Before we start with verbs, let's remember Subject Pronouns. These little words replace the subject (the person or thing that we are talking about it) in the sentence.
yo |
I |
tú |
you (informal manner like a friend or family member) |
él |
he |
ella |
she |
usted |
you (formal manner like a teacher or older person) |
Ud. (abbreviation of usted) |
you (formal manner) |
nosotros |
we |
nosotras |
we (feminine- just girls) |
vosotros |
you (informal manner, plural) |
vosotras |
you (informal manner, plural, feminine- just girls) |
ellos |
they |
ellas |
they (feminine- just girls) |
ustedes |
you (plural) |
Uds. (abbreviation of ustedes) |
you (plural) |
In Spanish, there are three categories of verbs. The category is determined by the last two letters of the infinitive:
| AR verbs | hablar (to speak), bailar (to dance), tomar (to drink) |
| ER verbs | comer (to eat), vender (to sell) |
| IR verbs | escribir (to write), vivir (to live) |
To conjugate a verb means to change the infinitive so that it agrees with the different possible subjects (the persons or things that we are talking about it).
Here is the Present Tense
conjugation of the infinitive "hablar":
yo |
hablo |
I |
speak |
tú |
hablas |
you |
speak |
él, ella, usted |
habla |
he, she |
speaks |
nosotros, nosotras |
hablamos |
we |
speak |
vosotros, vosotras |
habláis |
you-all |
speak |
ellos, ellas, ustedes |
hablan |
they |
speak |