In Spanish, subject pronouns are very important. They help us understand who is doing the action in a sentence. When we pair these pronouns with present tense verbs, we can form complete sentences.

Let's take a look at the subject pronouns and see how they work with regular verbs in the present tense. We'll focus on three types of regular verbs: -ar, -er, and -ir.

Subject Pronouns

Here’s a list of subject pronouns in Spanish:

• Yo - I
• Tú - You (informal, one person)
• Él - He
• Ella - She
• Usted - You (formal, one person)
• Nosotros / Nosotras - We (masculine/feminine)
• Vosotros / Vosotras - You all (informal, masculine/feminine, mostly used in Spain)
• Ellos - They (masculine)
• Ellas - They (feminine)
• Ustedes - You all (formal, used in Latin America and formal situations in Spain)

Regular Verb Conjugation in Present Tense

Regular verbs in Spanish have three endings: -ar, -er, and -ir. Each type has a different way to change the verb. Here’s how to do it:

1. -ar Verbs

To change regular -ar verbs in the present tense, you remove the -ar ending and add new endings based on the subject pronoun:

• Yo: -o
• Tú: -as
• Él/Ella/Usted: -a
• Nosotros/Nosotras: -amos
• Vosotros/Vosotras: -áis
• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: -an

Example: Hablar (to talk)

• Yo hablo (I talk)
• Tú hablas (You talk)
• Él habla (He talks)
• Ella habla (She talks)
• Usted habla (You talk, formal)
• Nosotros hablamos (We talk)
• Vosotros habláis (You all talk)
• Ellos hablan (They talk, masculine)
• Ellas hablan (They talk, feminine)
• Ustedes hablan (You all talk, formal)

2. -er Verbs

For regular -er verbs, you take off the -er ending and add these endings:

• Yo: -o
• Tú: -es
• Él/Ella/Usted: -e
• Nosotros/Nosotras: -emos
• Vosotros/Vosotras: -éis
• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: -en

Example: Comer (to eat)

• Yo como (I eat)
• Tú comes (You eat)
• Él come (He eats)
• Ella come (She eats)
• Usted come (You eat, formal)
• Nosotros comemos (We eat)
• Vosotros coméis (You all eat)
• Ellos comen (They eat, masculine)
• Ellas comen (They eat, feminine)
• Ustedes comen (You all eat, formal)

3. -ir Verbs

For regular -ir verbs, the endings are:

• Yo: -o
• Tú: -es
• Él/Ella/Usted: -e
• Nosotros/Nosotras: -imos
• Vosotros/Vosotras: -ís
• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: -en

Example: Vivir (to live)

• Yo vivo (I live)
• Tú vives (You live)
• Él vive (He lives)
• Ella vive (She lives)
• Usted vive (You live, formal)
• Nosotros vivimos (We live)
• Vosotros vivís (You all live)
• Ellos viven (They live, masculine)
• Ellas viven (They live, feminine)
• Ustedes viven (You all live, formal)

Summary

In summary, the subject pronouns we use with present tense verbs in Spanish are yo, tú, él, ella, usted, nosotros/as, vosotros/as, ellos, ellas, and ustedes. Knowing how to change regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs is essential for making complete sentences in the present tense.

Make sure to practice these verb changes and pronouns so you can feel confident speaking Spanish!