Irregular Present Tense Verbs for Beginners
Irregular verbs don't follow the standard conjugation patterns, but they're some of the most frequently used verbs in Spanish. Learning these is crucial for everyday communication.
Essential Irregular Verbs
1. SER (to be - identity/characteristics)
| Person | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | soy | Soy estudiante. (I am a student.) |
| Tú | eres | Eres muy amable. (You are very kind.) |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | es | Es médico. (He is a doctor.) |
| Nosotros/as | somos | Somos amigos. (We are friends.) |
| Vosotros/as | sois | Sois españoles. (You all are Spanish.) |
| Ellos/Ellas/Uds. | son | Son profesores. (They are teachers.) |
Quick Tip: SER describes WHO or WHAT something is (identity, characteristics, origin).
2. ESTAR (to be - location/condition)
| Person | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estoy | Estoy en casa. (I am at home.) |
| Tú | estás | Estás cansado. (You are tired.) |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | está | Está en la oficina. (He/She is at the office.) |
| Nosotros/as | estamos | Estamos contentos. (We are happy.) |
| Vosotros/as | estáis | Estáis aquí. (You all are here.) |
| Ellos/Ellas/Uds. | están | Están enfermos. (They are sick.) |
Quick Tip: ESTAR describes WHERE something is or temporary CONDITIONS.
3. IR (to go)
| Person | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | voy | Voy al supermercado. (I go/am going to the supermarket.) |
| Tú | vas | Vas a la escuela. (You go to school.) |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | va | Va al trabajo. (He/She goes to work.) |
| Nosotros/as | vamos | Vamos al cine. (We go to the movies.) |
| Vosotros/as | vais | Vais al parque. (You all go to the park.) |
| Ellos/Ellas/Uds. | van | Van de compras. (They go shopping.) |
Quick Tip: Always use IR + A before destinations or infinitives for future plans.
4. TENER (to have)
| Person | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | tengo | Tengo un perro. (I have a dog.) |
| Tú | tienes | Tienes razón. (You are right.) |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | tiene | Tiene 25 años. (He/She is 25 years old.) |
| Nosotros/as | tenemos | Tenemos hambre. (We are hungry.) |
| Vosotros/as | tenéis | Tenéis suerte. (You all are lucky.) |
| Ellos/Ellas/Uds. | tienen | Tienen un coche. (They have a car.) |
Quick Tip: TENER is used for age, possession, and many idiomatic expressions.
5. HACER (to do/make)
| Person | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hago | Hago ejercicio. (I do exercise.) |
| Tú | haces | Haces la tarea. (You do homework.) |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | hace | Hace buen tiempo. (The weather is good.) |
| Nosotros/as | hacemos | Hacemos la cena. (We make dinner.) |
| Vosotros/as | hacéis | Hacéis deporte. (You all do sports.) |
| Ellos/Ellas/Uds. | hacen | Hacen preguntas. (They ask questions.) |
Quick Tip: Only YO form is irregular (hago). Use for weather: "Hace frío" (It's cold).
6. SABER (to know facts/how to)
| Person | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | sé | Sé la respuesta. (I know the answer.) |
| Tú | sabes | Sabes nadar. (You know how to swim.) |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | sabe | Sabe español. (He/She knows Spanish.) |
| Nosotros/as | sabemos | Sabemos cocinar. (We know how to cook.) |
| Vosotros/as | sabéis | Sabéis la verdad. (You all know the truth.) |
| Ellos/Ellas/Uds. | saben | Saben bailar. (They know how to dance.) |
7. VER (to see)
| Person | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | veo | Veo la televisión. (I watch/see TV.) |
| Tú | ves | Ves una película. (You watch a movie.) |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | ve | Ve el problema. (He/She sees the problem.) |
| Nosotros/as | vemos | Vemos el mar. (We see the sea.) |
| Vosotros/as | veis | Veis los resultados. (You all see the results.) |
| Ellos/Ellas/Uds. | ven | Ven a sus amigos. (They see their friends.) |
8. DECIR (to say/tell)
| Person | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | digo | Digo la verdad. (I tell the truth.) |
| Tú | dices | Dices cosas interesantes. (You say interesting things.) |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | dice | Dice que sí. (He/She says yes.) |
| Nosotros/as | decimos | Decimos adiós. (We say goodbye.) |
| Vosotros/as | decís | Decís tonterías. (You all say nonsense.) |
| Ellos/Ellas/Uds. | dicen | Dicen la hora. (They tell the time.) |
Irregular Patterns to Remember
YO Form Only Irregulars
These verbs are only irregular in the YO form:
| Verb | Yo Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| HACER (to do) | hago | rest is regular | Hago deporte todos los días. |
| PONER (to put) | pongo | rest is regular | Pongo la mesa. |
| SALIR (to leave) | salgo | rest is regular | Salgo a las 8. |
| TRAER (to bring) | traigo | rest is regular | Traigo el libro. |
| CAER (to fall) | caigo | rest is regular | Caigo mal a veces. |
GO Verbs (YO ends in -GO)
- TENER → tengo
- VENIR → vengo
- PONER → pongo
- SALIR → salgo
- HACER → hago
- DECIR → digo
- TRAER → traigo
Memory Trick: "GO verbs GO to the GO store" - they all add -GO in the YO form!
Completely Irregular
These verbs have multiple irregular forms:
- SER (soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son)
- ESTAR (estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están)
- IR (voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van)
Practical Dialogues
Dialogue 1: Morning Routine
English: A: Are you ready? We're going to the office. B: Yes, I'm ready. I have everything. A: Do you know where the keys are? B: I see them on the table.
Spanish: A: ¿Estás listo? Vamos a la oficina. B: Sí, estoy listo. Tengo todo. A: ¿Sabes dónde están las llaves? B: Las veo en la mesa.
Dialogue 2: Making Plans
English: A: What do you do on Saturdays? B: I usually go to the gym and then I see my friends. A: That sounds good! We are going to the movies. Do you want to come? B: Yes, I want to go. What time?
Spanish: A: ¿Qué haces los sábados? B: Normalmente voy al gimnasio y luego veo a mis amigos. A: ¡Suena bien! Nosotros vamos al cine. ¿Quieres venir? B: Sí, quiero ir. ¿A qué hora?
Dialogue 3: At Work
English: A: Where is María? B: She's in a meeting. She has an important presentation. A: Do you know when she's coming back? B: I don't know, but I think the meeting ends at 3.
Spanish: A: ¿Dónde está María? B: Está en una reunión. Tiene una presentación importante. A: ¿Sabes cuándo viene? B: No sé, pero creo que la reunión termina a las 3.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Mistake 1: Using regular endings for irregular verbs
- Wrong: "Yo sabo"
- Right: "Yo sé" (I know)
❌ Mistake 2: Forgetting the -GO in YO forms
- Wrong: "Yo teno"
- Right: "Yo tengo" (I have)
❌ Mistake 3: Mixing up SER and ESTAR
- Wrong: "Yo soy cansado"
- Right: "Yo estoy cansado" (I am tired)
❌ Mistake 4: Using accent marks incorrectly
- Wrong: "Tu tienes"
- Right: "Tú tienes" (You have)
❌ Mistake 5: Forgetting the YO irregularity
- Wrong: "Yo haco ejercicio"
- Right: "Yo hago ejercicio" (I do exercise)
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Complete with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
- Yo _____ (ser) de México.
- Nosotros _____ (ir) al parque los domingos.
- Ella _____ (tener) dos hermanos.
- ¿Tú _____ (hacer) deporte?
- Ellos _____ (estar) en la biblioteca.
- Yo _____ (saber) tocar la guitarra.
- Ustedes _____ (decir) la verdad.
- Nosotros _____ (ver) una película esta noche.
Exercise 2: Translate to Spanish
- I am tired and I am going home.
- We have a meeting at 10.
- They see their friends on weekends.
- Do you (informal) know where the restaurant is?
- She says yes, but he says no.
Exercise 3: Correct the Errors
Find and correct the mistakes in these sentences.
- Yo estoy español.
- Nosotros vamos mucho hambre.
- ¿Tú haces dónde?
- Ellos son en el parque.
- Yo dico la verdad siempre.
Exercise 4: Conjugation Practice
Conjugate these verbs for all persons (yo, tú, él/ella, nosotros, ellos).
- SER
- TENER
- HACER
Exercise 5: Choose the Correct Verb
Select SER, ESTAR, TENER, or IR to complete each sentence.
- Yo _____ 25 años.
- Nosotros _____ al cine esta noche.
- Ella _____ profesora de español.
- ¿Tú _____ cansado?
- Ellos _____ de Argentina.
Answer Key
Exercise 1
- soy
- vamos
- tiene
- haces
- están
- sé
- dicen
- vemos
Exercise 2
- Estoy cansado/a y voy a casa.
- Tenemos una reunión a las 10.
- Ven a sus amigos los fines de semana.
- ¿Sabes dónde está el restaurante?
- Ella dice que sí, pero él dice que no.
Exercise 3
- Yo soy español. (use SER for nationality)
- Nosotros tenemos mucha hambre. (TENER hambre, not IR)
- ¿Dónde haces ejercicio? / ¿Qué haces? (word order)
- Ellos están en el parque. (use ESTAR for location)
- Yo digo la verdad siempre. (digo, not dico)
Exercise 4
- SER: soy, eres, es, somos, son
- TENER: tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tienen
- HACER: hago, haces, hace, hacemos, hacen
Exercise 5
- tengo (TENER for age)
- vamos (IR for going places)
- es (SER for professions)
- estás (ESTAR for temporary conditions)
- son (SER for origin)
Quick Reference Chart
Most Common Irregular Verbs (YO Form)
| Verb | Meaning | YO Form | Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| SER | to be | soy | completely irregular |
| ESTAR | to be | estoy | -oy ending |
| IR | to go | voy | -oy ending |
| TENER | to have | tengo | -go ending |
| HACER | to do/make | hago | yo only irregular |
| PONER | to put | pongo | yo only irregular |
| SALIR | to leave | salgo | yo only irregular |
| VENIR | to come | vengo | -go ending + stem |
| DECIR | to say | digo | -go ending + stem |
| SABER | to know | sé | yo only irregular |
| VER | to see | veo | yo only irregular |
| TRAER | to bring | traigo | yo only irregular |
Pro Tips
💡 Tip 1: Focus on the Big 4 Master SER, ESTAR, IR, and TENER first. These four appear in almost every conversation and are completely irregular.
💡 Tip 2: Learn the -GO Pattern Many important verbs follow the -GO pattern in YO form. Once you learn one, you can guess others.
💡 Tip 3: Practice with "Yo" Form Daily The YO form is most commonly irregular. Practice: "Yo tengo, yo hago, yo salgo, yo vengo..."
💡 Tip 4: Use Them in Sentences Don't just memorize charts. Make your own sentences: "Tengo hambre," "Voy al trabajo," "Estoy cansado."
💡 Tip 5: Connect Irregulars to Regular Patterns Some verbs are only irregular in YO form (HACER, PONER, SALIR). The rest follows regular patterns!
Cultural Notes
📚 In Conversation: Spanish speakers use irregular verbs constantly. SER, ESTAR, IR, and TENER appear in nearly every conversation. Mastering these will dramatically improve your fluency.
🗣️ Formality: These irregular verbs are the same for formal and informal speech. The difference comes in using TÚ vs. USTED forms.
🌍 Regional Variations: The VOSOTROS forms (sois, estáis, vais) are mainly used in Spain. In Latin America, use USTEDES forms instead (son, están, van).
Next Steps
After mastering irregular present tense verbs:
- ✅ Study stem-changing verbs (e→ie, o→ue, e→i)
- ✅ Learn present progressive (estar + gerund) for ongoing actions
- ✅ Practice preterite tense (simple past)
- ✅ Explore reflexive verbs in present tense
- ✅ Master common irregular verb expressions
4-Week Action Plan
Week 1: Focus on SER, ESTAR, IR, and TENER
- Day 1-2: Memorize all forms of SER and ESTAR
- Day 3-4: Practice IR and TENER
- Day 5-7: Use all four in simple sentences
Week 2: Add HACER, SABER, VER
- Day 1-3: Learn HACER and practice YO form pattern
- Day 4-5: Add SABER and VER
- Day 6-7: Combine with Week 1 verbs in conversations
Week 3: Master -GO Verbs
- Day 1-3: Practice TENER, VENIR, PONER, SALIR
- Day 4-5: Learn DECIR and TRAER
- Day 6-7: Use -GO verbs in dialogues
Week 4: Integration and Practice
- Day 1-3: Mix all irregular verbs in writing
- Day 4-5: Have conversations using these verbs
- Day 6-7: Review and test yourself
Remember: These irregular verbs are the backbone of Spanish conversation. They may seem challenging at first, but with daily practice, they'll become automatic. Start with just SER, ESTAR, IR, and TENER, and gradually add more!