Unit 4: More present tense verbs and personal a
4.1 Present Tense of -er and -ir Verbs
When a regular –er or –ir verb is conjugated, the –er or –ir of the infinitive is dropped, and the following endings are added: -o, -es, -e, emos (for –er verbs) or -imos (for –ir verbs), -éis (for –er verbs) or -ís (for –ir verbs), and -en.
Note the similarity with hablar: all of the consonants are the same; only the vowels differ.
| Hablar | Beber | Abrir | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablo | bebo | abro |
| Tú | hablas | bebes | abres |
| él, ella, Ud. | habla | bebe | abre |
| Nosotros | hablamos | bebemos | abrimos |
| Vosotros | habláis | bebéis | abrís |
| ellos, ellas, Uds. | hablan | beben | abren |
Verb forms from now on will be presented without the subject pronouns. As each form has its unique vowel or vowel + consonant ending, you should regularly be able to deduce the subject from the verb form.
Remember the four possible common translations of the present tense. Bebo, for example, may translate as:
- I drink.
- I am drinking.
- I do drink.
- I will (am going to) drink. (Indicating the near future. Context will help decide if this is the correct translation.)
