Verbs in Spanish

This section introduces verbs in Spanish and includes tips for students studying foundation and higher tiers. In Spanish, verbs (verbos) are words that describe actions or states of being. For example, "to eat", "to sleep", and "to be" are all verbs.

Verbs in Spanish are conjugated based on:

• Person: Who is performing the action (I, you, he/she, we, they).
• Number: Whether it is singular (one) or plural (more than one).
• Tense: When the action takes place (past, present, future, etc.).

Infinitives in Spanish

An infinitive verb is the base form of a verb. In English, infinitives are usually formed by adding "to" in front of the verb, such as "to speak", "to eat", or "to live."

In Spanish, infinitives are also the base form of the verb and end in one of three possible endings:

• -ar: hablar (to speak), trabajar (to work)
• -er: comer (to eat), beber (to drink)
• -ir: vivir (to live), escribir (to write)

These infinitive forms do not show any person, tense, or number. They are simply the basic form of the verb.

How to Use Infinitive Verbs in Spanish

Infinitives are often used in Spanish sentences in the following ways:

After another verb

In Spanish, when you have two verbs in a sentence, the first verb is conjugated (showing tense and person), but the second verb remains in its infinitive form.

• Example (Foundation Level):
  • Voy a comer. (I am going to eat.)
    (First verb "ir" is conjugated to "voy", and the second verb "comer" stays in the infinitive.)
• Example (Higher Tier):
  • Tenemos que estudiar. (We have to study.)
    (First verb "tener" is conjugated to "tenemos", and the second verb "estudiar" remains in the infinitive.)

After prepositions

In Spanish, after most prepositions (such as a, de, para, etc.), the verb that follows must be in its infinitive form.

• Example (Foundation Level):
  • Voy a bailar. (I am going to dance.)
    (Here, "a" is the preposition, and "bailar" stays in the infinitive form.)
• Example (Higher Tier):
  • Después de comer, vamos al cine. (After eating, we are going to the cinema.)
    (Here, "de" is the preposition, and "comer" is the infinitive.)

Recognising and Using Infinitive Verbs

When you encounter a verb in a sentence, it's important to recognise if it's in the infinitive form. Infinitives in Spanish typically end in -ar, -er, or -ir, and they are not conjugated yet.

Examples (Foundation Level):

• Estudiar (to study)
• Comer (to eat)
• Vivir (to live)

These are all infinitive verbs, as they have not been changed for any specific person or tense.

Examples (Higher Tier):

• Viajar (to travel)
• Leer (to read)
• Escribir (to write)

Conjugation of Verbs from Infinitives

To conjugate a verb (change it based on the person, tense, etc.), you remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, -ir) and add different endings based on the subject and tense.

Example (Foundation Level) – Regular -AR Verbs:

Let's use the verb hablar (to speak).

• Yo hablo (I speak)
• Tú hablas (You speak)
• Él/ella habla (He/she speaks)
• Nosotros hablamos (We speak)
• Ellos/ellas hablan (They speak)

Key Rule: The endings for -ar verbs in the present tense are:

• -o (yo)
• -as (tú)
• -a (él/ella)
• -amos (nosotros)
• -an (ellos/ellas)

Example (Higher Tier) – Regular -ER Verbs:

Let's use the verb comer (to eat).

• Yo como (I eat)
• Tú comes (You eat)
• Él/ella come (He/she eats)
• Nosotros comemos (We eat)
• Ellos/ellas comen (They eat)

Key Rule: The endings for -er verbs in the present tense are:

• -o (yo)
• -es (tú)
• -e (él/ella)
• -emos (nosotros)
• -en (ellos/ellas)

Example (Higher Tier) – Regular -IR Verbs:

Let's use the verb vivir (to live).

• Yo vivo (I live)
• Tú vives (You live)
• Él/ella vive (He/she lives)
• Nosotros vivimos (We live)
• Ellos/ellas viven (They live)

Key Rule: The endings for -ir verbs in the present tense are:

• -o (yo)
• -es (tú)
• -e (él/ella)
• -imos (nosotros)
• -en (ellos/ellas)

Verbs with Irregular Infinitive Forms

Some verbs are irregular in their infinitive form or their conjugation patterns. These verbs do not follow the regular rules for conjugation.

Common Irregular Verbs:

• Ser (to be)
• Estar (to be)
• Ir (to go)
• Tener (to have)
• Hacer (to do/make)

For example, the verb ir (to go) is irregular because it doesn’t follow the regular conjugation rules.

• Yo voy (I go)
• Tú vas (You go)
• Él/ella va (He/she goes)
• Nosotros vamos (We go)
• Ellos/ellas van (They go)

How to Identify and Use Infinitives in Sentences

Infinitive verbs are often used when a verb follows another verb or when a verb is part of a larger phrase. They do not indicate person or number until they are conjugated.

Examples (Foundation Level):

• Me gusta bailar. (I like to dance.)
  (Here, bailar is in the infinitive form because it follows gustar.)
• Voy a estudiar. (I am going to study.)
  (Here, estudiar is in the infinitive form because it follows ir a.)

Examples (Higher Tier):

• Es necesario trabajar. (It’s necessary to work.)
  (Here, trabajar is in the infinitive form after es necesario.)
• Quiero aprender español. (I want to learn Spanish.)
  (Here, aprender is in the infinitive form after quiero.)

Summary

• Infinitive verbs in Spanish are the base form of the verb and end in -ar, -er, or -ir.
• Infinitives are used after another verb or after prepositions.
• Conjugating verbs means removing the infinitive ending and adding appropriate endings based on person, tense, and number.
• Some verbs are irregular and don’t follow regular conjugation patterns.
• Understanding and using infinitives is crucial in forming sentences, especially in combination with other verbs or when referring to general actions or states.

Examples (Foundation Level):

• Tú quieres comer. (You want to eat.)
• Nosotros vamos a nadar. (We are going to swim.)
• Me gusta leer. (I like to read.)

Examples (Higher Tier):

• Ellos tienen que estudiar para el examen. (They have to study for the exam.)
• Es importante practicar el español. (It’s important to practise Spanish.)
• Quiero viajar a España. (I want to travel to Spain.)