The system · 07 tenses
Conjugation Patterns
Spanish verbs are a grid: who is acting × when it happened × what class of verb. Learn the grid once; every verb slots into it.
← PastPresentFuture →
The system · seven tense markers
The endings. read across, recognize anywhere
Past
Present
Future
Preterite
completed past
| -AR | -ER/-IR | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -é | -í |
| tú | -aste | -iste |
| él/ella | -ó | -ió |
| nosotros | -amos | -imos |
| vosotros | -asteis | -isteis |
| ellos | -aron | -ieron |
-ER and -IR merge completely! -AR uses a, -ER/-IR use i
Present Indicative
the here-and-now
| -AR | -ER | -IR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | -o | -o |
| tú | -as | -es | -es |
| él/ella | -a | -e | -e |
| nosotros | -amos | -emos | -imos |
| vosotros | -áis | -éis | -ís |
| ellos | -an | -en | -en |
-ER/-IR share endings except in nosotros/vosotros where -IR keeps its i
Future
will + verb
| ALL verbs | |
|---|---|
| yo | -é |
| tú | -ás |
| él/ella | -á |
| nosotros | -emos |
| vosotros | -éis |
| ellos | -án |
Attach to FULL infinitive (hablar + é = hablaré). Endings match present of haber!
Imperfect
ongoing / habitual past
| -AR | -ER/-IR | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -aba | -ía |
| tú | -abas | -ías |
| él/ella | -aba | -ía |
| nosotros | -ábamos | -íamos |
| vosotros | -abais | -íais |
| ellos | -aban | -ían |
Super regular! -AR adds -aba-, -ER/-IR add -ía-, then person markers
Present Subjunctive
hypothetical / emotional
| -AR → uses E | -ER/-IR → uses A | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -e | -a |
| tú | -es | -as |
| él/ella | -e | -a |
| nosotros | -emos | -amos |
| vosotros | -éis | -áis |
| ellos | -en | -an |
THE VOWEL FLIP! -AR verbs take -ER/-IR vowels, and vice versa
Conditional
would + verb
| ALL verbs | |
|---|---|
| yo | -ía |
| tú | -ías |
| él/ella | -ía |
| nosotros | -íamos |
| vosotros | -íais |
| ellos | -ían |
Infinitive + imperfect -ER/-IR endings. Same irregular stems as future!
Imperfect Subjunctive
counterfactuals / after si
| ALL verbs (-ra) | |
|---|---|
| yo | -ra |
| tú | -ras |
| él/ella | -ra |
| nosotros | -ramos |
| vosotros | -rais |
| ellos | -ran |
Derived from 3rd person plural preterite. Drop -ron, add -ra endings
Built from the preterite 3rd-person plural — drop -ron, add -ra/-ras/…. Used after si (counterfactuals) and in polite requests.
How Endings Build Together
habl-
STEM
+
-a-
THEME
+
-ba-
TENSE
+
-mos
PERSON
=
hablábamos
(we were speaking / we used to speak)
Universal Person Markers
These patterns appear across almost all tenses
-s
tú (you informal)
-mos
nosotros (we)
-is
vosotros (you all)
-n
ellos/ustedes (they/you)
Theme Vowels
Combined with person markers to form endings
-AR verbs
A
-ER verbs
E
-IR verbs
I / E
-AR
-ER
-IR
Shared
Non-finite forms
Used as building blocks for compound tenses (haber + past participle) and progressives (estar + gerund)
Gerund (Present Participle)
-ando / -iendo
-AR verbs use -ando, while -ER/-IR verbs use -iendo
hablar
habl + ando = hablando
comer
com + iendo = comiendo
vivir
viv + iendo = viviendo
Past Participle
-ado / -ido
-AR verbs use -ado, while -ER/-IR verbs use -ido
hablar
habl + ado = hablado
comer
com + ido = comido
vivir
viv + ido = vivido
Takeaways
Insights. what it all adds up to
- Simple tenses (present, preterite, imperfect) are built from: stem + tense marker + person
- Future and conditional are unique: they attach to the full infinitive
- Subjunctive present uses the opposite theme vowel — this is the famous “vowel flip”
- Subjunctive imperfect is derived from the preterite 3rd person plural
- Person markers (-s, -mos, -is, -n) appear consistently across most tenses
Ready to see these patterns in real verbs?
Open Verb Explorer