The present tense in Spanish is one of the most used tenses in the Spanish language. It is used to express actions that occur in the present, habits, general truths and already decided future actions. This tense is essential for anyone wanting to reach an intermediate level of Spanish proficiency.
Spanish verbs are divided into three groups according to their endings: -ar, -er, and -ir. Each group has a different conjugation in the present tense. Let's start with verbs ending in -ar.
For verbs ending in -ar, like "hablar" (to speak), we remove the -ar ending and add the following endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Therefore, the conjugation of the verb "hablar" in the present tense would be: hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, hablan.
For verbs ending in -er, such as "comer" (comer), we remove the -er ending and add the following endings: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en. Therefore, the conjugation of the verb "to eat" in the present tense would be: como, come, eat, eat, eat, comen.
For verbs ending in -ir, such as "vivir" (live), we remove the -ir ending and add the following endings: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en. Therefore, the conjugation of the verb "vivir" in the present tense would be: vivo, vives, vive, vivimos, vivís, viven.
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In addition, there are some verbs that are irregular in the present tense, that is, they do not follow the above rules. Some of the most common irregular verbs are: ser (am), estar (I am), ir (I'm going), tener (I have), venir (I come), decir (I say), hacer (I do), poner (I put), Poder ( I can), I want (I want), I know (I know), I leave (I leave), I bring (I drink), I see (I see), I give (I give).
It is important to note that Spanish verb conjugation is different from Portuguese verb conjugation. In Spanish, the ending of the verb changes according to the person performing the action. For example, for the verb "hablar", we say "yo hablo" (I speak), "tú hablas" (you speak), "él/ella habla" (he/she speaks), "nosotros hablamos" (we speak) , "vosotros habláis" (you speak), "ellos/ellas hablan" (they/they speak).
Finally, it's important to remember that practice is the key to mastering Spanish tenses. We recommend that you practice conjugating verbs regularly, both regular and irregular. You can do this by writing sentences, doing exercises, or simply trying to use verbs in your everyday life. Remember, practice makes perfect!
We hope this chapter has helped clarify how the present tense in Spanish works. In the next chapter, we will discuss the past tense. Until then, keep practicing and don't give up! Spanish is a beautiful language and well worth the effort to learn it.
