Reference · module 3
What you do
Everything this module explains, on one page.
Verbs in -ar
Use the biggest group of Spanish verbs.
- hablar: hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, hablan. Cut the -ar and add the endings, and every -ar verb behaves the same way.
- The ending already says who, so the pronoun is optional: Hablo español says I speak Spanish with no yo anywhere.
- trabajar, estudiar, comprar, escuchar, viajar, llamar. Most Spanish verbs end in -ar, and almost all of them are regular.
The mistake you are about to make
Hablo en español.
Hablo español.
Hablar takes the language directly: hablo español. En español is for a letter or a film that is in Spanish.
Verbs in -er and -ir
Use the other two groups.
- comer: como, comes, come, comemos, coméis, comen. vivir: vivo, vives, vive, vivimos, vivís, viven. Almost the same list.
- They differ in exactly two places: nosotros and vosotros. comemos against vivimos, coméis against vivís. Everywhere else they are identical.
- So three groups and really two sets of endings. beber, leer, aprender, escribir, abrir, subir are the ones you will meet first.
The mistake you are about to make
vivemos
vivimos
The -er and -ir lists match almost everywhere, so comemos carries over. Nosotros is exactly where they differ: vivimos.
Asking and denying
Ask a question and say no.
- Spanish has no do. A question is the same sentence with a rising tone and two marks: ¿Hablas español?
- The negative is one word before the verb: No hablo francés. And the answer to a question can be No, no hablo — one no for each job.
- qué, quién, dónde, cuándo, por qué, cómo, cuánto. Each takes an accent in a question, and each opens the sentence.
The mistake you are about to make
No hablo algo.
No hablo nada.
English allows one negative per sentence, so algo comes out after no. Spanish wants both: no hablo nada is correct and normal.
An ordinary day
Describe your day in order.
- trabajar, estudiar, comer, leer, escribir, escuchar. Six verbs and most of a day can be described.
- siempre, normalmente, a veces, nunca. These go before the verb or at the front of the sentence, and both positions are correct.
- For the parts of the day: por la mañana, por la tarde, por la noche. Always por and always la, whichever part it is.
The mistake you are about to make
por mañana
por la mañana
Parts of the day feel like "in the morning" with the article optional. Spanish always keeps it: por la mañana.