In English, we don’t seem to have any rhyme or reason for the endings of different verbs. But in Spanish, verb endings are fairly standardized.
Sure, you’re bound to encounter some irregular verbs that don’t follow the rules. However, it’s much less common in Spanish than in English.
To help you get a good grasp on verb endings, keep on reading.
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What Are Spanish Verb Endings?
Spanish verb endings refer to the last couple of letters in a verb.
You can use this to determine a lot of information about the situation the verb is describing, such as:
- The subject
- The number of people involved
- The tense (past, present, future)
In English, we don’t conjugate verbs all that much. I remember struggling with Spanish verb conjugations, but learning the endings helped me a lot.
3 Spanish Verb Endings
Before you can learn all of the conjugations, I want you to learn the endings for the infinitive form of Spanish verbs. The infinitive would be like “to go”, “to eat”, and similar, with no subject attached.
AR Verbs
First, you have verbs that end in AR in Spanish. Common examples include:
- Gustar (to please)
- Hablar (to talk)
- Estudiar (to study
- Comprar (to buy)
- Cocinar (to cook)
- Trabajar (to work)
The endings for these verbs in the present tense are:
| -o | -amos |
| -as | -áis |
| -a | -an |
So for example, you would conjugate “cocinar” (to cook) as:
| yo (I) cocino | nosotros (we) cocinamos |
| tú (you) cocinas | vosotros (you all) cocináis |
| él, ella, usted (he, she, you) cocina | ellos, ustedes (they, you all) cocinan |
Practice these verb endings with the other AR verbs that you’ve learned.
ER Verbs
ER is another common ending for verbs in Spanish. Here are some verbs you should know:
- Beber (to drink)
- Comer (to eat)
- Aprender (to learn)
- Correr (to run)
- Vender (to sell)
- Responder (to answer or respond)
Here’s what ER verb endings look like in the present tense:
| -o | -emos |
| -es | -éis |
| -e | -en |
If you want to conjugate the word “comer” in the present, here’s what that looks like
| yo (I) como | nosotros (we) comemos |
| tú (you) comes | vosotros (you all) coméis |
| él, ella, usted (he, she, you) come | ellos, ustedes (they, you all) comen |
You may have noticed that AR and ER verb endings are pretty similar in Spanish. That can make learning them a little easier.
IR Verbs
The last group of Spanish verb endings includes IR verbs. Some that you’ll encounter frequently include:
- Vivir (to live)
- Abrir (to open)
- Conducir (to drive)
- Escribir (to write)
- Asistir (to attend)
- Compartir (to share)
The present tense endings for IR verbs are:
| -o | -imos |
| -es | -ís |
| -e | -en |
You’ll probably notice that all three singular forms as well as the third person plural form share the same endings as ER verbs. But for nosotros and vosotros, make sure you change the ending.
Here’s an example using vivir:
| yo (I) vivo | nosotros (we) vivimos |
| tú (you) vives | vosotros (you all) vivís |
| él, ella, usted (he, she, you) vive | ellos, ustedes (they, you all) viven |
As with AR and ER verbs, make sure you practice conjugating IR verbs regularly. That way, it will become easier and more natural.
Spanish Is a Pro Drop Language
One of my favorite aspects of Spanish is that it’s a pro drop language. That means you can drop the pronoun from your speech and be understood from context.
Review each of those verb ending charts to see how unique each ending is. If I say “trabajo por una compañía” it’s clear I’m talking about myself without using “yo.”
Because of this, many native speakers only use pronouns for clarity. This is more common with the third person singular or plural, since they can refer to multiple pronouns.
That way, you can clarify whether you’re talking about the person you’re speaking with (in formal contexts) or a third person.
In some cases, you can still use the pronoun to emphasize what you’re talking about. For example, a vegetarian may say “yo no como carne” to make it clear they, specifically, don’t eat meat.
What’s the Best Way to Memorize Spanish Verb Endings?
The best way to memorize Spanish verb endings depends on how you learn best. Since I first learned Spanish in a classroom, I memorized charts.
But you might have better luck with comprehensible input so that you can see the endings in context.
On the other hand, you could be more successful working with a tutor online through italki.
Give a few methods a try to see what helps you.
Final Thoughts
Spanish verb endings can seem overwhelming at first. But like any grammar concept, they get easier with time, practice, and exposure.
Don’t let the endless verb endings keep you from learning a second language. Whether you use these verb charts or another study method, you can get to know them well.
Head on over to our Spanish flashcards for more vocabulary practice.