/-er/-ir verbs, the five stem-change patterns and key irregulars

Q: How do you conjugate regular -ar verbs in the present tense?

Remove -ar to find the stem and add: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an .

Q: How do you conjugate regular -er and -ir verbs in the present tense, and where do they differ?

Both use -o, -es, -e, -en ; they differ only in nosotros ( -emos vs -imos ) and vosotros ( -éis vs -ís ).

Q: What is the "boot verb" rule for stem-changing verbs?

The vowel inside the stem changes in yo , tú , él/ella , and ellos/ellas , but remains regular in nosotros and vosotros .

Q: How do Pattern 1 ( ext{o} ightarrow ext{ue}) stem-changing verbs conjugate?

The stem vowel o changes to ue inside the boot (e.g. encontrar ightarrow encuentro , but encontramos ).

Q: How do Pattern 2 ( ext{e} ightarrow ext{ie}) stem-changing verbs conjugate?

The stem vowel e turns into ie inside the boot (e.g. pensar ightarrow pienso , but pensamos ).

Q: How do Pattern 3 ( ext{e} ightarrow ext{i}) stem-changing verbs conjugate?

For these -ir verbs, the stem vowel e changes to i inside the boot (e.g. pedir ightarrow pido ).

Q: What spelling change occurs in Pattern 4 ( ext{c} ightarrow ext{zc}) verbs?

Only the yo form changes c to zc before -o (e.g. conocer ightarrow conozco ); all other forms are regular.

Q: How do Pattern 5 "G-verbs" conjugate in the present tense?

Only the yo form adds a -g- to make -go (e.g. poner ightarrow pongo ); other forms follow regular patterns.

Q: How do you conjugate the irregular verbs ser , estar , and ir in the present tense?

ser : soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son ; estar : estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están ; ir : voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van .

Spanish 8692 · AQA GCSE · 10 min read · Updated: 7 Sept 2026

Welcome to the Present Tense! (El Presente de Indicativo)

The present tense is the true engine of your Spanish GCSE. Whether you are describing what you do every weekend in the Speaking exam, reading an email in the Reading paper, or writing about your daily routine in the Writing paper, mastering the present tense will unlock top marks across all four components of your AQA GCSE Spanish (8692) exam.

Don't worry if verb endings seem tricky at first! We are going to break everything down step-by-step: from basic regular endings to the five official stem-change patterns and key irregular verbs.

1. What Does the Present Tense Do?

In English, we often use two different phrases to describe what is happening: "I speak" and "I am speaking". In Spanish, the simple present tense covers both of these meanings!

For example, the single word hablo can mean:

1. Simple Present (Habitual actions & general truths): Hablo español ("I speak Spanish").
2. Ongoing / Continuous Action: Hablo con mi amigo ("I am speaking with my friend right now").

Top Examiner Insight: Never translate "I am speaking" literally word-for-word as "soy hablar" or "estoy hablar". In Spanish, you simply use the single conjugated verb: hablo (or the continuous form estoy hablando).

2. Regular Verbs: The Golden Formula

Every regular verb in Spanish ends in one of three letter combinations: -ar, -er, or -ir (known as the infinitive). To talk about who is doing the action, follow this two-step formula:

Step 1: Chop off the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir) to find the stem.
Step 2: Add the person ending to the stem based on who is doing the action.

Regular Present Tense Endings

Let's look at three classic examples: hablar (to speak), comer (to eat), and vivir (to live).

-ar Verbs (hablar $\rightarrow$ stem: habl-):
• yo (I): hablo (I speak)
• tú (you, singular informal): hablas (you speak)
• él / ella / usted (he / she / you formal): habla (he/she speaks)
• nosotros / nosotras (we): hablamos (we speak)
• vosotros / vosotras (you all, plural informal): habláis (you all speak)
• ellos / ellas / ustedes (they / you all formal): hablan (they speak)

-er Verbs (comer $\rightarrow$ stem: com-):
• yo (I): como (I eat)
• tú (you, singular informal): comes (you eat)
• él / ella / usted (he / she / you formal): come (he/she eats)
• nosotros / nosotras (we): comemos (we eat)
• vosotros / vosotras (you all, plural informal): coméis (you all eat)
• ellos / ellas / ustedes (they / you all formal): comen (they eat)

-ir Verbs (vivir $\rightarrow$ stem: viv-):
• yo (I): vivo (I live)
• tú (you, singular informal): vives (you live)
• él / ella / usted (he / she / you formal): vive (he/she lives)
• nosotros / nosotras (we): vivimos (we live)
• vosotros / vosotras (you all, plural informal): vivís (you all live)
• ellos / ellas / ustedes (they / you all formal): viven (they live)

Quick Memory Tip: Notice that -er and -ir verbs share almost all the same endings in the present tense! The only difference is in the nosotros (-emos vs -imos) and vosotros (-éis vs -ís) forms.

Key Takeaway: All yo forms end in -o. From there, -ar verbs use the vowel a, while -er and -ir verbs mainly use the vowel e.

3. The Five Official Stem-Change Patterns

In AQA GCSE Spanish (8692), stem-changing verbs are grouped around five key anchor verbs. Stem-changing verbs take the exact same regular endings as above, but the vowel inside the stem changes when it is stressed.

The "Boot Verb" Rule:
The stem vowel changes in all forms except for nosotros and vosotros! If you draw an outline around the forms that change on a verb grid (yo, tú, él/ella, ellos/ellas), it looks like a boot or a shoe. Nosotros and vosotros stay outside the boot and keep the regular spelling.

Pattern 1: $o \rightarrow ue$ Cluster (Anchor Verb: encontrar)

The vowel o in the stem turns into ue inside the boot.

Anchor verb: encontrar (to find)
• yo encuentro
• tú encuentras
• él / ella encuentra
• nosotros encontramos (No change! Outside the boot)
• vosotros encontráis (No change! Outside the boot)
• ellos / ellas encuentran

Other common verbs in this cluster:
• poder (to be able to / can): puedo, puedes, puede, podemos, podéis, pueden
• dormir (to sleep): duermo, duermes, duerme, dormimos, dormís, duermen
• volver (to return): vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, volvemos, volvéis, vuelven
• costar (to cost): cuesta (singular), cuestan (plural)

Pattern 2: $e \rightarrow ie$ Cluster (Anchor Verb: pensar)

The vowel e in the stem turns into ie inside the boot.

Anchor verb: pensar (to think)
• yo pienso
• tú piensas
• él / ella piensa
• nosotros pensamos (No change!)
• vosotros pensáis (No change!)
• ellos / ellas piensan

Other common verbs in this cluster:
• querer (to want / to love): quiero, quieres, quiere, queremos, queréis, quieren
• preferir (to prefer): prefiero, prefieres, prefiere, preferimos, preferís, prefieren
• entender (to understand): entiendo, entiendes, entiende, entendemos, entendéis, entienden
• empezar (to start / begin): empiezo, empiezas, empieza, empezamos, empezáis, empiezan

Pattern 3: $e \rightarrow i$ Cluster (Anchor Verb: pedir)

For these -ir verbs, the stem vowel e turns into a simple i inside the boot.

Anchor verb: pedir (to ask for / order)
• yo pido
• tú pides
• él / ella pide
• nosotros pedimos (No change!)
• vosotros pedís (No change!)
• ellos / ellas piden

Other common verbs in this cluster:
• servir (to serve): sirvo, sirves, sirve, servimos, servís, sirven
• repetir (to repeat): repito, repites, repite, repetimos, repetís, repiten
• seguir (to follow / continue): sigo, sigues, sigue, seguimos, seguís, siguen

Crucial GCSE Marking Note: For seguir, you drop the u in the 1st person singular: sigo (pronounced see-go). In the exam, leaving the u in (e.g., writing ~~siguo~~) will not be awarded credit!

Pattern 4: $c \rightarrow zc$ Cluster (Anchor Verb: conocer)

For this group, only the yo form changes its spelling to keep a smooth sound, turning the c into zc before the -o. All other forms are completely regular.

Anchor verb: conocer (to know a person or place)
• yo conozco
• tú conoces
• él / ella conoce
• nosotros conocemos
• vosotros conocéis
• ellos / ellas conocen

Other common verbs in this cluster:
• conducir (to drive): yo conduzco, tú conduces...
• ofrecer (to offer): yo ofrezco, tú ofreces...
• traducir (to translate): yo traduzco, tú traduces...

Pattern 5: Add "-g-" to the 1st Person Singular (Anchor Verb: poner)

These verbs are often called "G-verbs". Only the yo form gets an extra -g- to make -go. The other persons follow normal regular patterns.

Anchor verb: poner (to put)
• yo pongo
• tú pones
• él / ella pone
• nosotros ponemos
• vosotros ponéis
• ellos / ellas ponen

Other common verbs in this cluster:
• hacer (to do / make): yo hago, tú haces, él hace, nosotros hacemos, vosotros hacéis, ellos hacen
• salir (to go out / leave): yo salgo, tú sales, él sale, nosotros salimos, vosotros salís, ellos salen
• traer (to bring): yo traigo, tú traes, él trae, nosotros traemos, vosotros traéis, ellos traen
• valer (to be worth): yo valgo, tú vales, él vale, nosotros valemos, vosotros valéis, ellos valen

Key Takeaway: Remember the boot! The vowel change ($o \rightarrow ue$, $e \rightarrow ie$, $e \rightarrow i$) never happens in nosotros or vosotros.

4. Key Irregular and Mixed Verbs

Some of the most useful verbs in Spanish do not follow regular rules. Commit these high-frequency verbs to memory—you will encounter them in every single paper!

1. ser (to be — permanent traits, identity, time)

• yo soy
• tú eres
• él / ella / usted es
• nosotros / nosotras somos
• vosotros / vosotras sois
• ellos / ellas / ustedes son

2. estar (to be — location, temporary feelings/states)

• yo estoy
• tú estás
• él / ella / usted está
• nosotros / nosotras estamos
• vosotros / vosotras estáis
• ellos / ellas / ustedes están

Accent Alert: Be sure to include the written accents on estás, está, and están. Without the accent, esta means "this" (e.g., esta casa = this house), not "is"!

3. ir (to go)

• yo voy
• tú vas
• él / ella / usted va
• nosotros / nosotras vamos
• vosotros / vosotras vais
• ellos / ellas / ustedes van

4. tener (to have — mixed: "-go" in yo + $e \rightarrow ie$ stem change)

• yo tengo
• tú tienes
• él / ella / usted tiene
• nosotros / nosotras tenemos
• vosotros / vosotras tenéis
• ellos / ellas / ustedes tienen

5. decir (to say / tell — mixed: "-go" in yo + $e \rightarrow i$ stem change)

• yo digo
• tú dices
• él / ella / usted dice
• nosotros / nosotras decimos
• vosotros / vosotras decís
• ellos / ellas / ustedes dicen

6. dar (to give)

• yo doy, tú das, él da, nosotros damos, vosotros dais, ellos dan

7. ver (to see)

• yo veo, tú ves, él ve, nosotros vemos, vosotros veis, ellos ven

8. oír (to hear)

• yo oigo, tú oyes, él oye, nosotros oímos, vosotros oís, ellos oyen

9. haber (impersonal / auxiliary)

• Impersonal form: hay (means "there is" or "there are" — e.g., Hay un problema)
• Auxiliary forms (used with past participles): he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han

5. Common Pitfalls & Examiner Tips

Here are the most frequent mistakes flagged by AQA examiners. Double-check your work to avoid them!

• Stem-changing outside the boot: Students often mistakenly change the vowel in the nosotros or vosotros forms. Writing ~~podemos~~ is correct; writing ~~puedemos~~ is incorrect.
• Tú vs Usted confusion: Remember that when you address a teacher or adult formally using usted, you must use the 3rd person singular ending (habla, come, vive), not the 2nd person -as/-es ending.
• Missing accents on estar: Always check your written accents on estás, está, estáis, and están.
• Mixing -er and -ir endings: Remember that nosotros comemos takes an e, but nosotros vivimos takes an i.

6. Quick Summary Checklist

Before moving on to practice questions, make sure you can answer YES to these checks:

✔ Do I know the regular endings for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs for all 6 persons?
✔ Can I identify the 5 stem-change clusters: encontrar ($o \rightarrow ue$), pensar ($e \rightarrow ie$), pedir ($e \rightarrow i$), conocer ($c \rightarrow zc$), and poner (add -g-)?
✔ Do I remember to keep nosotros and vosotros regular in stem-changing verbs?
✔ Can I instantly recall the conjugations of ser, estar, ir, and tener?

Quick check

Can you answer these now?

Open each question to check the key ideas from this chapter.

What two meanings in English can a single Spanish present tense verb convey?

It covers both simple present habitual actions (e.g. "I speak") and ongoing continuous actions (e.g. "I am speaking").

How do you conjugate regular -ar verbs in the present tense?

Remove -ar to find the stem and add: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an.

How do you conjugate regular -er and -ir verbs in the present tense, and where do they differ?

Both use -o, -es, -e, -en; they differ only in nosotros (-emos vs -imos) and vosotros (-éis vs -ís).

What is the "boot verb" rule for stem-changing verbs?

The vowel inside the stem changes in yo, tú, él/ella, and ellos/ellas, but remains regular in nosotros and vosotros.

How do Pattern 1 ( ext{o} ightarrow ext{ue}) stem-changing verbs conjugate?

The stem vowel o changes to ue inside the boot (e.g. encontrar ightarrow encuentro, but encontramos).

How do Pattern 2 ( ext{e} ightarrow ext{ie}) stem-changing verbs conjugate?

The stem vowel e turns into ie inside the boot (e.g. pensar ightarrow pienso, but pensamos).

How do Pattern 3 ( ext{e} ightarrow ext{i}) stem-changing verbs conjugate?

For these -ir verbs, the stem vowel e changes to i inside the boot (e.g. pedir ightarrow pido).

What spelling change occurs in Pattern 4 ( ext{c} ightarrow ext{zc}) verbs?

Only the yo form changes c to zc before -o (e.g. conocer ightarrow conozco); all other forms are regular.

How do Pattern 5 "G-verbs" conjugate in the present tense?

Only the yo form adds a -g- to make -go (e.g. poner ightarrow pongo); other forms follow regular patterns.

How do you conjugate the irregular verbs ser, estar, and ir in the present tense?

ser: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son; estar: estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están; ir: voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van.

What makes tener and decir mixed irregular verbs in the present tense?

Both have a -go yo form and a stem change ( ext{e} ightarrow ext{ie} for tener; ext{e} ightarrow ext{i} for decir) inside the boot.

How is the verb haber used in the present tense?

Impersonally as hay ("there is / there are") and as an auxiliary verb: he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han.

Ready to test yourself?

Turn these notes into exam-style practice. Get unlimited AI questions on this topic with instant marking and explanations.

Practise This Topic

More Spanish 8692 chapters

* The content provided by thinka is generated by AI and may not always be accurate or up-to-date. Please use it as a supplementary resource and verify with official materials.

Put These Notes into Practice

Reading the notes is a great start. Now practise with unlimited AI-generated questions and get instant feedback. 100,000+ students are already improving their grades.

Start Practising Now View Pricing

Done reading? Test yourself with AI practice questions

Practise This Topic Now