Verbos regulares -er, -ir en el presente, modo indicativo (Regular -er and -ir verbs in the present, indicative mode)

(See alt text in this document )

In the previous chapter, you already learned about the grammatical categories of tense and mood. You also learned that in Spanish there are three main groups of verbs according to the ending of the infinitive (base) form: -ar, -er,  and -ir. You learned about regular -ar verbs in the present tense. In this chapter, you will learn about regular present tense verbs from the other two groups: -er and -ir.

Remember, as with -ar verbs, there are -er and -ir verbs that are irregular and therefore do not always follow a regular pattern of conjugation (for example, you already know tener). For now, let’s just look at some regular -er and -ir verbs.

In order to conjugate a regular -er or -ir verb:

1. Start out with the infinitive form > comer (to eat), escribir (to write)
2. Remove the -er or -ir ending > com-, escrib-
3. Add the correct ending depending on the subject (the agent performing the action):

Regular -er Verb Endings

Comer (to eat) 🍽️🍔🍕🍣🥗🍎🍪

Regular –ir Verb Endings

Escribir (to write) ✍️📖📝🖊️📚🖋️

Here are some common regular -er and -ir verbs:

• abrir

• to open

• aprender

• to learn

• asistir

• to attend, to assist

• beber

• to drink

• comer

• to eat

• compartir

• to share

• comprender

• to understand

• creer

• to believe

• correr

• to run

• decidir

• to decide

• deber

• must/to have to

• discutir

• to argue

• escribir

• to write

• leer

• to read

• recibir

• to receive

• responder

• to answer

• vender

• to sell

• vivir

• to live

Ejemplos:

• Los bomberos corren. 👨‍🚒🏃‍♂️🔥
• La profesora lee libros. 👩‍🏫📚📖
• El abogado discute con el juez. 🗣️👨‍⚖️⚖️

Note on deber, aprender,  and asistir:

Just like you saw with the verb necesitar in the previous chapter, deber is typically followed by an action, and therefore, the verb that is used after remains in the infinitive (base) form. Look at the following examples:

• Elles deben estudiar.

• They must/have to study.

• Tú debes practicar para el examen.

• You must/have to study for the test.

Similarly, aprender is also followed by a verb in the infinitive form when we are expressing that what we learn is an action. See the contrast:

• Yo aprendo español.

• I learn Spanish.

• Yo aprendo a hablar español.

• I learn to speak Spanish.

Besides leaving the verb unconjugated in the second example, aprender + an action also requires the use of the preposition a (this is very similar to English, when you say you learn to do something):

• Tú aprendes a hablar español.

• You learn to speak Spanish.

• Nosotras aprendemos a bailar.

• We learn to dance.

Finally, asistir is another verb that requires the use of the preposition a after it (you don’t just attend, you attend to*):

• Ustedes asisten al concierto.

• You attend the concert.

• Mi amigo asiste a la fiesta.

• My friend attends the event.

Note: Earlier in the chapter you learned that the combination of de + el is contracted into one word in Spanish (del). The same applies to a + el, therefore, you say asistir al concierto and not asistir a el concierto*.

Check-in Activity