Boost your Spanish-speaking prowess by learning Spanish verbs!
To do or not to do, that is the question! Which can be answered with verbs, aka doing words. Becoming acquainted with these verb Spanish words, in the beginning, have many benefits, such as making learning whatever topic you want in Spanish much easier and improving the quality of your conversational Spanish!
In this article, we will be discussing 160 of the most common verbs in Spanish and give you an idea of how to use them!
25 Common Spanish Verbs
All manner of grammar is important, such as nouns or adjectives in Spanish, today we will focus on verbs! Verbs describe actions or a state of being, whether abstract or concrete. Verbs in Spanish will change according to the pronoun, as seen in the tables below.
Let’s start off by introducing you to 25 common Spanish verbs that you need to know. We will tell you what they mean and give you examples of how to use them. Keep in mind, all of these verbs are in Spanish present tense!
1. Ser – To be
There are two ways to say “To be” in Spanish; ser and estar they might mean the same thing, but are actually used in different contexts!
Ser is used when talking about a characteristic or something permanent, such as date, occupation, time, characteristic, relation, and origin.
| Pronoun | Ser |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Soy |
| Tú (you) | Eres |
| Él, ella, usted | Es |
| Nosotros | Somos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Son |
For example:
- Yo soy buena en matematicas (I am good at math)
- Ellos son familia (They are family)
2. Estar – To be (second condition)
Estar is used when talking about something that is temporary such as emotion, condition, location, action, or position.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Estoy |
| Tú (you) | Estás |
| Él, ella, usted | Está |
| Nosotros | Estamos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Están |
For example:
- Yo estoy cansada (I am tired)
- Nosotros estamos durmiendo (We are sleeping)
3. Haber – To have, to be
To show the existence of something, usually used as an auxiliary or helping verb.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | He |
| Tú (you) | Has |
| Él, ella, usted | Ha |
| Nosotros | Hemos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Han |
For example:
- Susie/Ella ha comido (Susie/She has eaten)
- Yo he caminado (I have walked).
4. Hacer – To do, to make
To show that something or someone is doing, or making. Like you are making a sculpture.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Hago |
| Tú (you) | Haces |
| Él, ella, usted | Hace |
| Nosotros | Hacemos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Hacen |
For example:
- Yo hago clase de arte (I do art class)
- Ella hace pastel. (She makes cake).
5. Poder – To be able to
To show that something or someone is able to do something, not that they are doing the action. “I can do this” in English.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Puedo |
| Tú (you) | Puedes |
| Él, ella, usted | Puede |
| Nosotros | Podemos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Pueden |
For example:
- Yo puedo tomar el turno esta noche (I can take the shift tonight).
- ¿Nosotros pueden llegar a la fiesta? (Can we make it to the party?)
6. Ir – To go
To show that something or someone is going somewhere. Where are you going?
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Voy |
| Tú (you) | Vas |
| Él, ella, usted | Va |
| Nosotros | Vamos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Van |
For examples:
- Ella se va a casa (She is going home).
- Yo voy (I am going).
7. Decir – To tell, to say
To show that something is saying or telling something. Like when you tell your mom you ate all the cake.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Digo |
| Tú (you) | Dices |
| Él, ella, usted | Dice |
| Nosotros | Decimos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Dicen |
For example:
- ¡Yo digo la verdad! (I am telling the truth!)
- ¿Qué dice ella? (What does she say?)
8. Ver – To see
To show that you, or someone, is seeing something. Like you see a bird in the tree.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Veo |
| Tú (you) | Ves |
| Él, ella, usted | Ve |
| Nosotros | Vemos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Ven |
For example:
- Yo veo la televisión (I watch TV)
- Nosotros vemos que es rojo (We see that it is red)
9. Comer – To eat
A verb that means someone or something is going to eat.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Como |
| Tú (you) | Comes |
| Él, ella, usted | Come |
| Nosotros | Comemos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Comen |
For example:
- Yo voy a como pizza (I eat pizza).
- Ella come una rebanada de pizza (She eats a slice of pizza).
10. Tomar – To take, to drink
A verb for if someone or something is drinking. Like a dog drinking water from his bowl.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Tomo |
| Tú (you) | Tomas |
| Él, ella, usted | Toma |
| Nosotros | Tomamos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Toman |
For example:
- Ellas tomamos sólo agua (They only drink water)
- ¿Tú tomas té? (You drink tea?)
11. Escuchar – To hear
To hear something.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Escucho |
| Tú (you) | Escuchas |
| Él, ella, usted | Escucha |
| Nosotros | Escuchamos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Escuchan |
For example:
- Ella escucha todo (She hears everything)
- Siempre escucho pájaros por la mañana (I always hear birds in the morning)
12. Necesitar – To need
This verb is used to tell someone your needs in Spanish. Like, you need water.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Necesito |
| Tú (you) | Necesitas |
| Él, ella, usted | Necesitan |
| Nosotros | Necesitamos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Necesitan |
For example:
- Yo necesito la medicina (I need medicine)
- Creo que necesitas unas vacaciones (I think you need a vacation)
13. Quedar – To stay
To stay somewhere, like you are staying at home.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Quedo |
| Tú (you) | Quedas |
| Él, ella, usted | Queda |
| Nosotros | Quedamos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Quedan |
For example:
- Me quedo aquí entonces (I stay here then)
- ¿El dónde se queda? (Where does he stay?)
14. Vivir – To live
To live, life. Something we do every day! Also can be used to say where someone is located— where someone lives.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Vivo |
| Tú (you) | Vives |
| Él, ella, usted | Vive |
| Nosotros | Vivimos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Viven |
For example:
- Yo vivo la vida loca (I live the crazy life).
- Ella vive con su mamá (She lives with her mom)
15. Dar – To give
To give something, like giving your friend a present.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Doy |
| Tú (you) | Das |
| Él, ella, usted | Da |
| Nosotros | Damos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Dan |
For example:
- ¡Te doy mi corazón! (I give you my heart!)
- Te damos tus llaves (We give you your keys)
16. Hablar – To speak
To speak, to say something.
| Pronoun | Estar | |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Hablo | |
| Tú (you) | Hablas | |
| Él, ella, usted | Habla | |
| Nosotros | Hablamos | |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Hablan |
For example:
- ¡Yo hablo español, lo juro! (I speak Spanish, I swear!)
- Ellos hablan bastante alto (They speak rather loudly)
17. Poner – To put
To put something somewhere, like putting your phone on the bed.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Pongo |
| Tú (you) | Pones |
| Él, ella, usted | Pone |
| Nosotros | Ponemos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Ponen |
For example:
- Yo pongo te hechicé (I put a spell on you!)
- Nosotros la ponemos ahi (We put it there)
18. Venir – To come
Where something or someone come from, or “to arrive”.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Vengo |
| Tú (you) | Vienes |
| Él, ella, usted | Viene |
| Nosotros | Venimos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Vienen |
For example:
- Yo vengo de España (I come from Spain)
- Nosotros venimos en paz (We come in peace)
19. Buscar – To look for
When you are looking for something, like those keys you swear you left on the kitchen counter.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Busco |
| Tú (you) | Buscas |
| Él, ella, usted | Busca |
| Nosotros | Buscamos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Buscan |
For example:
- ¿Qué ellas buscan? (What do they look for?)
- ¿Tú buscan para ello? (Did you look for it?)
20. Querer – To want
To want something, not necessarily something you need. Like, you really want that expensive pair of shoes.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Quiero |
| Tú (you) | Quieres |
| Él, ella, usted | Quiere |
| Nosotros | Queremos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Quieren |
For example:
- Ella quiere ese peluche (She wants that teddy)
- ¡I quiero esa promoción! (I want that promotion!)
21. Saber – To know
To know something. Knowledge is power!
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Se |
| Tú (you) | Sabes |
| Él, ella, usted | Sabe |
| Nosotros | Sabemos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Saben |
For example:
- Ella lo sabe, ¡las madres siempre lo saben! (She knows, mothers always do!)
- Yo se esto (I know this)
22. Llegar – To arrive, to come
When you, someone, or something arrives somewhere.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Llego |
| Tú (you) | Llegas |
| Él, ella, usted | Llega |
| Nosotros | Llegamos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Llegan |
For example:
- Nosotros llegamos pronto (We arrive soon)
- ¡Tú llegas por fin! (You arrive at last!)
23. Acordar – to decide, agree
To either decide on something, like a plan, or agree to something, like you and your friend agree to eat pizza for lunch.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Acuerdo |
| Tú (you) | Acuerdas |
| Él, ella, usted | Acuerda |
| Nosotros | Acordamos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Acuerdan |
For example:
- Yo estoy de acuerdo contigo (I agree with you)
- ¡Nosotros acordamos hacer todo juntos! (We agree to do everything together!)
24. Creer – To believe
To believe in something or someone!
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Creo |
| Tú (you) | Crees |
| Él, ella, usted | Cree |
| Nosotros | Creemos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Creen |
For example:
- Yo creo que tienes razón (I believe you are right)
- Nosotras creemos en ti (We believe in you!)
25. Deber – To owe
To owe something to someone, like debt.
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| Yo (me) | Debo |
| Tú (you) | Debes |
| Él, ella, usted | Debe |
| Nosotros | Debemos |
| Ellos, ellas, ustedes | Deben |
For example:
- Te debo mi gratitud (I owe you my gratitude)
- Elle le debe mucho dinero al banco (She owes the bank a lot of money)
Learning and understanding Spanish verbs (among other things) is an important stepping stone if your goal is getting a Spanish certification!
135 Additional Spanish Verbs in Spanish
Finally, we compiled a list of 135 additional common verbs in Spanish, in alphabetical order. These verbs generally follow to same rules as above, some might be unique so watch out! See if you can use these verbs and form sentences with some hard Spanish words!
- Abrir – to open
- Aburrir – to be bored
- Acostar – to go to bed
- Almorzar – to
- Andar – to walk
- Apagar – off
- Asistir – to help
- Aparecer – to appear, to show up
- Aprender – to learn
- Ayudar – to assist
- Bailar – to dance
- Bajar – to go down
- Bañar – to shower
- Barrer – to sweep
- Beber – to drink
- Besar – to kiss
- Borrar – to erase
- Botar – to throw
- Buscar – to find
- Brindar – to give
- Bromear – to joke
- Caer – to fall
- Cambiar – to change
- Cantar – to sing
- Cenar – to eat
- Cepillar – to brush
- Cerrar – to close
- Comenzar – to start
- Compartir – to share
- Comprender – to understand
- Conducir – to drive
- Dañar – to damage
- Debatir – to debate
- Deber – to owe
- Decidir – to decide
- Decir – to say
- Defender – to defend
- Dejar – to leave
- Desayunar – to have breakfast
- Desear – to wish
- Despedir – to say goodbye
- Despertar – to wake up
- Destruir – to destroy/wreck
- Dormir – to sleep
- Echar – to throw
- Editar – to edit
- Elejir – to choose
- Eliminar – to eliminate
- Emitir – to emit
- Empujar – to push
- Encender – to turn on
- Enseñar – to teach
- Ensuciar – to get dirty
- Festejar – to celebrate
- Filmar – to film
- Flotar – to float
- Freír – to fry
- Ganar – to win
- Gastar – to spend
- Girar – to rotate
- Golpear – to hit
- Guardar – to save
- Herir – to hurt
- Hornear – to bake
- Huir – to runaway
- Humillar – to humilate
- Ladrar – to bark
- Lamentar – to regret
- Lastimar – to hurt
- Leer – to read
- Limpiar – to clean
- Llorar – to cry
- Luchar – to fight
- Madrugar – to wake up early
- Madurar – to mature
- Maquillar – to make up
- Marcar – to mark
- Medir – to measure
- Mostrar – to show
- Mover – to move
- Nacer – to be born
- Nadar – to swim
- Necestiar – to need
- Negar – to deny
- Obligar – to force
- Observar – to observe
- Obtener – to obtain
- Ocultar – to hide
- Oler – to smell
- Olvidar – to forget
- Parar – to stop
- Participar – to participate
- Pasar – to pass
- Pedir – to ask
- Pegar – to hit
- Peinar – to brush
- Pescar – to fish
- Quebrar – to break
- Quedar – to stay
- Quejar – to complain
- Quitar – to take out / away
- Rascar – to stratch
- Realizar – to realize
- Recoger – to pick up
- Recuperrar – to recover
- Reducir – to diminish
- Regalar – to gift
- Reír – to laugh
- Relajar – to relax
- Remover – to remove
- Repetir – to repir
- Saber – to know
- Saltar – to jump
- Saludar – to greet
- Salvar – save
- Sentar – to sit
- Soñar – to dream
- Subir – to go up
- Tapar – to cover
- Temblar – to shake
- Trabajar – to work
- Traducir – to translate
- Traer – to bring
- Usar – to use
- Utilizar – to use
- Unir – to unite
- Vaciar – to empty
- Vacunar – to vaccinate
- Valorar – to cherish
- Vencer – to expire
- Vender – to sell
- Venir – to come
- Vestir – to dress
- Volar – to fly
- Volver – to come back
Now you know what “To do” with Spanish verbs!
Hopefully, this list gave you some insight into how to use Spanish verbs!
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