WPWord Play
Home› Spanish› A1› Grammar› Regular -ar Verbs› Lesson

Regular -ar Verbs

The simplest verbs to conjugate in Spanish! All regular -ar verbs follow the same pattern in the present tense. Once you master this pattern, you'll recognize it everywhere.

Hablar (to speak): Yo hablo español. (I speak Spanish.)

Cantar (to sing): Ella canta muy bien. (She sings very well.)

Pattern: Remove -ar, add the appropriate ending: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an

Learning this pattern is the foundation for all Spanish verb conjugation.

The Present Tense Conjugation

Here's the basic pattern for all regular -ar verbs. Take the infinitive (like "hablar"), remove the -ar, and add these endings:

Pronoun Ending Hablar Example
Yo (I) -o hablo
Tú (You) -as hablas
Él/Ella/Usted -a habla
Nosotros (We) -amos hablamos
Vosotros (You pl, Spain) -áis habláis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes -an hablan

Key: The stem "habl-" stays the same; only the ending changes!

Common -ar Verbs

Here are some of the most common regular -ar verbs you'll see:

Hablar: to speak • Cantar: to sing • Bailar: to dance

Caminar: to walk • Cocinar: to cook • Estudiar: to study

Trabajar: to work • Escuchar: to listen • Comprar: to buy

Jugar: to play • Nadar: to swim • Dibujar: to draw

Example with "cantar":

  • Yo canto. (I sing.)
  • Ella canta. (She sings.)
  • Nosotros cantamos. (We sing.)
  • Ellos cantan. (They sing.)

Vosotros Accent Mark

Vosotros forms of -ar verbs have a written accent to preserve stress:

Hablar: habláis (not hablas)

Cantar: cantáis

Bailar: bailáis

Why? The accent shows where the stress falls. Vosotros forms are mainly used in Spain.

In Latin America, "ustedes" is used instead: "ustedes hablan" (they speak).

Negative & Question Forms

Making -ar verbs negative or interrogative is straightforward:

Affirmative: Yo hablo español. (I speak Spanish.)

Negative: Yo no hablo francés. (I don't speak French.)

Question: ¿Hablas inglés? (Do you speak English?)

Question (formal): ¿Habla usted español? (Do you speak Spanish?)

Rules:

  • Negative: Place "no" before the verb
  • Question: Use intonation or reverse subject-verb order

Full Conjugation Example

Let's conjugate "estudiar" (to study) completely:

Yo estudio. (I study.)

Tú estudias. (You study.)

Él estudia. (He studies.)

Nosotros estudiamos. (We study.)

Vosotros estudiáis. (You (pl.) study — Spain)

Ellos estudian. (They study.)

Notice: Only the ending changes. The stem "estudi-" remains the same throughout.

Common Mistakes

Traps for English speakers

These are the errors English speakers make most often.

Yo habla
→
Yo hablo
The yo form ends in -o.
Nosotros hablan
→
Nosotros hablamos
The nosotros form ends in -amos.
Ellos habla
→
Ellos hablan
The ellos form ends in -an.

Key Takeaways

  • All regular -ar verbs follow the same pattern in present tense
  • Remove -ar, then add: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an
  • Common verbs: hablar, cantar, bailar, caminar, trabajar, estudiar
  • Vosotros forms have an accent: habláis, cantáis, estudiáis
  • Negative: Use "no" before the verb
  • Questions: Use intonation or reverse subject-verb order
  • This pattern is your foundation for all Spanish verbs

Practice →