¡Hola, amigos! If you’re learning Spanish, mastering verb conjugations is essential. Today, we’ll dive deep into one of the most foundational concepts: the present indicative mode of regular verbs. This is crucial because it allows you to talk about habitual actions, general truths, and things happening right now.

In this blog, I’ll guide you through the patterns for regular verbs ending in -AR, -ER, and -IR, so you can conjugate like a pro! Let’s break it down step by step.

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1. What Is the Present Indicative Mode?

The present indicative mode is used to describe:

• Actions happening in the present.
  • Yo estudio español. (I study Spanish.)
• Habits or routines.
  • Nosotros comemos a las ocho. (We eat at 8.)
• Universal truths.
  • El sol brilla. (The sun shines.)

It’s also the base for learning other tenses, so nailing this is critical for fluency.

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2. The Big Three: -AR, -ER, and -IR Verbs

Spanish verbs fall into three categories based on their endings: -AR, -ER, and -IR. These endings determine how the verb conjugates.

Let’s take an example of each:

• -AR: hablar (to talk)
• -ER: comer (to eat)
• -IR: vivir (to live)

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3. The Formula for Conjugation

To conjugate a regular verb in the present indicative:

1. Remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, -ir).
2. Add the appropriate ending based on the subject (yo, tú, él, etc.).

Here are the endings:

-AR Verbs

Subject	Ending	Example (hablar)
Yo	-o	hablo
Tú	-as	hablas
Él/Ella/Usted	-a	habla
Nosotros	-amos	hablamos
Vosotros	-áis	habláis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	-an	hablan

-ER Verbs

Subject	Ending	Example (comer)
Yo	-o	como
Tú	-es	comes
Él/Ella/Usted	-e	come
Nosotros	-emos	comemos
Vosotros	-éis	coméis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	-en	comen

-IR Verbs

Subject	Ending	Example (vivir)
Yo	-o	vivo
Tú	-es	vives
Él/Ella/Usted	-e	vive
Nosotros	-imos	vivimos
Vosotros	-ís	vivís
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	-en	viven

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4. Quick Tips for Practice

1. Memorize the Patterns
   Use flashcards or apps to drill conjugations. Focus on one category at a time.
2. Practice with Common Verbs
   Start with frequently used verbs like:
   • hablar (to talk), trabajar (to work), estudiar (to study)
   • comer (to eat), beber (to drink), leer (to read)
   • vivir (to live), escribir (to write), abrir (to open)
3. Create Sentences
   Write sentences about your daily life:
   • Yo como pizza los viernes. (I eat pizza on Fridays.)
   • Nosotros vivimos en Nueva York. (We live in New York.)
4. Speak Out Loud
   Practice saying conjugations and sentences out loud to build muscle memory.

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5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mixing up -ER and -IR endings
  For nosotros and vosotros, -ER verbs use -emos/-éis, while -IR verbs use -imos/-ís.
• Forgetting Subject Pronouns
  Spanish often omits subject pronouns because the verb form makes the subject clear. For example:
  • Hablo español. (I speak Spanish.)
    You don’t need to say “Yo hablo español” unless you want to emphasize “I.”

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6. Bonus: Practice Exercise!

Conjugate the following verbs in the present indicative:

1. Trabajar (yo, tú, él)
2. Leer (nosotros, ellos)
3. Escribir (vosotros, usted)

Answers:

1. Trabajo, trabajas, trabaja
2. Leemos, leen
3. Escribís, escribe

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Ready to Practice? ¡A Conjugar!

The present indicative is your gateway to confidently expressing yourself in Spanish. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll find it as easy as uno, dos, tres.

If you enjoyed this lesson, be sure to check out more posts like this on my blog at My Language Classes. Don’t forget to subscribe my YouTube channel and follow me on Instagram for the latest language learning tips and lessons. Leave a comment below to share your thoughts, or ask any questions you have.

Happy learning! 😊