Conjugating Spanish AR Verbs (For Beginners)

Conjugating verbs in Spanish can seem daunting at first, but once you understand the basics, they are easy to understand and conjugate on the spot!

The most common conjugation in Spanish is the AR verb, meaning the verb ends in -ar. There are also verbs that end in -er and -ir.

When conjugating the AR verb, it’s important to remember the different forms. You have three basic forms: the Present, Preterite, and Imperfect.

In the Present tense, subjects like yo (I), tú (you), él/ella/Ud. (he/she/you), nosotros (we), vosotros (yall), and ellos/ellas/Uds. (they) all conjugate differently. To find out how to conjugate the AR verb in the present tense, first take the verb and drop the -ar. For example, hablar (to talk), would become habl-. Then, you add the proper ending for each subject:

Yo = o

Tú = as

Él/ella/Ud. = a

Nosotros = amos

Vosotros = áis

Ellos/ellas/Uds. = an

That’s it! Now you know how to conjugate the AR verb for all subjects in the Present tense.

Examples:

Yo hablo - I talk

Tú hablas - You (informal) talk

Él, Ella, Usted habla - He, she, you (formal) talks

Nosotros hablamos - we talk

Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes hablan - They (masc.), They (fem.), You guys talk.

The next tense is the Preterite. This tense is used for actions that have already been completed. The key to conjugating AR verbs in the Preterite tense is to add the appropriate endings for each subject:

Yo = é

Tú =aste

Él/ella/Ud. =ó

Nosotros =amos

Vosotros =asteis

Ellos/ellas/Uds. =aron

Examples:

Yo hablé - I spoke

Tú hablaste - You (informal) spoke

Él, Ella, Usted habló - He, she, you (formal) spoke

Nosotros hablamos - we spoke

Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes hablaron - They (masc.), They (fem.), You guys spoke

Finally, there’s the Imperfect tense. This tense is used to convey a feeling or action that was ongoing at some point in the past. To conjugate the AR verb in the Imperfect tense, use the following endings:

Yo =aba

Tú =abas

Él/ella/Ud. =aba

Nosotros =ábamos

Vosotros =abais

Ellos/ellas/Uds. =aban

Example:

Yo hablaba - I talk

Tú hablabas - You (informal) talk

Él, Ella, Usted hablaba - He, she, you (formal) talks

Nosotros hablábamos - we talk

Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes hablaban - They (masc.), They (fem.), You guys talk.

And that’s it! Now you know the basics of conjugating AR verbs in Spanish. With a little practice, you’ll be able to conjugate like a pro in no time. ¡Buena suerte!