Learning Present Tense with Regular -ar Verbs in Spanish

When we want to talk about things happening right now in Spanish, we use the present tense. For regular -ar verbs, there are some easy steps to follow.

How to Change Regular -ar Verbs

To change a regular -ar verb to the present tense, you need to do two simple things:

1. Take off the -ar ending from the verb.
2. Add a new ending based on who is doing the action.

Here are the new endings you will use:

• yo (I) - -o
• tú (you, informal) - -as
• él/ella/usted (he/she/you, formal) - -a
• nosotros/nosotras (we, masculine/feminine) - -amos
• ellos/ellas/ustedes (they/you all) - -an

Example with the Verb "hablar" (to speak)

Let’s see how to use "hablar":

• yo hablo (I speak)
• tú hablas (you speak)
• él/ella habla (he/she speaks)
• nosotros hablamos (we speak)
• ellos hablan (they speak)

Using Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns are important. They show who is doing the action in a sentence. Always use the right pronoun with your verb.

Making Negative Sentences

If you want to say someone is not doing something, just add 'no' before the verb. For example:

• Yo no hablo español. (I do not speak Spanish.)
• Tú no hablas inglés. (You do not speak English.)

Agreement of Adjectives

In Spanish, words that describe things (adjectives) need to match the nouns they describe. Here are some examples:

• un libro interesante (an interesting book, masculine)
• una casa grande (a big house, feminine)
• dos libros interesantes (two interesting books, plural masculine)
• dos casas grandes (two big houses, plural feminine)

Everyday Words for School

Here are some useful words you might use every day:

• Levantarse (to get up)
• Estudiar (to study)
• Clase (class)
• Profesor (teacher)

You can make simple sentences with these words, like:

• Yo me levanto a las siete. (I get up at seven.)
• Ella estudia en la clase. (She studies in class.)

Asking Questions and Having Conversations

To ask basic questions, you can use these:

• ¿Qué haces? (What do you do?)
• ¿Dónde está la escuela? (Where is the school?)
• ¿Cuándo llegas? (When do you arrive?)
• ¿Cómo te llamas? (What is your name?)

Describing People and Activities

You can use adjectives to describe people and things:

• Mi hermano es simpático. (My brother is nice.)
• La comida es deliciosa. (The food is delicious.)

Practice these steps and sentences. You will get better at using regular -ar verbs in the present tense. Soon, you’ll be speaking Spanish more easily!