Quick Guide to Spanish Verbs 37: Regulars, Irregulars, and UsageSpanish Verbs 37 is a focused topic that can mean different things depending on context — it could be the 37th lesson in a textbook, a set of 37 commonly used verbs, or a specific list used in a course. This guide treats it as a practical module: a compact lesson covering a representative selection of 37 Spanish verbs (both regular and irregular), how they conjugate in common tenses, key usage notes, and practice suggestions to help you internalize them.
What this guide covers
- A curated selection of 37 verbs grouped by type (regular -ar/-er/-ir and common irregulars).
- Model conjugations in present, preterite, imperfect, and present subjunctive where useful.
- Usage notes and common collocations or meanings that differ from English.
- Examples with translation.
- Practice tips and suggested exercises.
The 37 verbs (grouped)
Regular -ar (10)
- hablar, estudiar, trabajar, caminar, mirar, llamar, ayudar, entrar, llevar, quedar
Regular -er (6)
- comer, beber, aprender, conocer*, creer, vender
Regular -ir (6)
- vivir, salir*, escribir, recibir, abrir, decidir
Common irregulars & stem-changers (15)
- ser, estar, tener, ir, hacer, decir, ver, poder, querer, venir, poner, traer, saber, dormir, seguir
*Note: conocer and salir have irregularities in certain forms (yo conozco, yo salgo) but otherwise follow regular -er/-ir patterns.
How to approach conjugation: quick rules
- Regular -ar/-er/-ir verbs follow predictable endings in each tense. Learn one verb from each conjugation group well and apply the pattern to the rest.
- Many high-frequency verbs are irregular either in the stem (e.g., poder → pued-) or in certain persons (yo-go verbs: tener → tengo).
- Stem-changing verbs change in the present indicative for all singular and third-person plural forms (e → ie, o → ue, e → i). They do not change in nosotros/vosotros.
- Preterite irregulars often have completely different stems (hacer → hic-, querer → quis-) and unique endings.
Conjugation models (selected verbs)
Below are concise conjugation tables for one regular verb from each group and several common irregulars. Only the most useful tenses are shown: Present Indicative, Preterite, Imperfect, and Present Subjunctive.
Regular -ar: hablar (to speak)
- Present: hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, hablan
- Preterite: hablé, hablaste, habló, hablamos, hablasteis, hablaron
- Imperfect: hablaba, hablabas, hablaba, hablábamos, hablabais, hablaban
- Present subjunctive: hable, hables, hable, hablemos, habléis, hablen
Regular -er: comer (to eat)
- Present: como, comes, come, comemos, coméis, comen
- Preterite: comí, comiste, comió, comimos, comisteis, comieron
- Imperfect: comía, comías, comía, comíamos, comíais, comían
- Present subjunctive: coma, comas, coma, comamos, comáis, coman
Regular -ir: vivir (to live)
- Present: vivo, vives, vive, vivimos, vivís, viven
- Preterite: viví, viviste, vivió, vivimos, vivisteis, vivieron
- Imperfect: vivía, vivías, vivía, vivíamos, vivíais, vivían
- Present subjunctive: viva, vivas, viva, vivamos, viváis, vivan
Irregular: ser (to be — essential irregular)
- Present: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son
- Preterite: fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron
- Imperfect: era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran
- Present subjunctive: sea, seas, sea, seamos, seáis, sean
Irregular: estar (to be — state/location)
- Present: estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están
- Preterite: estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis, estuvieron
- Imperfect: estaba, estabas, estaba, estábamos, estabais, estaban
- Present subjunctive: esté, estés, esté, estemos, estéis, estén
Irregular: tener (to have)
- Present: tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tenéis, tienen
- Preterite: tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuvimos, tuvisteis, tuvieron
-Imperfect: tenía, tenías, tenía, teníamos, teníais, tenían - Present subjunctive: tenga, tengas, tenga, tengamos, tengáis, tengan
Irregular: ir (to go)
- Present: voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van
- Preterite: fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron
- Imperfect: iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, iban
- Present subjunctive: vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayáis, vayan
Irregular: hacer (to do/make)
- Present: hago, haces, hace, hacemos, hacéis, hacen
- Preterite: hice, hiciste, hizo, hicimos, hicisteis, hicieron
- Present subjunctive: haga, hagas, haga, hagamos, hagáis, hagan
Stem-change: poder (o → ue)
- Present: puedo, puedes, puede, podemos, podéis, pueden
- Preterite: pude, pudiste, pudo, pudimos, pudisteis, pudieron
- Present subjunctive: pueda, puedas, pueda, podamos, podáis, puedan
Stem-change: querer (e → ie)
- Present: quiero, quieres, quiere, queremos, queréis, quieren
- Preterite: quise, quisiste, quiso, quisimos, quisisteis, quisieron
- Present subjunctive: quiera, quieras, quiera, queramos, queráis, quieran
Stem-change: decir (e → i; irregular yo)
- Present: digo, dices, dice, decimos, decís, dicen
- Preterite: dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron
- Present subjunctive: diga, digas, diga, digamos, digáis, digan
Other useful irregulars (brief forms)
- ver: veo, ves, ve, vemos, veis, ven
- venir: vengo, vienes, viene, venimos, venís, vienen
- poner: pongo, pones, pone, ponemos, ponéis, ponen
- traer: traigo, traes, trae, traemos, traéis, traen
- saber: sé, sabes, sabe, sabemos, sabéis, saben
- dormir (o → ue): duermo, duermes, duerme, dormimos, dormís, duermen
- seguir (e → i): sigo, sigues, sigue, seguimos, seguís, siguen
Key usage notes and pitfalls
- Ser vs. Estar: use ser for essence/identity, origin, time, and passive constructions; use estar for location and temporary states/conditions. Example: “Él es doctor” vs. “Él está cansado.”
- Preterite vs. Imperfect: preterite for completed actions/specific events; imperfect for habitual actions, background description, or ongoing past actions. Example: “Ayer comí paella” (completed) vs. “Cuando era niño, comía paella todos los domingos” (habit).
- False friends: “Conocer” = to know/meet (people or be familiar with), not to know facts (that’s “saber”).
- Pronominal verbs: some verbs change meaning reflexively (e.g., “llevar” = to carry, “llevarse” = to get along or to take for oneself).
- Verb + infinitive: many constructions use a conjugated verb followed by an infinitive (e.g., “quiero aprender,” “tengo que salir”).
Example sentences (selected)
- Hablar: “Hablo español con mis amigos.” — I speak Spanish with my friends.
- Comer: “Comimos en ese restaurante anoche.” — We ate at that restaurant last night.
- Vivir: “Vivo en Madrid desde 2018.” — I have lived in Madrid since 2018.
- Ser/Estar: “Ella es inteligente, pero hoy está triste.” — She is intelligent, but today she is sad.
- Tener: “Tengo tres libros sobre gramática.” — I have three grammar books.
- Ir: “Vamos al cine mañana.” — We are going to the movies tomorrow.
- Poder: “No puedo venir esta tarde.” — I can’t come this afternoon.
- Decir: “Dijo la verdad.” — He/she told the truth.
- Dormir: “Anoche dormí ocho horas.” — Last night I slept eight hours.
Practice exercises
- Conjugation drill: pick 10 verbs from the list and write all present tense forms.
- Translation drill: translate 15 short sentences mixing ser/estar, preterite/imperfect, and stem-changers.
- Fill-in-the-blanks: create paragraphs with missing verbs and fill them in using appropriate tense and person.
- Speaking: use a timed 5-minute monologue describing yesterday’s routine (use preterite/imperfect).
- Writing: write a short story (150–200 words) that uses at least 12 of the 37 verbs in different tenses.
Memorization tips
- Group verbs by pattern (regular -ar/-er/-ir; stem-changers; yo-go verbs; totally irregular).
- Use spaced repetition flashcards for conjugations and example sentences.
- Practice in context — sentences and short stories beat isolated drills.
- Record yourself speaking and compare rhythm/usage with native examples.
Quick checklist to master “Spanish Verbs 37”
- Learn endings for -ar, -er, -ir in present, preterite, and imperfect.
- Memorize irregular yo forms (hacer → hago, poner → pongo, etc.).
- Master ser vs. estar and preterite vs. imperfect distinctions.
- Practice the verbs in sentences, spoken and written.
- Review weekly with spaced repetition.
If you’d like, I can: provide printable conjugation sheets for these 37 verbs, generate 20 tailored practice sentences with answers, or create a 7-day study plan. Which would help most?
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