Modern Spanish Grammar: A Practical Guide

16 Verb forms

Section 16.1 gives an overall picture of Spanish verb forms. See the verb table in the

Appendix to check on the forms of individual common irregular verbs.

The order of forms, unless otherwise stated, is: 1st person singular, 2nd person singular,

3rd person singular, 1st person plural, 2nd person plural, 3rd person plural. Remember

that usted takes a 3rd person singular verb and ustedes a 3rd person plural verb, despite

their 2nd person meaning. The voseo form of the 2nd person singular most common

in the Río de la Plata area is given in brackets where it is different from the tú form of

the 2nd person singular.

16.1 The overall pattern

16.1.1 Regular verbs

16.1.1.1 Infinitive

16.1.1.2 The indicative tenses
The present stem is the infinitive minus -ar, -er or -ir:

NOTE The present, imperfect and preterite tenses are formed by adding the endings printed in italics to

thepresent stem.

(a) Present

NOTE The -er and -ir conjugations are different only in the 1st and 2nd persons plural.

cantar‘to sing’ comer‘to eat’ partir‘to break’; ‘to leave’

cant- com- part-

canto como parto

cantas (cantás) comes (comés) partes (partís)

canta come parte

cantamos comemos partimos

cantáis coméis partís

cantan comen parten