Present & core verbs
Practice Flashcards
el presente
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All Flashcards in Topic 3.1
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3.1.114 cards
el presente
the present tense
conjugar
to conjugate (change the verb to match the subject)
la raíz
the stem (what's left after removing -ar/-er/-ir)
la terminación
the ending (the part that changes per person)
hablar → yo
hablo (I speak)
comer → yo
como (I eat)
vivir → yo
vivo (I live)
hablar → nosotros
hablamos (we speak)
comer → ellos / ustedes
comen (they / you-all eat)
vivir → tú
vives (you live)
How do you form a regular present verb?
Drop -ar/-er/-ir to get the stem, then add the ending for the person.
Name three uses of the present tense.
Habits & routines, general facts, actions happening now (also near-future plans, «desde hace»).
Why do «trabajo» and «I'm working» match?
Spanish has no separate -ing form in everyday speech — the present covers «I work / I do work / I'm working».
What is the most common present-tense error?
Leaving the verb in the infinitive or mismatching the person (e.g. «yo hablar», «nosotros comen»).
3.1.214 cards
tener → yo
tengo (I have) — yo-go verb
poner → yo
pongo (I put) — yo-go verb
salir → yo
salgo (I go out) — yo-go verb
hacer → yo
hago (I do / make) — yo-go verb
decir → yo
digo (I say) — yo-go verb (also e→i: dices, dice)
querer → yo / tú
quiero / quieres (I want / you want) — e→ie
poder → yo / tú
puedo / puedes (I can / you can) — o→ue
pedir → yo / tú
pido / pides (I ask for / you ask for) — e→i
ser → presente
soy · eres · es · somos · sois · son
ir → presente
voy · vas · va · vamos · vais · van
What are the three patterns of irregular present verbs?
Yo-go verbs (-go in «yo»: tengo), stem-changers (e→ie, o→ue, e→i in a boot shape) and fully irregular (ser, ir).
Which persons keep the normal stem in a stem-changer?
Nosotros and vosotros — the change happens in yo, tú, él and ellos (the «boot»).
Do irregular present verbs have different uses from regular ones?
No — same jobs (habits, facts, now, near-future). Only the form is harder.
What are the two most common irregular-verb errors?
Regularising the stem («podo» instead of «puedo», «quero» instead of «quiero») and forgetting the yo-go («teno» instead of «tengo»).
3.1.314 cards
ser → presente
soy · eres · es · somos · sois · son
estar → presente
estoy · estás · está · estamos · estáis · están
ser → yo / tú
soy / eres (I am / you are — identity)
estar → yo / tú
estoy / estás (I am / you are — state/location)
ser → nosotros / ellos
somos / son (we are / they are)
estar → nosotros / ellos
estamos / están (we are / they are)
ser
to be — identity, origin, profession, characteristics, time & date
estar
to be — location, feelings/states, ongoing «-ando», result of a change
«I am from Spain.»
«Soy de España.» (origin → ser)
«I am at home.»
«Estoy en casa.» (location → estar)
When do you use SER?
For essence: identity, origin, profession, lasting characteristics, time and date.
When do you use ESTAR?
For state: location, feelings/conditions, ongoing «-ando» actions and the result of a change.
Which verb does location always take?
Estar — even for permanent places: «Madrid está en España».
What does «es aburrido» vs «está aburrido» mean?
«es aburrido» = (he/it is) boring; «está aburrido» = (he is) bored — ser/estar shifts the meaning.
3.1.414 cards
gustar
to be pleasing (= to like) — the «backwards» verb
me gusta + …
I like + a singular thing or an infinitive («me gusta el café», «me gusta leer»)
me gustan + …
I like + a plural thing («me gustan los libros»)
Indirect-object pronouns
me · te · le · nos · os · les (to me / to you / to him…)
encantar
to love — «me encanta la música» (I love music)
interesar
to interest — «me interesa el arte» (art interests me)
molestar
to bother — «me molesta el ruido» (the noise bothers me)
doler
to hurt — «me duele la cabeza» (my head hurts), «me duelen los pies»
parecer
to seem — «me parece interesante» (it seems interesting to me)
faltar
to be lacking — «me faltan dos euros» (I'm short two euros)
How does the gustar structure work?
Think «X is pleasing to me»: the thing is the subject, the person is an indirect object (me/te/le…) — «me gusta el café».
When is it gusta vs gustan?
gusta with a singular thing or an infinitive; gustan with a plural thing. The verb agrees with the thing, not the person.
What is the «yo gusto» error?
An English calque — making the person the subject. Correct is «(A mí) me gusta…», never «yo gusto».
Why «A mí me gusta…» with an «a»?
The emphatic «a + person» adds or clarifies who likes it; dropping the «a» («mí me gusta») is wrong.
Topic 3.1 study notes
Full notes & explanations for Present & core verbs
Spanish B exam skills
Paper structures, command terms & tips
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