1. Spanish Basics Guide It is as simple as 1-2-3 1 2 3
Present – Yo estudio hoy.
Future – Yo voy a estudiar mañana.
Past – Yo estudié ayer.

2. Part 1 - Subjects Who is doing the action? Yo I Nosotros We (m)
Nosotras We (f)
(CS)… y yo … and I
Tú You (familiar)
Vosotros You all (fam/pl/m)
Vosotras You all (fam/pl/f)
Él He
Ella She
Usted You (formal)
(singular noun)
Ellos They (m)
Ellas They (f)
Ustedes You all (formal/pl)
(plural noun)
(CS) … y … … and …

3. Part 2 - Verbs What is the action? Basic verbs are called infinitives
English – to … Spanish - …ar, …er,…ir
All verbs in any tense in Spanish have two parts:
Stems and Endings.
The stem is generally what one has when the ar, er, or ir is dropped.
Habl – ar Com – er Viv - ir

4. Part 2 – Regular Verbs Present
Drop the the ar, er, ir to find the stem.
2. Add the correct endings
AR ER IR
Hablar Comer Vivir
to speak to eat to live
Habl - o
Habl - amos
Habl - as
Habl - a
Habl - an
Com - o
Com - emos
Com - es
Com- e
Com - en
Viv - o
Viv - imos
Viv - es
Viv - e
Viv - en

5. Part 2 – Common Reg. Verbs Present
AR ER IR
buscar (to look for) aprender (to learn) abrir (to open)
comprar (to buy) beber (to drink) escribir (to write)
trabajar (to work) comer (to eat) describir (to describe)
caminar (to walk) correr (to run) recibir (to receive)
estudiar (to study) vender (to sell) subir (to go up)
pagar (to pay) leer (to read) decidir (to decide)
llamar (to call) creer (to believe) sufrir (to suffer)
mirar (to watch) meter (to put into) permitir (to permit)
usar (to use) temer (to fear) vivir (to live)
trabajar (to work) deber (should…)
tomar (to take, drink)
necesitar (to need)
pasar (to pass, spend time)

6. Part 2 – Stem Changing Verbs
A stem changing verb has a spelling change in the part called the stem. (u-ue, e-ie, o-ue, e-i)
Stem changes in the present tense happen in boxes 1, 2, 3 and 5 or what is referred to as “the boot.
e-ie (preferir) o-ue (dormir) e-I (servir) (servir)
Hablar Comer Vivir
to speak to eat to live
prefier - o
prefer - imos
prefier - es
prefier- e
prefier - en
duerm - o
dorm - imos
duerm - es
duerm- e
duerm - en
sirv - o
serv - imos
sirv - es
sirv - e
sirv - en

7. Part 2 – Common stem changing verbs
e-ie o-ue e-i
pensar (to think) dormir (to sleep) pedir (to ask for)
entender (to understand) almorzar (to eat lunch) servir (to serve)
comenzar (to begin) contar (to count) decir (to tell)
empezar (to start) doler (to hurt, ache) vestir (to dress)
cerrar (to close) volver (to return) repetir (to repeat)
mentir (to lie) mostrar (to show) medir (to measure)
sentir (to feel) llover (to rain) seguir (to follow)
sugerir (to suggest) encontrar (to find) corregir (to correct)
recomendar (to recommend) resolver (to solve) elegir (to elect)
perder (to lose) costar (to cost) bendecir (to bless)
preferir (to prefer) volar (to fly) freír (to fry)
negar (to deny) poder (to be able to) competir (to compete)
querer (to want) soñar (to dream) gemir (to groan)
nevar (to snow) recordar (to remember) despedir (to fire)
despertarse (to wake-up) morder (to bite) reuñir (to quarrel, scold)
quebrar (to break) mover (to move) conseguir (to obtain)

8. The “SUPER TEN IRREGULARS”
Possibilities are virtually limitless once students master the following very common usage irregular verbs: estar, ser, tener, gustar, ir, querer, dar, ir, hacer and haber.
ser
to be
soy
somos
eres es
son
estar
to be
estoy
estamos
estás
está
están
tener
to have
tengo
tenemos
tienes
tiene
tienen ir
to go
voy
vamos
vas va
van
dar
to give
doy
damos
das da
dan
hacer
to do
hago
hacemos
haces
hace
hacen
poner
to put, set
pongo
ponemos
pones
pone
ponen
haber
there is (are)
hay
saber
to know sé
sabemos
sabes
sabe
saben
gustar
to like
gusta
gustan

9. Part 2 – Irreg. “go” verbs
Verbs that are irregular because the YO form ends in “GO”.
These verbs “tend to be” regular in the other four conjugated forms.
Hacer Tener Poner
ha - go
hac - emos
hac - es
hac- e
hac - en
ten - go
ten - emos
tien - es
tien- e
tien - en
pon - go
pon - emos
pon - es
pon - e
pon - en

10. Part 2 – Common “go” verbs
Tener to have
Salir to leave
Venir to come
Decir to say, tell
Bendecir to bless
Poner to put, place
Hacer to do, make
*Caer to fall
*Traer to bring
*add “igo” to yo form, not just “go”

11. Part 2 – Irreg. “vowel + cer, cir” verbs
MOST of these verbs fall into a pattern of the c and the end of the stem changing to zc in the yo form and then add the o ending.
producir conducir conocer
produ - zco
produc - imos
produc - es
produc- e
produc - en
condu - zco
conduc - imos
conduc - es
conduc- e
conduc - en
cono - zco
conoc - emos
conoc - es
conoc - e
conoc - en

12. Part 2 – Common “vowel +cir, cer” verbs
Conocer - to know (a person)
Agradecer - to thank
Aparecer - to appear
Desparecer - to disappear
Establecer - to establish
Obedecer - to obey
Ofrecer - to offer
Permanacer - to remain
Conducir - to drive
Producir - to produce
Reducir - to reduce
Traducir - to translate

13. Part 2 – Irreg. “consonant + cer, cir” verbs
MOST of these verbs fall into a pattern of the c and the end of the stem changing to z in the yo form and then add the o ending.
convencer ejercer
conven - zo
convenc - emos
conven - es
convenc- e
convenc - en
ejer – zo
ejerc - emos
ejerc - es
ejerc - e
ejerc - en

14. Part 2 – Irreg. “ger, gir” verbs
MOST of these verbs fall into a pattern of the g at the end of the stem changing to j in the yo form and then add the o ending.
escoger
esco - jo
escog - emos
escog - es
escog- e
escog - en

15. Part 2 – Common “vowel +gir, ger” verbs
coger to grasp
corregir - to correct
recoger - to pick up
elegir - to elect
proteger - to protect

16. Part 2 – Verbs used with infinitives Present
querer
to want
quiero
queremos
quieres
quiere
quieren
To express what you want to do:
Yo quiero comprar café mañana. I want to buy coffee tomorrow.
poder
to be able to
podemos
puedes
puede
pueden
To express what you can do:
Yo puedo trabajar hoy. I can work today.
Ir + a + inf
to go
voy a
vamos a
vas a
va a
van a
To express what you are going to do:
Yo voy a estudiar mañana. I am going to study tomorrow.

17. Part 2 – Verbs used with infinitives Present
tener que
to have to
tengo que
tenemos que
tienes que
tiene que
tienen que
To express what you have to do:
Yo tengo que trabajar mañana.
I have to work tomorrow.
deber
should, ought to
debo
debemos
debes
debe
deben
To express what you should do:
Yo debo estudiar hoy. I should study today.
gustar
to like
Me gusta
Nos gusta
Te gusta
Le gusta
Les gusta
To express what you like to do:
Me gusta bailar y cantar.. I like to sing and dance.

18. Part 2 – Verbs used with infinitives Present
tener ganas de
to feel like
tengo ganas de
tenemos ganas de
tienes ganas de
tenéis ganas de
tiene ganas de
tienen ganas de
To express what you feel like doing:
Yo tengo ganas de trabajar mañana.
I feel like working tomorrow.
encantar
to love
Me gusta
Nos gusta
Te gusta
Le gusta
Les gusta
To express what you love to do:
Me encanta bailar y cantar.. I love to sing and dance.

20. podemos
dices
Camino
trabaja
vivimos
tienen
puedes
ladran
crece
salen
lloro
bailamos
Juegas
siento
sale
sigue