Purpose
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to conjugate any regular -AR verb in the present tense across all six subject pronouns.
Lesson Explanation
Spanish verbs fall into three groups based on their infinitive ending: -ar, -er, and -ir. This lesson covers the largest and most regular group, -ar verbs, using hablar (to speak) as the model:
yo hablo — I speak tú hablas — you speak él/ella/usted habla — he/she/you (formal) speaks nosotros hablamos — we speak vosotros habláis — you all speak (Spain) ellos/ellas/ustedes hablan — they/you all speak
The pattern is genuinely mechanical: remove -ar from the infinitive to get the stem (habl-), then attach the ending that matches the subject: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Every regular -ar verb follows this exact pattern.
Other common regular -ar verbs: caminar (to walk), trabajar (to work), estudiar (to study), comprar (to buy), bailar (to dance).
A genuinely useful habit from the previous lesson: because the verb ending already signals the subject, hablo alone means “I speak” without needing yo in front of it.
Practice Questions
1. What are the three infinitive endings for Spanish verbs?
View Answer
-ar, -er, and -ir.
2. What is the stem of “hablar” (to speak)?
View Answer
Habl-.
3. Conjugate “hablar” for “yo.”
View Answer
Hablo.
4. Conjugate “hablar” for “tú.”
View Answer
Hablas.
5. Conjugate “hablar” for “nosotros.”
View Answer
Hablamos.
6. Conjugate “hablar” for “ellos.”
View Answer
Hablan.
7. What ending does the “vosotros” form of a regular -ar verb take?
View Answer
-áis.
8. Write the Spanish verb meaning “to work.”
View Answer
Trabajar.
9. Write the Spanish verb meaning “to study.”
View Answer
Estudiar.
10. Conjugate “trabajar” for “usted.”
View Answer
Trabaja.
11. Can “hablo” stand alone to mean “I speak” without “yo”?
View Answer
Yes.
12. Conjugate “bailar” (to dance) for “nosotros.”
View Answer
Bailamos.