Present Tense - Regular Verbs

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Angeles Fernández BellaOnline's Spanish Language Editor

Spanish Regular Verbs Conjugation: Present Indicative. Present Indicative is a verbal tense that indicates what is happening now. English examples for this tense are: I eat (yo como); I walk (yo ando); I talk (yo hablo). In fact, the Spanish present tense is used to express the following English forms:

1. To indicate something that is happening at this moment: We are dancing right now (Nosotros bailamos ahora)

2. The present tense is also used when we want to express a request: Will you please close the door? (¿Quiere cerrar la puerta, por favor?)

3. To ask for instructions: Shall I buy some water? (¿Compro algo de agua?)

4. To express an action that will be done in a very near future. I'll be available in two hours (Estoy disponible en dos horas)

PRESENT INDICATIVE TENSE CONJUGATION Do you remember those three Spanish verb types? Yes, that's it: Infinitives ending in -ar, -er or -ir. (i.e.: hablar - comer - vivir) Spanish Present Indicative tense isn't as "easy" to conjugate as it is in English, because in Spanish every from has its own ending. Let's see how it works: For example, we'll form the Present tense of the verb Andar. First, we take the infinitive (andar) and remove its final -ar : AndThen, we have to add the specific endings for this tense:

Yo Ando Tu Andas El / Ella / Usted anda Nosotros andamos Vosotros andáis Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes andan So, those endings are for infinitives finishing in -ar. The following table shows the conjugation for three verbs: Andar - Comer - Existir, examples for the Present Indicative conjugation of regular verbs belonging to the First, Second and Third Conjugation types (-ar, -er and -ir). PRONOUN

1st Conjugation ANDAR (TO WALK)

2nd Conjugation COMER (TO EAT)

Yo

ando (I walk)

como (I eat)

Tú

andas (you walk)

comes (you eat)

El/Ella/Ud.

anda (he/she walks)

come (he/she eats)

Nosotros

andamos (we walk)

comemos (we eat)

Vosotros

andáis (you walk)

coméis (you eat)

Ellos/Ellas /Uds.

andan (they/you walk)

comen (they/you eat)

3rd Conjugation EXISTIR (TO EXIST) existo (I exist) existes (you exist) existe (he/she exists) existimos (we exist) existís (you exist) existen (they/you exist)

Note that the present endings for infinitives ending in -er and -ir are identical, except for "nosotros" (we) and "vosotros" (you - plural). All these present tense endings not only show the tense of the verb, but also the subject pronoun. So, it is important to notice that those pronouns can be omitted: Comemos y bebemos todos los días (We eat and drink everyday)

As you can see, it is not necessary to use the personal (subject) pronouns, as the endings of the verbs (comemos and bebemos) refer us, in this case, to the first person plural (nosotros - we). The only exception is that subject pronouns must be used when there are two subjects and two verbs: Nosotros comemos y vosotros bebéis todos los días (We eat and you drink everyday)

Angeles F. VOCABULARY IN THIS LESSON (alphabetical order): Agua (f): water Ahora: Now Andar: To walk Bailar: To dance Cerrar: To close Comer: To eat Comprar: To buy Existir: To exist Disponible: Available Hablar: To talk Hora (f): hour Puerta (f): door Todos los días: Every day Vivir: To live