How do you conjugate regular -AR verbs in the present tense?

Drop the -ar and add -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. So hablar becomes hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, hablan. 42 of the 50 verbs in this deck follow that pattern exactly, including trabajar, estudiar, comprar, cocinar and viajar. The -áis form belongs to vosotros, which is used in Spain; in Latin America you say ustedes hablan instead.

Which -AR verbs in this deck are not fully regular?

Stem changers: pensar, empezar and cerrar (e→ie), encontrar and acostarse (o→ue), and jugar (u→ue) — the change happens in all present-tense forms except nosotros and vosotros. Spelling changers in the yo preterite: buscar→busqué, tocar→toqué, sacar→saqué, llegar→llegué, pagar→pagué, empezar→empecé. Truly irregular: estar (estoy, estás, está...) and dar (doy).

Why do buscar, llegar and pagar change their spelling in the preterite?

Only to keep the consonant sound before the -é ending of the yo form. A written 'buscé' would be read with an s/th sound, so it is spelled busqué; 'llegé' and 'pagé' would be read with a harsh j sound, so a silent u is added: llegué, pagué. The same happens with tocar (toqué), sacar (saqué) and empezar (empecé), where z becomes c before e.

Why is gustar used differently from other -AR verbs?

Gustar is regular but the sentence is built backwards: the thing you like is the subject. You say me gusta el café (coffee is pleasing to me) and me gustan los perros, with the plural verb when the thing is plural. The person is an indirect object pronoun: me, te, le, nos, os, les. Add a mí, a ti or a mi hermano for clarity or emphasis.

Spanish -AR Verbs: 50 Essentials for Beginners

🇪🇸 Spanish · 50 cards · A1 · by Lucía Herrera

The -ar family is the biggest in Spanish and the one to learn first. These are the 50 verbs my beginner students actually need: talking, buying, working, eating, getting up in the morning. The present-tense endings are easy (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an), but three things trip people up, and I flag them on the cards. First, stem changers like pensar, empezar, encontrar and jugar break the vowel in four of the six forms. Second, buscar, llegar, pagar, tocar and sacar change their spelling in the yo preterite. Third, escuchar, buscar, esperar and pagar swallow the English preposition. Read the notes, then say every example out loud.

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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 50 cards

#	Spanish	English	Example
1	hablar The model regular -ar verb: hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, hablan. Use hablar con (talk to) and hablar de (talk about).	to speak, to talk	¿Hablas inglés? Do you speak English?
2	estudiar Fully regular. Estudiar una carrera = to do a degree.	to study	Estudio español por las noches. I study Spanish in the evenings.
3	trabajar Trabajar de/como + job: trabajo de camarero.	to work	Mi hermana trabaja en un hospital. My sister works in a hospital.
4	escuchar No preposition before a thing: escuchar música, escucharte. Never say 'escuchar a la música'.	to listen (to)	Escucho música mientras cocino. I listen to music while I cook.
5	mirar Mirar is the deliberate act of looking; ver is to see. For TV, ver la tele is the usual phrase everywhere, though mirar la tele is heard in parts of Latin America.	to look at, to watch	Mira, ahí viene el autobús. Look, the bus is coming.
6	comprar To buy something for someone: comprarle algo a alguien.	to buy	Voy a comprar pan para la cena. I'm going to buy bread for dinner.
7	tomar In Latin America tomar also means to take transport (tomar un taxi); Spain often uses coger, which is vulgar in Mexico and Argentina.	to drink, to have (food/drink), to take	¿Qué quieres tomar? What would you like to drink?
8	llamar Reflexive llamarse = to be called: me llamo Lucía.	to call, to phone	Te llamo esta noche. I'll call you tonight.
9	preguntar Preguntar = ask a question; pedir = ask for something. Preguntar por alguien = ask after someone.	to ask (a question)	Pregúntale al camarero, él sabe. Ask the waiter, he knows.
10	contestar Contestar el teléfono, contestar un correo, contestarle a alguien. Responder is a slightly more formal synonym.	to answer, to reply	Nadie contesta el teléfono. Nobody is answering the phone.
11	necesitar Necesitar + infinitive: necesito dormir.	to need	Necesito ayuda con esto. I need help with this.
12	usar In Latin America usar ropa/lentes is normal for 'wear'; Spain prefers llevar.	to use, to wear	¿Puedo usar tu cargador? Can I use your charger?
13	ayudar Ayudar a + infinitive: me ayuda a estudiar.	to help	¿Me ayudas con las maletas? Can you help me with the suitcases?
14	esperar No 'for' in Spanish: esperar el autobús. When it means 'hope', it takes the subjunctive: espero que vengas.	to wait (for), to hope, to expect	Espérame aquí, vuelvo enseguida. Wait for me here, I'll be right back.
15	llevar Llevar moves away from the speaker, traer moves towards it. Also for time: llevo dos años aquí (I've been here two years).	to take (somewhere), to carry, to wear	Llevo el coche al taller mañana. I'm taking the car to the garage tomorrow.
16	dejar Dejar + infinitive = to allow: déjame pasar. For leaving a place, use salir or irse.	to leave (something), to let	Dejé las llaves en la mesa. I left the keys on the table.
17	pasar Very common: pasar el fin de semana, pasar por casa, ¿me pasas la sal?	to happen, to pass, to spend (time)	¿Qué pasa? Te veo triste. What's going on? You look sad.
18	entrar Spain says entrar en la casa, Latin America entrar a la casa. Both are correct.	to go in, to come in, to enter	Entra, la puerta está abierta. Come in, the door is open.
19	caminar Careful: caminamos is both present and preterite, so the context tells you the tense. In Spain andar is just as common; caminar is the default in Latin America.	to walk	Caminamos hasta la playa todas las mañanas. We walk to the beach every morning.
20	viajar Viajar a + destination, viajar en tren/avión.	to travel	Viajo a Madrid el viernes. I'm travelling to Madrid on Friday.
21	visitar With people you need the personal a: visitar a mi tía, but visitar un museo.	to visit	Vamos a visitar a mis abuelos el domingo. We're going to visit my grandparents on Sunday.
22	bailar Saber + infinitive means 'know how to', not poder.	to dance	No sé bailar salsa. I don't know how to dance salsa.
23	cantar Fully regular.	to sing	Mi hijo canta en un coro. My son sings in a choir.
24	cocinar Putting yo after the verb adds emphasis, like 'I'm the one cooking'.	to cook	Hoy cocino yo. Today I'm cooking.
25	limpiar The i of the stem stays in every form: limpio, limpias, limpia, limpiamos, limpiáis, limpian.	to clean	Tengo que limpiar la cocina. I have to clean the kitchen.
26	lavar For your own body use the reflexive: lavarse las manos, me lavo el pelo.	to wash	Lavo la ropa los domingos. I do the laundry on Sundays.
27	descansar Descansa is the informal (tú) command; the formal one is descanse.	to rest	Descansa un rato, estás cansada. Rest for a while, you're tired.
28	desayunar The food goes straight after the verb, with no preposition.	to have breakfast	Desayuno café con tostadas. I have coffee and toast for breakfast.
29	cenar Lunch is almorzar (o→ue) or, in Spain, comer.	to have dinner	¿Cenamos fuera esta noche? Shall we eat out tonight?
30	ganar Ganar dinero = to earn money; ganarse la vida = to make a living.	to win, to earn	Mi equipo ganó el partido. My team won the match.
31	cambiar Cambiar de + noun when you swap one thing for another: cambiar de casa, de idea.	to change	Quiero cambiar de trabajo. I want to change jobs.
32	terminar Terminar de + infinitive: terminé de comer. Acabar is a common synonym.	to finish, to end	Termino el curso en junio. I finish the course in June.
33	preparar Reflexive prepararse = to get (yourself) ready: me preparo en cinco minutos.	to prepare, to make (food)	Preparo la cena en diez minutos. I can make dinner in ten minutes.
34	enseñar Also 'show': enséñame las fotos. Enseñar a + infinitive = teach someone to do something.	to teach, to show	Mi tía enseña matemáticas. My aunt teaches maths.
35	buscar No 'for' in Spanish: busco mis llaves. Spelling change in the yo preterite: busqué.	to look for, to search for	¿Qué buscas en el bolso? What are you looking for in your bag?
36	llegar Llegar a + place: llego a casa. Yo preterite adds a u: llegué.	to arrive, to get (somewhere)	Siempre llegas tarde. You're always late.
37	pagar Pagar la cuenta — no 'for' in Spanish. Yo preterite: pagué.	to pay, to pay for	Hoy pago yo. Today it's on me.
38	tocar Yo preterite: toqué. Me toca a mí = it's my turn.	to touch, to play (an instrument)	Toca la guitarra muy bien. He plays the guitar very well.
39	sacar Yo preterite: saqué. Also sacar fotos = to take photos.	to take out, to get (a grade, a ticket)	Saca la basura, por favor. Take out the rubbish, please.
40	pensar Stem change e→ie: pienso, piensas, piensa, pensamos, pensáis, piensan. Pensar en = think about; pensar + infinitive = plan to.	to think	Pienso que tienes razón. I think you're right.
41	empezar Stem change e→ie, plus z→c in the yo preterite: empecé. Empezar a + infinitive. Comenzar works the same way.	to start, to begin	La película empieza a las ocho. The film starts at eight.
42	cerrar Stem change e→ie: cierro, cierras, cierra, cerramos, cerráis, cierran.	to close, to shut	Cierran la tienda los domingos. They close the shop on Sundays.
43	encontrar Stem change o→ue: encuentro, encuentras, encuentra, encontramos, encontráis, encuentran. Encontrarse con alguien = to run into someone.	to find	No encuentro mi cartera. I can't find my wallet.
44	jugar The only u→ue verb in Spanish: juego, juegas, juega, jugamos, jugáis, juegan. Spain says jugar al fútbol, Latin America often jugar fútbol.	to play (a game or sport)	Los niños juegan en el parque. The children are playing in the park.
45	levantarse Reflexive: me levanto, te levantas, se levanta, nos levantamos, os levantáis, se levantan. Without the pronoun, levantar means to lift something.	to get up	Me levanto a las siete todos los días. I get up at seven every day.
46	ducharse Reflexive and fully regular. In Mexico bañarse is used the same way and usually means 'to shower' too.	to have a shower, to shower	Me ducho antes de desayunar. I shower before having breakfast.
47	acostarse Reflexive with o→ue: me acuesto, te acuestas, se acuesta, nos acostamos, os acostáis, se acuestan.	to go to bed, to lie down	Me acuesto muy tarde entre semana. I go to bed very late on weekdays.
48	estar Irregular -ar verb: estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están. Mind the accents. Use it for place and mood; use ser for identity.	to be (location, temporary state)	Estoy en la oficina. I'm at the office.
49	dar Irregular yo form: doy. The rest is regular: das, da, damos, dais, dan. Preterite: di, diste, dio.	to give	¿Me das tu número? Will you give me your number?
50	gustar Backwards structure: the thing liked is the subject. Me gusta el café / me gustan los perros; add a mí me gusta for emphasis.	to like (literally: to be pleasing to)	Me gusta mucho el chocolate. I really like chocolate.

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

How do you conjugate regular -AR verbs in the present tense?: Drop the -ar and add -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. So hablar becomes hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, hablan. 42 of the 50 verbs in this deck follow that pattern exactly, including trabajar, estudiar, comprar, cocinar and viajar. The -áis form belongs to vosotros, which is used in Spain; in Latin America you say ustedes hablan instead.
Which -AR verbs in this deck are not fully regular?: Stem changers: pensar, empezar and cerrar (e→ie), encontrar and acostarse (o→ue), and jugar (u→ue) — the change happens in all present-tense forms except nosotros and vosotros. Spelling changers in the yo preterite: buscar→busqué, tocar→toqué, sacar→saqué, llegar→llegué, pagar→pagué, empezar→empecé. Truly irregular: estar (estoy, estás, está...) and dar (doy).
Why do buscar, llegar and pagar change their spelling in the preterite?: Only to keep the consonant sound before the -é ending of the yo form. A written 'buscé' would be read with an s/th sound, so it is spelled busqué; 'llegé' and 'pagé' would be read with a harsh j sound, so a silent u is added: llegué, pagué. The same happens with tocar (toqué), sacar (saqué) and empezar (empecé), where z becomes c before e.
Why is gustar used differently from other -AR verbs?: Gustar is regular but the sentence is built backwards: the thing you like is the subject. You say me gusta el café (coffee is pleasing to me) and me gustan los perros, with the plural verb when the thing is plural. The person is an indirect object pronoun: me, te, le, nos, os, les. Add a mí, a ti or a mi hermano for clarity or emphasis.

Tags:verbs conjugation present tense beginner

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