The most frequent verbs are irregular
The verbs you use most often do not follow the regular pattern. Many are irregular only in the yo form, and a few change in more persons.
Irregular only in the yo form
| Infinitive | yo | rest of the verb (regular) |
|---|---|---|
| hacer (to do, make) | hago | haces, hace, hacemos, hacéis, hacen |
| poner (to put) | pongo | pones, pone, ponemos, ponéis, ponen |
| salir (to go out, leave) | salgo | sales, sale, salimos, salís, salen |
| saber (to know facts) | sé | sabes, sabe, sabemos, sabéis, saben |
| conocer (to know people, places) | conozco | conoces, conoce, conocemos, conocéis, conocen |
| ver (to see) | veo | ves, ve, vemos, veis, ven |
| dar (to give) | doy | das, da, damos, dais, dan |
Sé (I know) has an accent to distinguish it from the pronoun se.
Irregular in more persons
| Person | tener (to have) | venir (to come) | decir (to say) | ir (to go) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | tengo | vengo | digo | voy |
| tú | tienes | vienes | dices | vas |
| él / ella / usted | tiene | viene | dice | va |
| nosotros/-as | tenemos | venimos | decimos | vamos |
| vosotros/-as (Spain) | tenéis | venís | decís | vais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | tienen | vienen | dicen | van |
Ir is almost always followed by a before a place: Voy a la playa.
Saber or conocer?
Both mean "to know":
- saber: facts, information, and how to do something (+ infinitive).
- No sé dónde vive. — I don't know where he lives.
- Sé nadar. — I can swim. (I know how to swim.)
- conocer: people, places, being familiar with something.
- Conozco a tu hermano. — I know your brother.
- ¿Conoces Sevilla? — Have you been to Seville? / Do you know Seville?
Useful expressions
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| tener hambre / sed / frío / calor | to be hungry / thirsty / cold / hot |
| tener ... años | to be ... years old |
| tener que + infinitive | to have to |
| hace frío / calor / sol | it is cold / hot / sunny |
| hacer una pregunta | to ask a question |
| dar un paseo | to go for a walk |
- Tengo que trabajar mañana. — I have to work tomorrow.
- Hoy hace mucho calor. — It is very hot today.
Watch out as an English speaker
- Weather with hacer. English uses "it is". ✗ Es frío hoy. / ✓ Hace frío hoy.
- Physical states with tener. ✗ Soy hambre. / Estoy frío. (meaning "I feel cold") / ✓ Tengo hambre. / Tengo frío. Estoy frío means your body is cold to the touch.
- Saber vs conocer. "Do you know Ana?" is about a person. ✗ ¿Sabes a Ana? / ✓ ¿Conoces a Ana? "I can swim" as a learned skill is ✓ Sé nadar. (Puedo nadar means you are able or allowed to swim right now.)
- Ask a question. ✗ preguntar una pregunta / ✓ hacer una pregunta.
Example dialogue
¿Qué haces esta noche? — What are you doing tonight?
Salgo con unos amigos. Vamos al cine. ¿Vienes? — I'm going out with some friends. We're going to the cinema. Are you coming?
No puedo, tengo que estudiar. — I can't, I have to study.
¡Qué pena! Mañana te digo qué tal. — What a pity! I'll tell you tomorrow how it went.