What is the difference between ser and estar?

Both mean 'to be'. Ser describes who or what something is: origin, profession, personality, nationality (soy mexicana, es profesor). Estar describes where something is and how it is right now: estoy en casa, estás cansado. A quick test: if the information would fit on your ID card, use ser; if it could change this afternoon, use estar.

Saber or conocer — which one do I use for 'to know'?

Saber is for information and skills: sé tu dirección, sé nadar, no sé qué hora es. Conocer is for being acquainted with people, places and things: conozco a tu hermano, conozco Madrid. With people, conocer in the past also means 'to meet for the first time': ayer conocí a tu jefe. Both have an irregular yo form: sé, conozco.

Why is it 'me gusta' and not 'yo gusto'?

Gustar literally means 'to be pleasing', so the Spanish sentence is built the other way round. In me gusta el café, el café is the subject and me is the person who likes it. Use gusta with one thing (me gusta el cine) and gustan with plural things (me gustan los perros). Doler, encantar and parecer work the same way: me duele la cabeza, me encantan las playas.

How many of these 100 verbs are irregular in the present tense?

Around a third. Three patterns cover most of them: stem changes e→ie (querer, empezar, entender), o→ue (poder, volver, dormir) and e→i (pedir, seguir, repetir), in every form except nosotros and vosotros; plus verbs irregular only in the yo form (hago, salgo, pongo, traigo, conozco, conduzco, doy, veo). Ser, ir, estar, tener, venir and decir are irregular in more than one place, so learn those six as whole blocks.

100 Most Common Spanish Verbs (with yo & tú forms)

🇪🇸 Spanish · 100 cards · A1 · by Lucía Herrera

This is the verb list I hand every new student on day one. The first four — ser, estar, tener, haber — do most of the work in Spanish, so they come first; after that it is the everyday stuff: eating, working, getting out of the house, asking for the bill.

Each card gives the infinitive, the meaning, and the yo and tú present forms in the note, because that is exactly where beginners trip: poder → puedo, pedir → pido, salir → salgo. I also flag the pairs my students mix up (saber/conocer, pedir/preguntar, mirar/ver) and the backwards verbs like gustar and doler.

Read the card, then say the example out loud until it sounds like you.

1 / 100

How to use this deck

Flip through the cards, then switch to Quiz. Tap the play button on any row to hear it. The full table below is there to read, print or copy into your own flashcard app.

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All 100 cards

#	Spanish	English	Example
1	ser yo soy, tú eres — irregular. Identity, origin, profession, lasting qualities.	to be (identity, origin, characteristics)	Soy de Valencia, pero vivo en México. I'm from Valencia, but I live in Mexico.
2	estar yo estoy, tú estás — irregular. Location, moods and temporary states.	to be (state, location)	¿Dónde estás? Te espero abajo. Where are you? I'm waiting downstairs.
3	tener yo tengo, tú tienes — irregular. Also tener hambre, tener frío, tener 20 años.	to have	Tengo dos hermanos y un perro. I have two brothers and a dog.
4	haber yo he, tú has (he comido = I have eaten). The impersonal form hay never changes: hay un coche, hay dos coches.	to have (auxiliary); there is, there are	Hay mucha gente en la calle. There are a lot of people in the street.
5	hacer yo hago, tú haces — irregular yo. Weather too: hace frío, hace sol.	to do, to make	¿Qué haces el fin de semana? What are you doing at the weekend?
6	ir yo voy, tú vas — irregular. ir a + infinitive is the easy future: voy a comer.	to go	Voy al mercado, ¿vienes conmigo? I'm going to the market, are you coming with me?
7	poder yo puedo, tú puedes — o→ue stem change.	can, to be able to	No puedo hablar ahora, estoy en clase. I can't talk now, I'm in class.
8	querer yo quiero, tú quieres — e→ie. Te quiero = I love you. In a bar, quería un café sounds politer.	to want; to love	Quiero un café con leche, por favor. I'd like a coffee with milk, please.
9	saber yo sé, tú sabes — irregular yo. Facts and skills; for people use conocer.	to know (facts); to know how to	No sé dónde está mi móvil. I don't know where my phone is.
10	decir yo digo, tú dices — irregular (e→i plus irregular yo).	to say, to tell	¿Qué dices? No te oigo bien. What are you saying? I can't hear you well.
11	ver yo veo, tú ves — irregular yo.	to see, to watch	Veo la tele un rato por la noche. I watch TV for a while in the evening.
12	dar yo doy, tú das — irregular yo.	to give	¿Me das tu número, por favor? Will you give me your number, please?
13	hablar yo hablo, tú hablas — the model for all regular -ar verbs.	to speak, to talk	Hablo español y un poco de inglés. I speak Spanish and a little English.
14	comer yo como, tú comes — the model for regular -er verbs. In Spain comer also means 'to have lunch'.	to eat	Como fruta todos los días. I eat fruit every day.
15	beber yo bebo, tú bebes — regular. In Mexico people usually say tomar agua.	to drink	Bebo mucha agua cuando hace calor. I drink a lot of water when it's hot.
16	vivir yo vivo, tú vives — the model for regular -ir verbs.	to live	Vivo cerca del parque. I live near the park.
17	trabajar yo trabajo, tú trabajas — regular.	to work	Trabajo desde casa los lunes. I work from home on Mondays.
18	estudiar yo estudio, tú estudias — regular.	to study	Estudio español dos veces por semana. I study Spanish twice a week.
19	llegar yo llego, tú llegas — regular (spelling change in the past: llegué).	to arrive, to get somewhere	El tren llega a las ocho y media. The train arrives at half past eight.
20	salir yo salgo, tú sales — irregular yo. salir con alguien = to date someone.	to go out, to leave	Salgo de la oficina a las seis. I leave the office at six.
21	entrar yo entro, tú entras — regular. entrar en (Spain) / entrar a (Latin America).	to go in, to enter	Entra, la puerta está abierta. Come in, the door is open.
22	venir yo vengo, tú vienes — irregular.	to come	¿Vienes a mi casa esta tarde? Are you coming to my place this afternoon?
23	poner yo pongo, tú pones — irregular yo. ponerse = to put on (clothes).	to put, to place	Pongo la mesa antes de cenar. I set the table before dinner.
24	llevar yo llevo, tú llevas — regular. Also clothes: llevas una camisa azul.	to take, to carry; to wear	Llevo el paraguas, parece que va a llover. I'm taking the umbrella, it looks like rain.
25	dejar yo dejo, tú dejas — regular. dejar de + infinitive = to stop doing something.	to leave (something); to let	Deja las llaves en la mesa. Leave the keys on the table.
26	pasar yo paso, tú pasas — regular. Also ¡Pasa! = Come in!	to happen; to pass; to spend (time)	¿Qué pasa? Te veo preocupado. What's wrong? You look worried.
27	seguir yo sigo, tú sigues — e→i. seguir + gerund = to keep doing.	to follow; to carry on	Sigo estudiando por las noches. I'm still studying in the evenings.
28	encontrar yo encuentro, tú encuentras — o→ue. encontrarse con = to run into someone.	to find	No encuentro mis gafas. I can't find my glasses.
29	llamar yo llamo, tú llamas — regular. Reflexive llamarse for names: me llamo Lucía, ¿cómo te llamas?	to call	Te llamo esta noche, ¿vale? I'll call you tonight, okay?
30	pensar yo pienso, tú piensas — e→ie. pensar en = to think about.	to think	Pienso que es buena idea. I think it's a good idea.
31	volver yo vuelvo, tú vuelves — o→ue. volver a + infinitive = to do again.	to come back, to return	Vuelvo a las nueve, no me esperes. I'll be back at nine, don't wait for me.
32	empezar yo empiezo, tú empiezas — e→ie. Synonym: comenzar.	to begin, to start	La película empieza en diez minutos. The film starts in ten minutes.
33	esperar yo espero, tú esperas — regular. No preposition: te espero, never 'espero para ti'.	to wait; to hope; to expect	Te espero en la puerta del cine. I'll wait for you at the cinema entrance.
34	buscar yo busco, tú buscas — regular. Never add 'for': busco un piso.	to look for, to search for	Busco trabajo en esta zona. I'm looking for work in this area.
35	entender yo entiendo, tú entiendes — e→ie. Comprender means the same but sounds more formal.	to understand	Perdón, no entiendo nada. Sorry, I don't understand a thing.
36	conocer yo conozco, tú conoces — irregular yo. People and places; saber is for facts.	to know (people, places); to meet	¿Conoces a mi hermana? Do you know my sister?
37	creer yo creo, tú crees — regular -er. Spanish puts the 'no' on the second verb: creo que no viene.	to believe, to think	Creo que hoy no viene. I don't think he's coming today.
38	sentir yo siento, tú sientes — e→ie. sentirse bien/mal = to feel well/unwell.	to feel; to be sorry	Lo siento, llego tarde. Sorry, I'm late.
39	pedir yo pido, tú pides — e→i. Ask FOR something; preguntar is to ask a question.	to ask for, to order	Pido la cuenta y nos vamos. I'll ask for the bill and we'll go.
40	parecer yo parezco, tú pareces — irregular yo. Me parece bien = it seems fine to me.	to seem, to look like	Parece que va a llover. It looks like it's going to rain.
41	quedar yo quedo, tú quedas — regular. quedarse = to stay: me quedo en casa. In Mexico you hear nos vemos mañana instead.	to arrange to meet; to be left	Quedamos mañana a las cinco. We're meeting tomorrow at five.
42	deber yo debo, tú debes — regular. Softer advice: deberías descansar.	must, should; to owe	Debes descansar un poco más. You should rest a bit more.
43	necesitar yo necesito, tú necesitas — regular.	to need	Necesito ayuda con esta maleta. I need help with this suitcase.
44	gustar me gusta (one thing) / me gustan (several); te gusta, te gustan. Backwards verb: don't say 'yo gusto' for 'I like'.	to like (literally: to be pleasing)	Me gusta mucho el chocolate. I really like chocolate.
45	escribir yo escribo, tú escribes — regular -ir (participle: escrito).	to write	Escribo un mensaje y salimos. I'll write a message and then we'll go out.
46	leer yo leo, tú lees — regular -er.	to read	Leo el periódico con el desayuno. I read the paper with breakfast.
47	aprender yo aprendo, tú aprendes — regular. aprender a + infinitive: aprender a conducir.	to learn	Aprendo español para viajar. I'm learning Spanish so I can travel.
48	enseñar yo enseño, tú enseñas — regular. Also 'show': enséñame la foto.	to teach; to show	Enseño español a estudiantes extranjeros. I teach Spanish to foreign students.
49	abrir yo abro, tú abres — regular -ir (participle: abierto).	to open	La tienda abre a las diez. The shop opens at ten.
50	cerrar yo cierro, tú cierras — e→ie.	to close, to shut	Cierra la ventana, hace frío. Close the window, it's cold.
51	comprar yo compro, tú compras — regular.	to buy	Compro el pan en la esquina. I buy the bread on the corner.
52	vender yo vendo, tú vendes — regular -er.	to sell	Aquí venden fruta muy buena. They sell very good fruit here.
53	pagar yo pago, tú pagas — regular (pagué in the past).	to pay	Hoy pago yo, tú pagas la próxima vez. Today I'm paying, you pay next time.
54	costar cuesta / cuestan — o→ue, used mainly in the third person. Billete in Spain, boleto in Mexico.	to cost	¿Cuánto cuesta el billete? How much does the ticket cost?
55	cocinar yo cocino, tú cocinas — regular.	to cook	Mi padre cocina mejor que yo. My dad cooks better than me.
56	limpiar yo limpio, tú limpias — regular.	to clean	Limpio la cocina los sábados. I clean the kitchen on Saturdays.
57	lavar yo lavo, tú lavas — regular. lavarse for your own body: me lavo las manos.	to wash	Lavo los platos después de cenar. I wash the dishes after dinner.
58	ayudar yo ayudo, tú ayudas — regular. ayudar a + infinitive: me ayuda a estudiar.	to help	¿Me ayudas con las bolsas? Can you help me with the bags?
59	usar yo uso, tú usas — regular. Móvil in Spain, celular in Latin America.	to use	Uso el móvil para todo. I use my phone for everything.
60	tomar yo tomo, tú tomas — regular. In Latin America tomar is the normal verb for drinking.	to take; to drink	Tomo el autobús a las siete. I take the bus at seven.
61	traer yo traigo, tú traes — irregular yo.	to bring	Traigo postre para todos. I'm bringing dessert for everyone.
62	mirar yo miro, tú miras — regular. mirar = look on purpose; ver = see.	to look at, to watch	Mira, ahí está el autobús. Look, there's the bus.
63	escuchar yo escucho, tú escuchas — regular. No 'to': escucho la radio.	to listen (to)	Escucho música mientras corro. I listen to music while I run.
64	oír yo oigo, tú oyes — irregular. Oye… is the everyday way to say 'hey, listen'.	to hear	No te oigo, hay mucho ruido. I can't hear you, there's a lot of noise.
65	dormir yo duermo, tú duermes — o→ue. dormirse = to fall asleep.	to sleep	Duermo ocho horas cada noche. I sleep eight hours every night.
66	despertarse yo me despierto, tú te despiertas — reflexive with e→ie.	to wake up	Me despierto a las siete. I wake up at seven.
67	levantarse yo me levanto, tú te levantas — reflexive and regular.	to get up	Los domingos me levanto tarde. On Sundays I get up late.
68	ducharse yo me ducho, tú te duchas — reflexive and regular.	to have a shower	Me ducho antes de desayunar. I shower before having breakfast.
69	vestirse yo me visto, tú te vistes — reflexive with e→i.	to get dressed	El niño ya se viste solo. The boy already gets dressed by himself.
70	sentarse yo me siento, tú te sientas — reflexive, e→ie. Careful: me siento is also 'I feel' (sentirse).	to sit down	Siéntate aquí, a mi lado. Sit down here, next to me.
71	correr yo corro, tú corres — regular -er.	to run	Corro en el parque por la mañana. I run in the park in the morning.
72	caminar yo camino, tú caminas — regular. In Spain andar is also very common.	to walk	Camino veinte minutos hasta la playa. I walk twenty minutes to the beach.
73	viajar yo viajo, tú viajas — regular.	to travel	Viajo a Madrid en junio. I'm travelling to Madrid in June.
74	conducir yo conduzco, tú conduces — irregular yo. In Latin America: manejar.	to drive	No conduzco de noche. I don't drive at night.
75	bailar yo bailo, tú bailas — regular.	to dance	Bailas muy bien la salsa. You dance salsa really well.
76	cantar yo canto, tú cantas — regular.	to sing	Canto en la ducha todos los días. I sing in the shower every day.
77	jugar yo juego, tú juegas — the only u→ue verb. Instruments take tocar, not jugar.	to play (a game, a sport)	Los niños juegan en el patio. The children are playing in the yard.
78	ganar yo gano, tú ganas — regular. ganar dinero = to earn money.	to win; to earn	Nuestro equipo gana casi siempre. Our team almost always wins.
79	perder yo pierdo, tú pierdes — e→ie. perder el tren = to miss the train.	to lose; to miss (a train)	Siempre pierdo el paraguas. I always lose my umbrella.
80	olvidar yo olvido, tú olvidas — regular. In speech, olvidarse de is more common: me olvido de todo.	to forget	Siempre olvido las contraseñas. I always forget my passwords.
81	recordar yo recuerdo, tú recuerdas — o→ue. Acordarse de is the everyday synonym: no me acuerdo.	to remember; to remind	No recuerdo su nombre. I don't remember his name.
82	contar yo cuento, tú cuentas — o→ue. contar con = to count on.	to count; to tell (a story)	Cuéntame qué tal el viaje. Tell me how the trip went.
83	preguntar yo pregunto, tú preguntas — regular. Ask a question; pedir is to ask for something. Camarero in Spain, mesero in Mexico.	to ask (a question)	Pregúntale al camarero si hay wifi. Ask the waiter if there's wifi.
84	contestar yo contesto, tú contestas — regular. Responder means the same.	to answer, to reply	Nadie contesta el teléfono. Nobody is answering the phone.
85	explicar yo explico, tú explicas — regular (expliqué in the past).	to explain	¿Me explicas otra vez el ejercicio? Can you explain the exercise to me again?
86	repetir yo repito, tú repites — e→i.	to repeat	¿Puedes repetir más despacio? Can you repeat that more slowly?
87	practicar yo practico, tú practicas — regular (practiqué in the past).	to practise	Practico español con mis compañeros. I practise Spanish with my classmates.
88	descansar yo descanso, tú descansas — regular.	to rest	Descansa, mañana será un día largo. Get some rest, tomorrow will be a long day.
89	terminar yo termino, tú terminas — regular. terminar de + infinitive. Acabar is a common synonym.	to finish, to end	Termino de trabajar a las cinco. I finish work at five.
90	cambiar yo cambio, tú cambias — regular. cambiar de + noun = to change something you have.	to change	Quiero cambiar de trabajo. I want to change jobs.
91	enviar yo envío, tú envías — note the accent. In speech mandar is even more common.	to send	Te envío la dirección por mensaje. I'll send you the address by text.
92	recibir yo recibo, tú recibes — regular -ir.	to receive, to get	Recibo muchos correos cada día. I get a lot of emails every day.
93	subir yo subo, tú subes — regular. subir al autobús = to get on the bus.	to go up; to get on; to upload	Subo por las escaleras. I'm going up the stairs.
94	bajar yo bajo, tú bajas — regular. bajar una aplicación = to download an app.	to go down; to get off; to download	Bajo en la próxima parada. I'm getting off at the next stop.
95	doler me duele / me duelen — works like gustar, with o→ue. Say me duele la espalda, not 'mi espalda duele'.	to hurt, to ache	Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts.
96	llover llueve — o→ue and third person only; no subject pronoun in Spanish.	to rain	En Valencia llueve poco. It doesn't rain much in Valencia.
97	preferir yo prefiero, tú prefieres — e→ie. Compare with a, not que: prefiero X a Y.	to prefer	Prefiero el té al café. I prefer tea to coffee.
98	intentar yo intento, tú intentas — regular. intentar + infinitive; synonym tratar de.	to try	Intento hablar solo español en clase. I try to speak only Spanish in class.
99	visitar yo visito, tú visitas — regular. With people you need the personal 'a'.	to visit	Visito a mis abuelos los domingos. I visit my grandparents on Sundays.
100	invitar yo invito, tú invitas — regular. Te invito usually means 'it's on me'.	to invite; to treat (pay for someone)	Te invito a un café. Let me buy you a coffee.

Lucía Herrera

Native Spanish · Speaks English, Portuguese

Native Spanish speaker from Valencia, now in Mexico City. I tutor Spanish online and keep a notebook of the words my students trip over. Every deck here comes from that notebook.

Published 17 Sept 2026

Questions about this deck

What is the difference between ser and estar?: Both mean 'to be'. Ser describes who or what something is: origin, profession, personality, nationality (soy mexicana, es profesor). Estar describes where something is and how it is right now: estoy en casa, estás cansado. A quick test: if the information would fit on your ID card, use ser; if it could change this afternoon, use estar.
Saber or conocer — which one do I use for 'to know'?: Saber is for information and skills: sé tu dirección, sé nadar, no sé qué hora es. Conocer is for being acquainted with people, places and things: conozco a tu hermano, conozco Madrid. With people, conocer in the past also means 'to meet for the first time': ayer conocí a tu jefe. Both have an irregular yo form: sé, conozco.
Why is it 'me gusta' and not 'yo gusto'?: Gustar literally means 'to be pleasing', so the Spanish sentence is built the other way round. In me gusta el café, el café is the subject and me is the person who likes it. Use gusta with one thing (me gusta el cine) and gustan with plural things (me gustan los perros). Doler, encantar and parecer work the same way: me duele la cabeza, me encantan las playas.
How many of these 100 verbs are irregular in the present tense?: Around a third. Three patterns cover most of them: stem changes e→ie (querer, empezar, entender), o→ue (poder, volver, dormir) and e→i (pedir, seguir, repetir), in every form except nosotros and vosotros; plus verbs irregular only in the yo form (hago, salgo, pongo, traigo, conozco, conduzco, doy, veo). Ser, ir, estar, tener, venir and decir are irregular in more than one place, so learn those six as whole blocks.

Tags:verbs conjugation present tense beginner

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