Lesson Objectives:
In this lesson, we will learn about Spanish verbs -- their basic form known as the "infinitive," and how the infinitive is changed (conjugated) depending on the subject of the sentence. We will then specifically learn how to form the conjugations for Spanish verbs ending in -AR. Finally, we will learn a few -AR verbs to get started.Vocabulary:
bailar - to dancecaminar - to walk
comprar - to buy
escuchar - to listen
lavar - to wash
mirar - to look at or to watch
hablar - to talk
cantar - to sing
trabajar - to work
necesitar - to need
viajar - to travel
pasar - to happen or to pass
estudiar - to study
desear - to desire or to wish
In this lesson, we will look at the basics of conjugating verbs in Spanish. Conjugating a verb refers to inflecting it in its different forms.
For example, in English, the conjugations of the verb "to eat" include eat, eats, eating, ate, etc.
In Spanish, all verbs end in -ar, -er, or -ir.
For example, to take is "tomar". To drink is "beber". To sleep is "dormir".
This form of the verb with the -ar, -er, or -ir ending is known as the "infinitive".
To conjugate a verb, drop the -ar, -er, or -ir, and add on the proper ending.
We will look at the endings for these verbs next.
Let's look at the endings for the -ar verbs.
If the subject is Yo (which means I in Spanish), the ending for the verb is 'o'
For tú, which means you, the ending is 'as'
For el, ella o usted - he, she or you - the ending is 'a'
For nosotros o nosotras - we - the ending is amos
For vosotros o vosotras - you all - the ending is áis
Ellos, ellas o ustedes - they or you all - the ending is an
So let's try conjugating 'hablar', which means 'to talk'
To say I talk, drop the -ar and on the appropriate ending.
So, yo, H-A-B-L, hablo
Let's say you're talking to your boss and you want to say "you talk". With your boss, you'd probably use the more formal "usted" form instead of the casual "tú", so:
Usted H-A-B-L, habla
How about she talks?
Ella H-A-B-L, habla
Notice that he, she, and you all use the same ending.