The present tense (Edexcel GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
The present tense
What is the present tense?
The present tense is used to describe actions happening now, regular activities, and general descriptions. In Spanish, there are both regular verbs that follow predictable patterns and radical-changing verbs (also called stem-changing verbs) that have vowel changes in their stems.
Understanding the difference between regular and radical-changing verbs is fundamental to mastering Spanish conjugation, as each type follows distinct patterns that you'll use constantly in everyday conversation.
Regular verbs
Regular verbs in Spanish follow consistent patterns based on their infinitive endings. To form the present tense, you remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir) and add the appropriate present tense endings.
Conjugation patterns
| Person | -ar verbs (hablar - to speak) | -er verbs (comer - to eat) | -ir verbs (vivir - to live) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | hablo | como | vivo |
| you | hablas | comes | vives |
| he/she/it | habla | come | vive |
| we | hablamos | comemos | vivimos |
| you (plural) | habláis | coméis | vivís |
| they | hablan | comen | viven |
The usted (polite 'you') form uses the same endings as he/she/it.
When to use the present tense
The present tense helps you talk about:
- What you are doing now: "Hablo español" (I speak Spanish)
- What you do regularly: "Como fruta todos los días" (I eat fruit every day)
- What things are like: "Vivo en Madrid" (I live in Madrid)
- Planned future events: "Mañana voy a España" (Tomorrow I'm going to Spain)
You can also use the present tense with desde hace to show how long something has been happening: "Vivo aquí desde hace dos años" (I have been living here for two years).
Worked Example: Using the Present Tense
Let's conjugate the regular verb "estudiar" (to study):
- Yo estudio (I study)
- Tú estudias (You study)
- Él/Ella estudia (He/She studies)
- Nosotros estudiamos (We study)
- Vosotros estudiáis (You all study)
- Ellos estudian (They study)
Notice how we remove "-ar" and add the appropriate endings for each person.
Radical-changing verbs
Radical-changing verbs are verbs where the vowel in the stem changes in certain forms. The vowel before the infinitive ending changes in the singular forms and the they form, but stays the same in the we and you plural forms.
The stem changes only occur in the stressed syllables. This is why the "we" and "you plural" forms don't change - the stress falls on the ending, not the stem.
Three main patterns
| Pattern | Example verb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| o → ue | poder (to be able) | puedo, puedes, puede, podemos, podéis, pueden |
| e → ie | querer (to want) | quiero, quieres, quiere, queremos, queréis, quieren |
| e → i | pedir (to ask) | pido, pides, pide, pedimos, pedís, piden |
Common radical-changing verbs
Here are some frequently used radical-changing verbs you should know:
| u/o → ue | e → ie |
|---|---|
| jugar → juego (to play) | comenzar → comienzo (to start) |
| dormir → duermo (to sleep) | entender → entiendo (to understand) |
| volver → vuelvo (to return) | pensar → pienso (to think) |
| encontrar → encuentro (to meet) | preferir → prefiero (to prefer) |
Worked Example: Conjugating Radical-Changing Verbs
Let's conjugate "querer" (to want) - e → ie pattern:
- Yo quiero (I want) - stem changes
- Tú quieres (You want) - stem changes
- Él/Ella quiere (He/She wants) - stem changes
- Nosotros queremos (We want) - no change
- Vosotros queréis (You all want) - no change
- Ellos quieren (They want) - stem changes
Example sentences
- "¿Quieres salir esta noche?" (Do you want to go out tonight?)
- "Nadim juega al tenis todos los días" (Nadim plays tennis every day)
Practice exercises
Here are some translation exercises to test your understanding:
Practice Translations
Spanish to English:
- "No escucho música clásica" → I don't listen to classical music
- "Mis padres hablan inglés" → My parents speak English
English to Spanish:
- "We always eat fruit to stay healthy" → Siempre comemos fruta para estar sanos
- "Do you want to go to the cinema with me tonight?" → ¿Quieres ir al cine conmigo esta noche?
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Regular verbs follow predictable patterns: remove the infinitive ending and add present tense endings
- Radical-changing verbs change their stem vowel in singular forms and the 'they' form only
- The three main stem changes are: o→ue, e→ie, and e→i
- Use the present tense for current actions, habits, descriptions, and near future plans
- Usted (formal 'you') takes the same endings as he/she/it forms