Present Tense: Regular Stem-Changers and Reflexives
Present Tense in Spanish
The present tense (el presente) is the foundation of GCSE Spanish. It describes what happens now, what happens regularly, and general truths.
Regular Verbs
Spanish regular verbs have three conjugation groups:
-AR Verbs (largest group)
Remove -ar and add:
| Subject | Ending | Example: hablar (to speak) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | hablo |
| tú | -as | hablas |
| él/ella/usted | -a | habla |
| nosotros/as | -amos | hablamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | habláis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -an | hablan |
- Hablo español en clase. — I speak Spanish in class.
- Ella trabaja en una oficina. — She works in an office.
-ER Verbs
Remove -er and add: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en
- Como a las dos. — I eat at two o'clock.
- Bebemos mucha agua. — We drink a lot of water.
-IR Verbs
Remove -ir and add: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en
- Vivo en Londres. — I live in London.
- Escriben correos electrónicos. — They write emails.
Stem-Changing Verbs (Boot Verbs)
The stem changes in all forms except nosotros and vosotros (forming a "boot" shape in the conjugation table):
e → ie
| querer (to want) |
|---|
| quiero, quieres, quiere, queremos, queréis, quieren |
Others: pensar (to think), empezar (to start), preferir (to prefer), entender (to understand), tener (to have — also irregular: tengo)
- Quiero ir al cine. — I want to go to the cinema.
- Las clases empiezan a las nueve. — Classes start at nine.
o → ue
| poder (to be able) |
|---|
| puedo, puedes, puede, podemos, podéis, pueden |
Others: dormir (to sleep), volver (to return), encontrar (to find), jugar (u→ue: juego)
- No puedo salir esta noche. — I can't go out tonight.
- Duermo ocho horas. — I sleep eight hours.
e → i
| pedir (to ask for) |
|---|
| pido, pides, pide, pedimos, pedís, piden |
Others: repetir (to repeat), seguir (to follow/continue), vestirse (to get dressed)
Key Irregular Verbs
| Verb | yo | tú | él/ella | nosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ser (to be — permanent) | soy | eres | es | somos | son |
| estar (to be — temporary/location) | estoy | estás | está | estamos | están |
| ir (to go) | voy | vas | va | vamos | van |
| hacer (to do/make) | hago | haces | hace | hacemos | hacen |
| tener (to have) | tengo | tienes | tiene | tenemos | tienen |
| decir (to say) | digo | dices | dice | decimos | dicen |
| salir (to go out) | salgo | sales | sale | salimos | salen |
Reflexive Verbs
Add the reflexive pronoun before the verb:
| Pronoun | Example: levantarse (to get up) |
|---|---|
| me | me levanto |
| te | te levantas |
| se | se levanta |
| nos | nos levantamos |
| os | os levantáis |
| se | se levantan |
- Me levanto a las siete. — I get up at seven.
- Se ducha todos los días. — He/She showers every day.
- Nos acostamos a las diez. — We go to bed at ten.
Common reflexive verbs: lavarse (to wash), ducharse (to shower), vestirse (to get dressed), acostarse (to go to bed), divertirse (to enjoy oneself), llamarse (to be called).
Exam Tips
- Stem-changing verbs are tested heavily — learn the pattern, not every individual form.
- Jugar is unique: u→ue (juego, juegas, juega...).
- In translation, English "I am playing" is just juego — Spanish has no present continuous at GCSE level (though estar + gerund exists).
- Tú vs usted: use tú with friends/family, usted with adults/strangers — critical in role plays.