Verbo
From Latin verbum (word)
The verbo (verb) is the class of words that expresses actions or changes (correr, saltar, transformar, arder) of people, animals, and things, or the situations or states they find themselves in (dormir, sentar, esperar, sentir, enfermar). They also describe natural phenomena (llover, nevar).
In Spanish, the verb is the busiest part of speech: it changes its ending to show who acts, when they act, and the mood in which they act. This is very different from English, where the verb almost always looks the same and the pronoun does the work.
Parts of the verbo
A Spanish verb has two parts: the raíz (root / stem) and the terminación (ending).
1. Raíz (Root)
The part of the verb that does not change as it conjugates.
2. Terminación (Ending)
The part at the end of the verb that changes in conjugation. Also called desinencia. For example, in the verb cantar ("to sing"), cant- is the raíz and -ar is the terminación.
Examples
| Raíz | Terminación | |
|---|---|---|
| Yo canto | cant- | -o |
| Tú cantas | cant- | -as |
| Él canta | cant- | -a |
| Nosotros cantamos | cant- | -amos |
| Ustedes cantan | cant- | -an |
| Ellos cantan | cant- | -an |
Accidentes gramaticales of the verbo
These are the variations a verb takes in its conjugación1 (conjugation).
Note
As you go through the next section on accidentes gramaticales of the verb, read and get familiar with the annex at the end of this article. The annex shows the full conjugations of the model verbs Amar ("to love"), Temer ("to fear"), and Partir ("to leave / to split"), as well as the auxiliary verb Haber. Practice with as many examples as you need to get a feel for each tense.
The variations a verb shows in its conjugation are:
- TIEMPO (Tense)
- NÚMERO (Number)
- PERSONA (Person)
- MODO (Mood)
- VOZ (Voice)
1. Tiempo (Tense)
Tiempo2 tells when the action takes place. The basic tenses are Presente (Present), Pasado / Pretérito (Past), and Futuro (Future).
Verb tenses can be simple (Tiempos Simples) or compound (Tiempos Compuestos):
a) Tiempos Simples (Simple tenses)
Conjugated without the help of any other verb. Built by adding an ending to the verb's root (cant-o, am-é, jug-aré, escrib-imos).
Examples
- Ella trota todas las mañanas.
("She jogs every morning.") - El bebé comió puré de cambur.
("The baby ate banana purée.") - María da clases de inglés.
("María teaches English classes.")
There are five simple tenses:
i. Presente (Present)
The action is happening right now. Roughly equivalent to English "I listen / I am listening".
Examples
- Yo escucho.
("I listen.") - Él duerme.
("He sleeps.")
ii. Pretérito (Preterite / simple past)
The action is already finished. Equivalent to English "I listened".
Examples
- Yo escuché.
("I listened.") - Él durmió.
("He slept.")
iii. Futuro (Future)
The action will happen later. Equivalent to English "I will listen".
Examples
- Yo escucharé.
("I will listen.") - Él dormirá.
("He will sleep.")
iv. Copretérito3 (Imperfect)
A past action that lasts, is habitual, or is repeated. Roughly equivalent to English "I used to ..." or "I was ...-ing".
Examples
- Yo estudiaba.
("I used to study.") - Los niños jugaban mucho.
("The children used to play a lot.") - Miraba las nubes.
("I was watching the clouds.") - En aquella época nadaba a diario.
("Back then I used to swim every day.") - En mi pueblo dormíamos en hamacas.
("In my village we used to sleep in hammocks.") - Nos veíamos cada semana.
("We used to see each other every week.")
It also describes an action happening at the same time as another past action.
Examples
- Cuando salí a la calle llovía.
("When I went outside, it was raining.") - Estuve enfermo, me sentía mal.
("I was sick, I was feeling bad.")
It is also used for actions that are doubtful, possible, desirable, or only happen in fantasy.
Examples
- Creí que dormías.
("I thought you were sleeping.") - Soñé que volaba.
("I dreamed I was flying.") - Yo era príncipe y tú princesa.
("I was the prince and you were the princess.")
v. Pospretérito4 (Conditional)
An action that will happen after another past action. Roughly equivalent to English "would do".
Examples
- Dijo que lo haría más tarde.
("He said he would do it later.") - Vendría cuando terminara la limpieza.
("She would come when she finished cleaning.")
It is also used for approximate quantities.
Examples
- Serían como las diez cuando llegué.
("It must have been about ten when I arrived.") - Bastaría con unos diez tomates para la salsa.
("About ten tomatoes would be enough for the sauce.")
It is also used in conditional sentences.
Examples
- Si quisiera, lo haría.
("If he wanted to, he would do it.") - Si pudiera, lo ayudaría.
("If I could, I would help him.")
b) Tiempos Compuestos (Compound tenses)
Formed with the verb HABER in a simple tense plus the participio (the form of the verb ending in -ado, -ido, -to, -so, or -cho) of the verb being conjugated. Haber corresponds roughly to English "to have" used as an auxiliary, as in "I have eaten".
Examples
- Yo había jugado.
("I had played.") - Ella ha cantado muy bien.
("She has sung very well.") - Eso ha sido explicado.
("That has been explained.") - He bailado mucho en la fiesta.
("I have danced a lot at the party.") - A esa hora ya habremos cenado.
("By that hour we'll have had dinner already.") - Quizás haya concluido.
("Maybe he has finished.")
The five compound tenses use the same names as the simple ones, prefixed with ante- ("before"):
i. Antepresente (Present perfect)
An action started in the past that lasts until the present or still has effects. Equivalent to English "I have eaten".
Examples
- Ha comido mucho.
("He has eaten a lot.") - María ha decidido quedarse trabajando.
("María has decided to keep working.") - Siempre he creído en la bondad humana.
("I have always believed in human kindness.") - Lo ha hecho así desde el principio.
("He has done it that way from the start.")
It also marks actions that have just happened.
Examples
- He dicho que te salgas.
("I've told you to get out.") - ¡He pasado mi examen!
("I've passed my exam!")
ii. Antepretérito (Preterite perfect)
An action that took place before another past action.
Examples
- Apenas lo hubo dicho, se arrepintió.
("As soon as he had said it, he regretted it.") - Una vez que hubieron cantado, no participaron más.
("Once they had sung, they didn't take part anymore.")
Note
Used rarely, mostly in very formal speech. Today most speakers just use the pretérito; the sentences above would normally be:
- Apenas lo dijo, se arrepintió. ("As soon as he said it, he regretted it.")
- Una vez que cantaron, no participaron más. ("Once they sang, they didn't take part anymore.")
iii. Antefuturo (Future perfect)
A future action that happens before another future action. Equivalent to English "will have done".
Examples
- Ya habré terminado el trabajo para cuando vuelvas.
("I will have finished the work by the time you come back.") - Para el lunes, ya habré salido de vacaciones.
("By Monday I will have already left on vacation.")
It also expresses doubt about a past action.
Examples
- No le habrás entendido bien.
("You probably didn't understand him well.") - ¿Habremos estado allá en el año 1998 ó en el ’99?
("Were we there in 1998 or '99, I wonder?")
iv. Antecopretérito (Pluperfect)
A past action that happened before another past action. Equivalent to English "had done".
Examples
- Me dijo que había comprado un terreno.
("He told me he had bought a piece of land.") - Supuse que ya lo habían visto.
("I assumed they had already seen it.")
v. Antepospretérito (Conditional perfect)
An action that takes place after a past action and before another later one. Equivalent to English "would have done".
Examples
- Me prometió que ella ya habría vestido al niño cuando yo fuera a recogerlo.
("She promised me she would have already dressed the baby by the time I came to pick him up.") - Él lo habría terminado antes de que cerraran.
("He would have finished it before they closed.")
It also expresses an action that may have happened in the past, even if later proven false.
Examples
- En ese entonces, habría cumplido veinte años.
("At that time, he would have turned twenty.") - Se anunció que el enemigo habría atacado a la población cercana.
("It was announced that the enemy had supposedly attacked the nearby town.")
It is also used to express a condition.
Examples
- Si hubiera llegado, te habría avisado.
("If I had arrived, I would have let you know.") - Si hubieran ganado el premio, habrían vivido allá.
("If they had won the prize, they would have lived there.")
2. Número (Number)
How many people perform the action. Two kinds: Singular and Plural.
a) Singular
The action is performed by one person.
Examples
- Yo río.
("I laugh.") - Tú vienes.
("You come.") - Él duerme.
("He sleeps.") - Ella ama.
("She loves.")
b) Plural
The action is performed by several people.
Examples
- Nosotros reímos.
("We laugh.") - Ustedes vienen.
("You [plural] come.") - Ellos duermen.
("They [masc.] sleep.") - Ellas aman.
("They [fem.] love.")
3. Persona (Person)
Tells who performs the action. These are the personal pronouns used in conversation. Spanish has three grammatical persons:
- First (primera) — the speaker: YO ("I")
- Second (segunda) — the listener: TÚ ("you", informal), USTED ("you", formal)
- Third (tercera) — the person or thing being talked about: ÉL, ELLA, ELLO ("he, she, it")
And their plurals:
- First plural: NOSOTROS, NOSOTRAS ("we")
- Second plural: VOSOTROS, VOSOTRAS (used in Spain), USTEDES ("you all")
- Third plural: ELLOS, ELLAS ("they")
4. Modo (Mood)
The way the sujeto expresses themselves. There are three:
- El Indicativo (Indicative)
- El Subjuntivo (Subjunctive)
- El Imperativo (Imperative)
a) Modo Indicativo
States a fact, denial, or condition. This is the everyday "regular" mood.
Examples
- Usted trabaja demasiado.
("You work too much.") - No le gustan las lentejas.
("He doesn't like lentils.") - Juan bailó mucho ayer.
("Juan danced a lot yesterday.") - Si haces la tarea, te llevo al parque.
("If you do your homework, I'll take you to the park.") - Mañana iremos a visitarte.
("Tomorrow we'll go visit you.") - Compramos nuestros útiles.
("We buy our school supplies.")
b) Modo Subjuntivo
Expresses a wish, belief, doubt, need, or possibility. The subjuntivo is one of the trickiest things for English speakers because English has very little of it left ("I wish I were ...").
Examples
- Ojalá que llueva.
("I hope it rains.") - No creo que venga.
("I don't think he'll come.") - Que Antonio cocine hoy.
("Let Antonio cook today.") - Siempre temí que pasara esto.
("I always feared this would happen.") - Quizás vuelva mañana.
("Maybe he'll come back tomorrow.") - Puede que cante en la fiesta.
("It could be that she'll sing at the party.")
c) Modo Imperativo
Expresses a command or plea. Equivalent to English commands like "Turn off the light!".
Examples
- Apaga la luz.
("Turn off the light.") - Escuchen esa música.
("Listen to that music.") - Camina más rápido.
("Walk faster.")
5. Voz (Voice)
Tells whether the sujeto performs or receives the action. Two kinds: activa (active) and pasiva (passive).
a) Voz Activa (Active voice)
The verb is in the active voice when the subject performs the action.
Examples
- Tú ríes.
("You laugh.") - María canta.
("María sings.") - El perro ladra.
("The dog barks.")
(Tú, María, and El perro are the ones doing the action.)
b) Voz Pasiva (Passive voice)
The verb is in the passive voice when the subject receives the action.
Examples
- Nosotros somos castigados.
("We are punished.") - El carro fue chocado.
("The car was crashed.")
(Nosotros and el carro are the ones receiving the action.)
c) Forming the passive voice
The same idea can be expressed in active or passive voice. To turn an active sentence into passive, do the following:
The subject of the active sentence becomes a complemento (a word or group of words that completes the meaning of the noun or verb), introduced by por ("by"):
Examples
| Active voice | Passive voice |
|---|---|
| José pintó la pared. ("José painted the wall.") | La pared fue pintada por José. ("The wall was painted by José.") |
The person, animal, or thing that receives the action (pared — "the wall") becomes the new subject. The verb goes into the participio (the form ending in -ado, -ido, -to, -so, or -cho) after the verb ser in the matching tense.
Examples
| Active voice | Same sentences in passive |
|---|---|
| Juan golpea la pelota. ("Juan hits the ball.") | La pelota es golpeada por Juan. ("The ball is hit by Juan.") |
| Raúl dará el discurso. ("Raúl will give the speech.") | El discurso será dado por Raúl. ("The speech will be given by Raúl.") |
| La niña escribió una carta. ("The girl wrote a letter.") | Una carta fue escrita por la niña. ("A letter was written by the girl.") |
Formas No Personales del Verbo (Non-personal forms of the verb)
These forms are called "non-personal" because they do not change for first, second, or third person. The three non-personal forms are:
- Infinitivo (Infinitive)
- Gerundio (Gerund)
- Participio (Participle)
1. Infinitivo (Infinitive)
The verb form used to name the verb — like a dictionary entry. It does not express mood, tense, number, or person. It ends in -ar, -er, or -ir. Equivalent to English "to + verb" ("to eat", "to sleep"). An infinitivo can act as a noun (as in El crear es muy agradable — "Creating is very pleasant").
Examples
- Salir ("to leave"),
- comer ("to eat"),
- estudiar ("to study"),
- ver ("to see"),
- cortar ("to cut"),
- respirar ("to breathe"),
- dormir ("to sleep"),
- captar ("to grasp")...
Note
An infinitivo can take one or two pronouns attached to it — something English does not do.
- Golpearte, golpearnos, golpearse, golpeárselos
- Sostenerme, sostenerla, sostenerse, sostenérselos
2. Gerundio (Gerund)
A verb form that does not express mood, tense, number, or person. It ends in -ando or -iendo and expresses an action in progress. Roughly equivalent to the English "-ing" form.
Examples
- Ordenando ("ordering"), colgando ("hanging"), negando ("denying"), encendiendo ("turning on"), moliendo ("grinding"), durmiendo ("sleeping").
- Juan se está comiendo un bocadillo.
("Juan is eating a snack.") - Siempre está ayudando a la gente.
("He is always helping people.")
When the i of -iendo falls between two vowels, it becomes y.
Examples
- Creyendo
("believing") - huyendo
("fleeing") - disminuyendo
("decreasing") - cayendo
("falling") - leyendo
("reading")
The gerundio also allows one or two attached pronouns.
Examples
- Dándole ("giving to him/her"), dándonos ("giving to us"), dándomelo ("giving it to me")
- diciéndote ("telling you"), diciéndose ("telling himself"), diciéndoselo ("telling it to him")
The gerundio should only be used when it refers to an action simultaneous with or immediately before another verb. Here, Spanish is much stricter than English.
Examples
- Estoy pintando las paredes.
("I am painting the walls.") - Estaba viendo la televisión.
("I was watching TV.")
It should never refer to an action that comes later.
Examples
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| Acudió encontrándose una escena terrible. | Acudió y se encontró una escena terrible. ("He went and found a terrible scene.") |
| Lo llamaron, presentándose allí poco después. | Lo llamaron y se presentó allí poco después. ("They called him and he showed up there shortly after.") |
More correct examples:
Examples
- Caminando por la plaza, se encontró una moneda.
("Walking through the square, he found a coin.") - Habiendo escuchado las noticias, se fue a dormir.
("Having listened to the news, he went to sleep.") - Pasó todas sus vacaciones esperando una sorpresa.
("She spent her whole vacation waiting for a surprise.")
Note
The gerundio should never be used as an adjective for things — a common mistake for English speakers, because "a box containing gifts" works in English but not in Spanish.
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| Abrí una caja conteniendo regalos. | Abrí una caja que contenía regalos. ("I opened a box that contained gifts.") |
| Leí una carta diciendo buenas noticias. | Leí una carta que decía buenas noticias. ("I read a letter that gave good news.") |
3. Participio5 (Participle)
A verb form that expresses a completed action. Regular endings: -ado, -ido. Irregular endings: -to, -so, -cho. Roughly equivalent to the English past participle ("spoken", "written", "done").
Examples
- Calculado
("calculated"), temido ("feared"), salido ("left"), escrito ("written"), impreso ("printed"), dicho ("said").
Participios can also work as adjectives and even nouns — the name comes from the fact that they "take part" in those other roles. In those cases, they are adjectives or nouns, not verbs.
Examples
- La persona amada. (adjective — "the loved person")
- Le escribió unos versos a su amada. (noun — "to his beloved")
Unlike the infinitivo and the gerundio, the participio does have gender and number.
Examples
- Ellos fueron reprobados.
("They were failed / flunked.") - Ellas trabajaban distraídas.
("They were working distractedly.") - Hombre engreído.
("Conceited man.") - Muchacha alocada.
("Wild / scatterbrained girl.") - Personas dedicadas.
("Dedicated people.")
Several verbs accept both the regular and the irregular participle. The regular form is used for the verbal action, and the irregular -to, -so form to make an adjective.
Examples
| Verbal action | Adjective |
|---|---|
| Hemos freído los huevos. ("We've fried the eggs.") | Comí huevos fritos. ("I ate fried eggs.") |
| Ha imprimido todo el trabajo. ("He's printed the whole assignment.") | Los papeles impresos se perdieron. ("The printed papers got lost.") |
| El asesino ha confesado su crimen. ("The murderer has confessed his crime.") | Un asesino confeso. ("A confessed murderer.") |
Note
Some dictionaries use the terms participio pasivo or participio pasado ("p.p."), and participio activo or participio presente. This is a historical distinction.
a) Participio pasivo o pasado (Passive / past participle)
Ends in -ado, -ido (cantado, temido), or -to, -so, -cho (roto, omiso, dicho).
Examples
- Ella ha bailado toda la noche.
("She has danced all night.") - Lo dicho en la conferencia lo conmovió.
("What was said at the conference moved him.")
b) Participio activo o presente (Active / present participle)
Formed with -ante, -iente. All of these have become nouns meaning "the one who performs the action" (amante "lover", sirviente "servant", oyente "listener") or adjectives (doliente "aching", ardiente "burning").
Examples
- El bosque ardiente fue apagado por los bomberos.
("The burning forest was put out by the firefighters.") - El caballero andante sacó su espada.
("The knight-errant drew his sword.")
Types of verbos
By their function in the sentence, verbs are classified as:
- Copulativos (linking)
- Transitivos (transitive)
- Intransitivos (intransitive)
- Pronominales (pronominal)
- Unipersonales (impersonal)
- Auxiliares (auxiliary)
1. Verbos Copulativos6 (Linking verbs)
Verbs used only to join the sujeto with the predicado (which is usually a noun or an adjective that gives a quality of the subject). The main linking verbs are SER, ESTAR, and PARECER.
Spanish has two verbs for English "to be" — ser (usually permanent qualities) and estar (states and locations).
Examples
- Su amiga es la presidenta del colegio.
("Her friend is the school president.") - Nuestra mascota está enferma.
("Our pet is sick.") - Hoy estás muy bonita.
("You look very pretty today.") - Ellas parecen estar con sueño.
("They seem to be sleepy.")
Other verbs can also play this role: ANDAR, QUEDAR, SEGUIR, HALLARSE, VENIR, etc.
Examples
- Juan anda descalzo.
("Juan walks around barefoot.") - Luis sigue enfermo.
("Luis is still sick.") - Él vino fatigado.
("He came in exhausted.") - María quedó feliz con la noticia.
("María was left happy with the news.") - Te hallarás en muy buena condición.
("You will find yourself in very good shape.")
2. Verbos Transitivos7 (Transitive verbs)
A verb whose action falls directly on another person, animal, or thing. It can also fall back on the same subject performing the action.
Examples
- Él pateó el caucho.
("He kicked the tire.") - Yo lancé la pelota.
("I threw the ball.") - ¿Te bañaste en la piscina?
("Did you swim in the pool?") - Todos comimos helado.
("We all ate ice cream.")
In these examples el caucho, la pelota, te, and el helado receive the action directly and complete the meaning of the verb.
3. Verbos Intransitivos7 (Intransitive verbs)
A verb that needs no complement to complete its meaning. The action stays with the one performing it — it does not affect or change anyone else.
Examples
- Él camina.
("He walks.") - Ella duerme.
("She sleeps.") - Ellos trotan.
("They jog.") - La Tierra gira.
("The Earth rotates.")
Note
Some intransitive verbs can also work as transitive, depending on context.
- Los seres vivos respiran ("Living beings breathe") — (intransitive)
- José respiró gas y se mareó ("José breathed in gas and got dizzy") — (transitive)
4. Verbos Pronominales8 (Pronominal verbs)
Verbs conjugated with a personal pronoun matching the person and number of the one acting (YO-ME, TÚ-TE, ÉL-SE, NOSOTROS-NOS, VOSOTROS-OS, USTEDES-SE, ELLOS-SE). English reflexives ("I wash myself") work a bit like this but are much less common.
You cannot say:
Examples
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| Yo arrepiento | yo me arrepiento ("I regret (it)") |
| Yo despierto | yo me despierto ("I wake up") |
When building the sentence, both pronouns are used:
Examples
- Yo me peino con cuidado.
("I comb my hair carefully.") - Tú te arreglas rápido.
("You get ready fast.") - Hoy va a dormirse temprano.
("Today he's going to go to sleep early.") (Here the other pronoun él is understood.)
Pronominal verbs are further divided into:
- Verbos Reflexivos (Reflexive)
- Verbos Recíprocos (Reciprocal)
- Verbos Seudorreflejos (Pseudo-reflexive)
a) Verbos Reflexivos (Reflexive verbs)
In reflexive verbs, the subject both performs and receives the action. They are transitive verbs.
Examples
Bañarse ("to bathe oneself"), lavarse ("to wash oneself"), arreglarse ("to get oneself ready"), cepillarse ("to brush oneself"), quererse ("to love oneself / each other"), peinarse ("to comb one's hair"), pintarse ("to paint oneself / put on makeup")...
- Yo me arreglo para ir a la fiesta.
("I get myself ready to go to the party.") - Tú te peinas muy bien.
("You comb your hair very well.") - Todos se miraban frente al espejo antes de salir.
("Everyone was looking at themselves in the mirror before leaving.") - Ellos se vistieron muy elegantes.
("They dressed themselves very elegantly.") - Yo me baño con jabón sin olor.
("I bathe myself with unscented soap.") - Nos cepillamos después de comer.
("We brush [our teeth] after eating.")
b) Verbos Recíprocos (Reciprocal verbs)
Used to express an action performed by two or more people, each doing and receiving what the other does. The verb forms are plural, and the pronouns se or nos always appear. Equivalent to English "each other".
Examples
- Los enemigos se abrazaron en son de paz.
("The enemies embraced each other in peace.") - Nos dijimos adiós.
("We said goodbye to each other.") - Pedro y José se ayudaron en los ejercicios de matemática.
("Pedro and José helped each other with the math exercises.") - Hace mucho que se escriben.
("They've been writing to each other for a long time.")
c) Verbos Seudorreflejos10 (Pseudo-reflexive verbs)
In this type the action does not really fall on anything — they are intransitive. They can mean:
Examples
- Movement: alejarse ("to move away"), irse ("to leave"), sentarse ("to sit down"), marcharse ("to leave"), caerse ("to fall"), golpearse ("to hit oneself"), etc.
- Inner life, emotions, will: arrepentirse ("to regret"), lamentarse ("to lament"), acordarse ("to remember"), emocionarse ("to get excited"), decidirse ("to make up one's mind"), acobardarse ("to lose nerve"), etc.
- Entering a state: alarmarse ("to become alarmed"), despertarse ("to wake up"), dormirse ("to fall asleep"), etc.
Note
Some verbs can be conjugated in both the plain and pronominal forms.
| Non-pronominal | Pronominal |
|---|---|
| Los soldados marchan. ("The soldiers march.") | Yo me marcho. ("I'm leaving.") |
| Tienen que decidir qué hacer. ("They have to decide what to do.") | Me decidí a tiempo. ("I made up my mind in time.") |
| Los niños están durmiendo. ("The children are sleeping.") | Ella se durmió tarde. ("She fell asleep late.") |
5. Verbos Unipersonales11 (Impersonal verbs)
Verbs conjugated only in the third person singular. Also called impersonales. They do not have a subject and usually refer to natural phenomena (llover — "to rain", granizar — "to hail", nevar — "to snow", amanecer — "to dawn", tronar — "to thunder", etc.).
Examples
- Está lloviendo, trae el paraguas.
("It's raining, bring the umbrella.") - En Canadá nieva mucho.
("In Canada it snows a lot.")
Other verbs can occasionally work this way:
Examples
| Verb | Sentences |
|---|---|
| Haber | Había mucha brisa en la playa. ("There was a strong breeze on the beach.") ¿Hay suficiente azúcar? ("Is there enough sugar?") |
| Hacer | Hace mucho frío. ("It's very cold.") Hace tiempo que se fue. ("It's been a while since she left.") |
| Ser | Ya es muy tarde, vámonos. ("It's really late, let's go.") Son las 4 pm. ("It's 4 p.m.") |
Note
The verb HABER, like any other impersonal verb, is used only in the 3rd person singular, not in plural. This is a very common native-speaker mistake.
| Correct | Incorrect |
|---|---|
| Había varios carros nuevos. ("There were several new cars.") | Habían varios carros nuevos. |
| Hubo muchas personas en la reunión. ("There were many people at the meeting.") | Hubieron muchas personas en la reunión. |
| Habrá noticias espectaculares. ("There will be spectacular news.") | Habrán noticias espectaculares. |
As an auxiliary verb, haber does use the plural.
- Los niños hubieron comido para cuando llegaste.
("The children had eaten by the time you arrived.") - Ellos han bailado mucho.
("They have danced a lot.") - A esa hora ya se habrán dormido.
("By that time they will have fallen asleep.")
Other verbs are used in the third person without specifying who performs the action.
Examples
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| Suceder ("to happen") | Sucede que ya no tengo tiempo. ("The thing is, I don't have time anymore.") |
| Decir ("to say") | Dicen que no vendrás a la fiesta. ("They say you won't come to the party.") |
| Llamar ("to call") | Llaman a la puerta. ("Someone is knocking at the door.") |
| Contar ("to tell") | Cuentan que te vieron en el centro. ("They say they saw you downtown.") |
6. Verbos Auxiliares (Auxiliary verbs)
Verbs conjugated alongside another verb, contributing person, number, tense, and mood (he bailado, has bailado, han bailado). The most common auxiliaries in Spanish are: HABER, SER, ESTAR, IR, PARECER. Many other verbs can also serve as auxiliaries; the most common are: QUERER, PODER, ANDAR, TENER, DEBER.
Examples
- He llegado
("I have arrived") - Será ascendido
("He will be promoted") - Está paseando
("He is strolling") - Va a nadar
("He's going to swim") - Tengo ganado...
("I have won...") - Quiere jugar
("He wants to play") - Podemos estudiar
("We can study") - Anda corriendo
("He goes around running") - Debo seguir
("I must continue") - Parece estar cansado
("He seems to be tired") - Quédate trabajando
("Stay working") - Tiene que correr
("He has to run")
HABER is the most common auxiliary. It forms the compound tenses — roughly the way English uses "have" in "I have eaten".
Examples
- Habrá esperado por mucho tiempo.
("He will have waited for a long time.") - Hemos comido demasiado tarde.
("We have eaten too late.") - Hubieras gozado mucho en la fiesta.
("You would have enjoyed the party a lot.") - El niño ha ordenado su cuarto.
("The boy has tidied up his room.")
Note
When HABER is not working as an auxiliary, it cannot be pluralized — it is used only in the 3rd person singular, meaning "there is / there are".
| Correct | Incorrect |
|---|---|
| Había muchos discos de música moderna. ("There were many modern music records.") | Habían muchos discos de música moderna. |
| Hubo muchos invitados. ("There were many guests.") | Hubieron muchos invitados. |
| Ojalá haya oportunidad para todos. ("I hope there's an opportunity for everyone.") | Ojalá hayan oportunidades para todos. |
| Habrá muchas sorpresas. ("There will be many surprises.") | Habrán muchas sorpresas. |
| Hubo peticiones que no se podían cumplir. ("There were requests that couldn't be fulfilled.") | Hubieron peticiones que no se podían cumplir. |
The verb SER is the auxiliary used to form the passive voice.
Examples
- La casa fue vendida a buen precio.
("The house was sold at a good price.") - Es amado por sus padres.
("He is loved by his parents.") - El ladrón será perseguido por la policía.
("The thief will be pursued by the police.")
Classification of verbos by form
By their form, verbs are classified as:
- Regulares (regular),
- Irregulares (irregular), and
- Defectivos (defective).
1. Verbos Regulares (Regular verbs)
Verbs whose root and ending do not change as they conjugate — in other words, they follow the normal pattern of the three basic conjugations, using the model verbs AMAR, TEMER, PARTIR.
- Verbs ending in -ar conjugate like AMAR.
- Verbs ending in -er conjugate like TEMER.
- Verbs ending in -ir conjugate like PARTIR.
Examples
| Verb | Forms |
|---|---|
| Amar | Yo amo, tú amas, él ama, nosotros amamos... Yo amé, tú amaste, él amó, nosotros amamos... Yo amaré, tú amarás, él amará, nosotros amaremos... |
| Temer | Yo temo, tú temes, él teme, nosotros tememos... Yo temí, tú temiste, él temió, nosotros temimos... Yo temeré, tú temerás, él temerá, nosotros temeremos... |
| Partir | Yo parto, tú partes, él parte, nosotros partimos... Yo partí, tú partiste, él partió, nosotros partimos... Yo partiré, tú partirás, él partirá, nosotros partiremos... |
2. Verbos Irregulares (Irregular verbs)
Verbs whose root or ending changes in conjugation — they do not follow the -ar, -er, -ir pattern of the model verbs.
Many of the most useful verbs in Spanish are irregular (ser, ir, tener, hacer, decir...), just as in English ("be", "have", "go").
Examples
| Verb | Forms |
|---|---|
| Andar ("to walk") | Yo ando, tú andas, él anda, nosotros andamos... Yo anduve, tú anduviste, él anduvo, nosotros anduvimos... Yo andaré, tú andarás, él andará, nosotros andaremos... |
| Ser ("to be") | Yo soy, tú eres, él es, nosotros somos... Yo fui, tú fuiste, él fue, nosotros fuimos... Yo seré, tú serás, él será, nosotros seremos... |
| Ir ("to go") | Yo voy, tú vas, él va, nosotros vamos... Yo fui, tú fuiste, él fue, nosotros fuimos... Yo iré, tú irás, él irá, nosotros iremos... |
3. Verbos Defectivos (Defective verbs)
Verbs that do not conjugate in every form — they appear only in certain moods, tenses, or persons. This is sometimes because the verb's meaning makes some forms illogical. For example, atañer, acaecer, acontecer, or concernir are used only in the third person.
Other times, the restriction is phonetic — certain forms would sound odd. That is the case with agredir and abolir, used only in forms where the vowel i appears in the ending (agredimos, agredía, abolimos, abolía, etc.). Other defective verbs include soler, transgredir, balbucir, incumbir.
Examples
- Esto concernía a todos los profesores.
("This concerned all the teachers.") - Nosotros solemos ir al cine.
("We usually go to the movies.") - Los héroes abolieron la esclavitud.
("The heroes abolished slavery.") - No se deben transgredir los acuerdos.
("Agreements must not be broken.")
Frases Verbales (Verbal phrases)
Often, when speaking or writing, you use a combination of two or more verbs together. This is called a frase verbal (verbal phrase). Some of these express a shade of meaning that cannot be expressed with a single verb form — similar to English phrases like "I have to go" or "I am about to leave".
Example
- Tengo que ir al banco. — expresses an obligation that cannot be said with the simple form of ir.
Verbs can be joined by a preposition or conjunction.
With preposition:
Examples
- Voy a comer en un restaurante.
("I'm going to eat at a restaurant.") - Acaba de llegar de viaje.
("He has just come back from a trip.") - Estoy por terminar mi curso.
("I'm about to finish my course.")
With conjunction:
Examples
- Quiero que vengas temprano.
("I want you to come early.") - Hay que aclarar palabras al estudiar.
("You have to clear up words when studying.")
The first verb is conjugated (it agrees with the subject and carries the tense, mood, etc.). The following verbs can be in infinitivo, gerundio, participio, or even another conjugated verb.
Examples
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| With Infinitivo | Deseo comprar un pantalón. ("I want to buy a pair of pants.") Él mismo tuvo que lavar el carro. ("He himself had to wash the car.") |
| With Gerundio | Iba cantando hacia la escuela. ("He was singing on his way to school.") Está consultando el diccionario. ("She is looking it up in the dictionary.") |
| With Participio | ¿Habrán dicho la verdad? ("Have they told the truth, I wonder?") La llave estaba atorada en el candado. ("The key was stuck in the padlock.") |
| With a conjugated verb | Puede que asista a la boda. ("He may attend the wedding.") Queremos que vengas a la excursión. ("We want you to come on the trip.") |
More examples:
Examples
- No creo que sea falso.
("I don't think it's false.") - El bebé está durmiendo.
("The baby is sleeping.") - Ya fue resuelto el problema.
("The problem has already been solved.") - Volvió a salir en la tarde.
("She went out again in the afternoon.") - Ustedes pudieron haber llegado antes.
("You could have arrived earlier.") - Lo estuvimos pensando toda la noche.
("We were thinking about it all night.")
Frases verbales are also called Perífrasis Verbales. Perífrasis12 means saying with several words what could be said with one, or in a simpler way.
Annex: Model verbs
The four tables below show the full conjugations of the three model regular verbs — AMAR ("to love"), TEMER ("to fear"), PARTIR ("to leave / to split") — and the auxiliary verb HABER. The Spanish tense names are kept as the main labels, with English equivalents in parentheses, since learning these names is part of learning Spanish grammar.
1. AMAR ("to love")
a) Modo Indicativo (Indicative mood)
| Tense | Forms |
|---|---|
| Presente (Present) | Yo amo, tú amas, él ama, nos. amamos, vos. amáis, ellos aman. |
| Antepresente (Present perfect) | He amado, has amado, ha amado, hemos amado, habéis amado, han amado. |
| Pretérito (Preterite) | Yo amé, tú amaste, él amó, nos. amamos, vos. amasteis, ellos amaron. |
| Antepretérito (Preterite perfect) | Hube amado, hubiste amado, hubo amado, hubimos amado, hubisteis amado, hubieron amado. |
| Futuro (Future) | Yo amaré, tú amarás, él amará, nos. amaremos, vos. amaréis, ellos amarán. |
| Antefuturo (Future perfect) | Habré amado, habrás amado, habrá amado, habremos amado, habréis amado, habrán amado. |
| Copretérito (Imperfect) | Yo amaba, tú amabas, él amaba, nos. amábamos, vos. amabais, ellos amaban. |
| Antecopretérito (Pluperfect) | Había amado, habías amado, había amado, habíamos amado, habíais amado, habían amado. |
| Pospretérito (Conditional) | Yo amaría, tú amarías, él amaría, nos. amaríamos, vos. amaríais, ellos amarían. |
| Antepospretérito (Conditional perfect) | Habría amado, habrías amado, habría amado, habríamos amado, habríais amado, habrían amado. |
b) Modo Subjuntivo (Subjunctive mood)
| Tense | Forms |
|---|---|
| Presente | Yo ame, tú ames, él ame, nos. amemos, vos. améis, ellos amen. |
| Antepresente | Haya amado, hayas amado, haya amado, hayamos amado, hayáis amado, hayan amado. |
| Pretérito (1st form) | Yo amara, tú amaras, él amara, nos. amáramos, vos. amarais, ellos amaran. |
| Antepretérito (1st form) | Hubiera amado, hubieras amado, hubiera amado, hubiéramos amado, hubierais amado, hubieran amado. |
| Pretérito (2nd form) | Yo amase, tú amases, él amase, nos. amásemos, vos. amaseis, ellos amasen. |
| Antepretérito (2nd form) | Hubiese amado, hubieses amado, hubiese amado, hubiésemos amado, hubieseis amado, hubiesen amado. |
| Futuro | Yo amare, tú amares, él amare, nos. amáremos, vos. amareis, ellos amaren. |
| Antefuturo | Hubiere amado, hubieres amado, hubiere amado, hubiéremos amado, hubiereis amado, hubieren amado. |
c) Modo Imperativo (Imperative mood)
| Forms |
|---|
| Ama (tú), ame (él), amemos (nosotros), amad (vosotros), amen (ellos). |
d) Formas No Personales (Non-personal forms)
| Form | Values |
|---|---|
| Infinitivo | amar / haber amado |
| Gerundio | amando / habiendo amado |
| Participio | amado |
2. TEMER ("to fear")
a) Modo Indicativo
| Tense | Forms |
|---|---|
| Presente | Yo temo, tú temes, él teme, nos. tememos, vos. teméis, ellos temen. |
| Antepresente | He temido, has temido, ha temido, hemos temido, habéis temido, han temido. |
| Pretérito | Yo temí, tú temiste, él temió, nos. temimos, vos. temisteis, ellos temieron. |
| Antepretérito | Hube temido, hubiste temido, hubo temido, hubimos temido, hubisteis temido, hubieron temido. |
| Futuro | Yo temeré, tú temerás, él temerá, nos. temeremos, vos. temeréis, ellos temerán. |
| Antefuturo | Habré temido, habrás temido, habrá temido, habremos temido, habréis temido, habrán temido. |
| Copretérito | Yo temía, tú temías, él temía, nos. temíamos, vos. temíais, ellos temían. |
| Antecopretérito | Había temido, habías temido, había temido, habíamos temido, habíais temido, habían temido. |
| Pospretérito | Yo temería, tú temerías, él temería, nos. temeríamos, vos. temeríais, ellos temerían. |
| Antepospretérito | Habría temido, habrías temido, habría temido, habríamos temido, habríais temido, habrían temido. |
b) Modo Subjuntivo
| Tense | Forms |
|---|---|
| Presente | Yo tema, tú temas, él tema, nos. temamos, vos. temáis, ellos teman. |
| Antepresente | Haya temido, hayas temido, haya temido, hayamos temido, hayáis temido, hayan temido. |
| Pretérito (1st form) | Yo temiera, tú temieras, él temiera, nos. temiéramos, vos. temierais, ellos temieran. |
| Antepretérito (1st form) | Hubiera temido, hubieras temido, hubiera temido, hubiéramos temido, hubierais temido, hubieran temido. |
| Pretérito (2nd form) | Yo temiese, tú temieses, él temiese, nos. temiésemos, vos. temieseis, ellos temiesen. |
| Antepretérito (2nd form) | Hubiese temido, hubieses temido, hubiese temido, hubiésemos temido, hubieseis temido, hubiesen temido. |
| Futuro | Yo temiere, tú temieres, él temiere, nos. temiéremos, vos. temiereis, ellos temieren. |
| Antefuturo | Hubiere temido, hubieres temido, hubiere temido, hubiéremos temido, hubiereis temido, hubieren temido. |
c) Modo Imperativo
| Forms |
|---|
| Teme (tú), tema (él), temamos (nosotros), temed (vosotros), teman (ellos). |
d) Formas No Personales
| Form | Values |
|---|---|
| Infinitivo | temer / haber temido |
| Gerundio | temiendo / habiendo temido |
| Participio | temido |
3. PARTIR ("to leave / to split")
a) Modo Indicativo
| Tense | Forms |
|---|---|
| Presente | Yo parto, tú partes, él parte, nos. partimos, vos. partís, ellos parten. |
| Antepresente | He partido, has partido, ha partido, hemos partido, habéis partido, han partido. |
| Pretérito | Yo partí, tú partiste, él partió, nos. partimos, vos. partisteis, ellos partieron. |
| Antepretérito | Hube partido, hubiste partido, hubo partido, hubimos partido, hubisteis partido, hubieron partido. |
| Futuro | Yo partiré, tú partirás, él partirá, nos. partiremos, vos. partiréis, ellos partirán. |
| Antefuturo | Habré partido, habrás partido, habrá partido, habremos partido, habréis partido, habrán partido. |
| Copretérito | Yo partía, tú partías, él partía, nos. partíamos, vos. partíais, ellos partían. |
| Antecopretérito | Había partido, habías partido, había partido, habíamos partido, habíais partido, habían partido. |
| Pospretérito | Yo partiría, tú partirías, él partiría, nos. partiríamos, vos. partiríais, ellos partirían. |
| Antepospretérito | Habría partido, habrías partido, habría partido, habríamos partido, habríais partido, habrían partido. |
b) Modo Subjuntivo
| Tense | Forms |
|---|---|
| Presente | Yo parta, tú partas, él parta, nos. partamos, vos. partáis, ellos partan. |
| Antepresente | Haya partido, hayas partido, haya partido, hayamos partido, hayáis partido, hayan partido. |
| Pretérito (1st form) | Yo partiera, tú partieras, él partiera, nos. partiéramos, vos. partierais, ellos partieran. |
| Antepretérito (1st form) | Hubiera partido, hubieras partido, hubiera partido, hubiéramos partido, hubierais partido, hubieran partido. |
| Pretérito (2nd form) | Yo partiese, tú partieses, él partiese, nos. partiésemos, vos. partieseis, ellos partiesen. |
| Antepretérito (2nd form) | Hubiese partido, hubieses partido, hubiese partido, hubiésemos partido, hubieseis partido, hubiesen partido. |
| Futuro | Yo partiere, tú partieres, él partiere, nos. partiéremos, vos. partiereis, ellos partieren. |
| Antefuturo | Hubiere partido, hubieres partido, hubiere partido, hubiéremos partido, hubiereis partido, hubieren partido. |
c) Modo Imperativo
| Forms |
|---|
| Parte (tú), parta (él), partamos (nosotros), partid (vosotros), partan (ellos). |
d) Formas No Personales
| Form | Values |
|---|---|
| Infinitivo | partir / haber partido |
| Gerundio | partiendo / habiendo partido |
| Participio | partido |
4. HABER (auxiliary verb)
a) Modo Indicativo
| Tense | Forms |
|---|---|
| Presente | Yo he, tú has, él ha / hay, nos. hemos, vos. habéis, ellos han. |
| Antepresente | He habido, has habido, ha habido, hemos habido, habéis habido, han habido. |
| Pretérito | Yo hube, tú hubiste, él hubo, nos. hubimos, vos. hubisteis, ellos hubieron. |
| Antepretérito | Hube habido, hubiste habido, hubo habido, hubimos habido, hubisteis habido, hubieron habido. |
| Futuro | Yo habré, tú habrás, él habrá, nos. habremos, vos. habréis, ellos habrán. |
| Antefuturo | Habré habido, habrás habido, habrá habido, habremos habido, habréis habido, habrán habido. |
| Copretérito | Yo había, tú habías, él había, nos. habíamos, vos. habíais, ellos habían. |
| Antecopretérito | Había habido, habías habido, había habido, habíamos habido, habíais habido, habían habido. |
| Pospretérito | Yo habría, tú habrías, él habría, nos. habríamos, vos. habríais, ellos habrían. |
| Antepospretérito | Habría habido, habrías habido, habría habido, habríamos habido, habríais habido, habrían habido. |
b) Modo Subjuntivo
| Tense | Forms |
|---|---|
| Presente | Yo haya, tú hayas, él haya, nos. hayamos, vos. hayáis, ellos hayan. |
| Antepresente | Haya habido, hayas habido, haya habido, hayamos habido, hayáis habido, hayan habido. |
| Pretérito (1st form) | Yo hubiera, tú hubieras, él hubiera, nos. hubiéramos, vos. hubierais, ellos hubieran. |
| Antepretérito (1st form) | Hubiera habido, hubieras habido, hubiera habido, hubiéramos habido, hubierais habido, hubieran habido. |
| Pretérito (2nd form) | Yo hubiese, tú hubieses, él hubiese, nos. hubiésemos, vos. hubieseis, ellos hubiesen. |
| Antepretérito (2nd form) | Hubiese habido, hubieses habido, hubiese habido, hubiésemos habido, hubieseis habido, hubiesen habido. |
| Futuro | Yo hubiere, tú hubieres, él hubiere, nos. hubiéremos, vos. hubiereis, ellos hubieren. |
| Antefuturo | Hubiere habido, hubieres habido, hubiere habido, hubiéremos habido, hubiereis habido, hubieren habido. |
c) Modo Imperativo
| Forms |
|---|
| He (tú), haya (él), hayamos (nosotros), habed (vosotros), hayan (ellos). |
d) Formas No Personales
| Form | Values |
|---|---|
| Infinitivo | haber / haber habido |
| Gerundio | habiendo / habiendo habido |
| Participio | habido |
- 1
Conjugar [from Latin conjungare, "to join"] a verb means to lay it out in all its forms.
- 2
Tiempo [from Latin tempus] means "time", "epoch", or "limited duration".
- 3
Copretérito: from co- (Latin cum, "with") and pretérito (from Latin praeteritus, praeterire, "to pass by").
- 4
Pospretérito: from pos- (Latin post, "after") and pretérito.
- 5
From Latin participare ("to take part").
- 6
From Latin cópula ("bond", "union").
- 7
From Latin transire ("to pass beyond", "to cross"). Usually abbreviated v. t. or v. tr..
- 8
Usually abbreviated v. i. or v. intr..
- 9
Usually abbreviated v. prnl..
- 10
The prefix seudo- means "false".
- 11
From uni- ("one") and personal — one person.
- 12
From Greek períphrasis, from peri- ("around") and frasis ("phrase", "expression").