50 Essential Spanish Verbs for Beginners (With Examples)
Test de Español Editorial Team6 min read6 min de lectura
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Table of contentsÍndice
- How to use this list
- The 10 verbs you will use most
- Movement and daily life
- Communication and study
- Thinking, feeling and needing
- More everyday verbs
- Patterns that make these verbs easier
- Next steps
- Frequently asked questionsPreguntas frecuentes
- What are the most common Spanish verbs?
- Should I learn regular or irregular verbs first?
- What does 'yo-irregular' mean?
- What is a stem-changing verb?
- How do you use gustar?
If you are starting Spanish, verbs are where your effort pays off fastest. With a few dozen well-chosen verbs you can introduce yourself, talk about your routine, make plans and ask for what you need. Below are 50 essential Spanish verbs, grouped by theme, each with an example you can adapt.
How to use this list
- The notes column shows what to watch in the present tense: an irregular yo form or a stem change. If it is empty, the verb is regular.
- Read each example aloud, then change it so it is true for you: Tengo dos hermanos → Tengo una hermana.
- Don't try to learn all 50 in a day. Ten verbs a week, used in real sentences, is a solid pace.
The 10 verbs you will use most
| Verb | Meaning | Notes | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ser | to be (identity, description) | soy, eres, es… | Soy estudiante. — I'm a student. |
| estar | to be (place, state) | estoy, estás, está… | Estoy en el trabajo. — I'm at work. |
| tener | to have | tengo; e → ie | Tengo dos hermanos. — I have two brothers. |
| haber | there is / are; auxiliary | hay; he, has, ha… | Hay un café cerca. — There's a café nearby. |
| hacer | to do, to make | hago | ¿Qué haces el fin de semana? — What do you do at the weekend? |
| ir | to go | voy, vas, va… | Voy al supermercado. — I'm going to the supermarket. |
| poder | can, to be able to | o → ue | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? — Can I pay by card? |
| querer | to want; to love | e → ie | Quiero un vaso de agua. — I want a glass of water. |
| decir | to say, to tell | digo; e → i | Mi profesor dice que hablo bien. — My teacher says I speak well. |
| saber | to know (facts, how to) | sé | No sé nadar. — I can't swim. |
Two of these deserve a closer look. Saber is for facts and skills (Sé conducir, I know how to drive), while conocer (below) is for people and places. And ir a + infinitive is the easiest way to talk about the future: Voy a estudiar esta noche (I'm going to study tonight).
Movement and daily life
| Verb | Meaning | Notes | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| conocer | to know (people, places) | conozco | Conozco a tu hermana. — I know your sister. |
| ver | to see, to watch | veo | Vemos una serie por la noche. — We watch a series at night. |
| dar | to give | doy | Te doy mi número. — I'll give you my number. |
| venir | to come | vengo; e → ie | ¿Vienes a la fiesta? — Are you coming to the party? |
| poner | to put | pongo | Pongo las llaves en la mesa. — I put the keys on the table. |
| salir | to go out, to leave | salgo | Salgo de casa a las ocho. — I leave home at eight. |
| llegar | to arrive | El tren llega a las diez. — The train arrives at ten. | |
| volver | to come back, to return | o → ue | Vuelvo el domingo. — I'm coming back on Sunday. |
| llevar | to carry, to take; to wear | Llevo una chaqueta azul. — I'm wearing a blue jacket. | |
| tomar | to take; to have (food, drink) | ¿Tomamos algo? — Shall we have a drink? |
Communication and study
| Verb | Meaning | Notes | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| hablar | to speak, to talk | Hablo un poco de español. — I speak a little Spanish. | |
| comer | to eat; to have lunch | Comemos a las dos. — We have lunch at two. | |
| beber | to drink | No bebo café por la tarde. — I don't drink coffee in the afternoon. | |
| vivir | to live | Vivo en un piso pequeño. — I live in a small flat. | |
| trabajar | to work | Trabajo en un hospital. — I work in a hospital. | |
| estudiar | to study | Estudio español todos los días. — I study Spanish every day. | |
| aprender | to learn | Quiero aprender a cocinar. — I want to learn to cook. | |
| entender | to understand | e → ie | No entiendo esta palabra. — I don't understand this word. |
| escribir | to write | Te escribo un mensaje luego. — I'll write you a message later. | |
| leer | to read | Leo el periódico en el móvil. — I read the newspaper on my phone. |
Thinking, feeling and needing
| Verb | Meaning | Notes | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| pensar | to think | e → ie | Pienso que tienes razón. — I think you're right. |
| creer | to believe, to think | Creo que va a llover. — I think it's going to rain. | |
| necesitar | to need | Necesito ayuda. — I need help. | |
| gustar | to like (to please) | me gusta / me gustan | Me gustan las películas españolas. — I like Spanish films. |
| esperar | to wait; to hope | Te espero en la puerta. — I'll wait for you at the door. | |
| buscar | to look for | Busco la estación de metro. — I'm looking for the metro station. | |
| encontrar | to find | o → ue | No encuentro mi pasaporte. — I can't find my passport. |
| comprar | to buy | Compro pan todas las mañanas. — I buy bread every morning. | |
| pagar | to pay | ¿Pagamos a medias? — Shall we split the bill? | |
| abrir | to open | La tienda abre a las nueve. — The shop opens at nine. |
More everyday verbs
| Verb | Meaning | Notes | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| cerrar | to close | e → ie | ¿Puedes cerrar la ventana? — Can you close the window? |
| empezar | to start, to begin | e → ie | La clase empieza a las seis. — The class starts at six. |
| terminar | to finish | Termino de trabajar a las cinco. — I finish work at five. | |
| dormir | to sleep | o → ue | Duermo ocho horas. — I sleep eight hours. |
| jugar | to play (games, sports) | u → ue | Jugamos al fútbol los sábados. — We play football on Saturdays. |
| pedir | to ask for, to order | e → i | Pido una paella para dos. — I'll order a paella for two. |
| seguir | to follow; to continue | sigo; e → i | Sigue recto. — Go straight on. |
| sentir | to feel; to be sorry | e → ie | Lo siento mucho. — I'm very sorry. |
| llamar | to call | Te llamo mañana. — I'll call you tomorrow. | |
| usar | to use | ¿Usas mucho el ordenador? — Do you use the computer a lot? |
Patterns that make these verbs easier
Regular endings. Once you know hablar, comer and vivir, you can conjugate most of this list. In the present: hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, hablan; como, comes, come…; vivo, vives, vive…
The yo-irregulars. Many verbs are irregular only in the yo form: tengo, hago, pongo, salgo, vengo, conozco, doy, veo. Learn that one form and the rest is familiar.
Stem changes. In pensar → pienso, poder → puedo and pedir → pido, the change happens in every form except nosotros and vosotros: pensamos, podemos, pedimos.
Two verbs for "to know" and "to be". Saber vs. conocer and ser vs. estar are worth extra practice. Our guide to ser vs. estar explains the second pair with 25 examples.
Next steps
Pick ten verbs, write one true sentence with each about your own life and read them aloud every day for a week. Then move to the next ten. When you feel ready, take our free Spanish level test to see how your grammar and vocabulary compare to the CEFR levels.
Frequently asked questionsPreguntas frecuentes
What are the most common Spanish verbs?
Ser, estar, tener, haber, hacer, ir, poder, decir, querer and saber are among the most frequent verbs in Spanish. Most of them are irregular, so it pays to learn their present tense early.
Should I learn regular or irregular verbs first?
Learn the pattern of regular -ar, -er and -ir verbs with a few examples (hablar, comer, vivir), then the most frequent irregular verbs straight away. You need ser, estar, tener and ir from your first conversation.
What does 'yo-irregular' mean?
It describes verbs that are irregular only in the yo form of the present tense, such as tengo (tener), hago (hacer), pongo (poner), salgo (salir) and conozco (conocer). The other forms are regular or follow a stem change.
What is a stem-changing verb?
A verb whose stem vowel changes in some present-tense forms: e → ie (pensar → pienso), o → ue (poder → puedo, dormir → duermo), e → i (pedir → pido). The nosotros and vosotros forms keep the original vowel: pensamos, podemos, pedimos.
How do you use gustar?
Gustar works like 'to please': the thing you like is the subject. 'Me gusta el café' (I like coffee) and 'Me gustan los libros' (I like books), with gustan when the subject is plural.
