Verbs carry the load of any Spanish sentence. A learner who masters the 100 most frequent Spanish verbs - and knows the conjugations of the top 20 in the present, preterite, and imperfect - can construct comprehensible sentences about nearly any everyday topic. Frequency lists for Spanish from corpora at the Real Academia Espanola and the CREA corpus consistently place ser, haber, estar, tener, hacer, ir, decir, poder, ver, and saber in the top ten. The distribution is power-law: a small number of verbs account for a majority of usage, which means focused study on a short list yields outsized returns.
This reference lists the top 100 verbs by frequency, marks regular vs irregular, provides full present-tense conjugations for the twenty most important, and groups the verbs into functional categories. Mastering a conjugation table is not the same as mastering a verb. The verb ser is trivial to memorize in the present (soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son) but is used so broadly - for identity, profession, nationality, time, ownership, and the passive voice - that students who have "learned" its forms still make errors for years. Study each top-20 verb with its typical contexts, not just its paradigm. For the conjugation rules underlying the patterns, see the Spanish verb conjugation guide for present tense and the Spanish verb conjugation system -AR -ER -IR reference.
The Top 20 Verbs: Present-Tense Conjugations
Table 1. Ser (to be - identity/essence). Irregular.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | soy |
| tu | eres |
| el / ella / usted | es |
| nosotros/as | somos |
| vosotros/as | sois |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | son |
For ser vs estar, see the dedicated ser vs estar guide.
Table 2. Haber (auxiliary "have"). Irregular.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he |
| tu | has |
| el / ella / usted | ha |
| nosotros/as | hemos |
| vosotros/as | habeis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | han |
Haber is the auxiliary for compound tenses (he comido = I have eaten) and the source of the impersonal hay (there is / there are).
Table 3. Estar (to be - state/location). Irregular.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estoy |
| tu | estas |
| el / ella / usted | esta |
| nosotros/as | estamos |
| vosotros/as | estais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | estan |
Table 4. Tener (to have). Stem-changing + irregular yo.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tengo |
| tu | tienes |
| el / ella / usted | tiene |
| nosotros/as | tenemos |
| vosotros/as | teneis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | tienen |
Table 5. Hacer (to do, to make). Irregular yo.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | hago |
| tu | haces |
| el / ella / usted | hace |
| nosotros/as | hacemos |
| vosotros/as | haceis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | hacen |
Table 6. Ir (to go). Highly irregular.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | voy |
| tu | vas |
| el / ella / usted | va |
| nosotros/as | vamos |
| vosotros/as | vais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | van |
Ir is the verb behind the "going to" future: Voy a comer = I'm going to eat. This periphrastic future is used constantly and often replaces the one-word future tense in spoken Spanish.
Table 7. Decir (to say). Stem-changing + irregular yo.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | digo |
| tu | dices |
| el / ella / usted | dice |
| nosotros/as | decimos |
| vosotros/as | decis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | dicen |
Table 8. Poder (to be able to). Stem-changing.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | puedo |
| tu | puedes |
| el / ella / usted | puede |
| nosotros/as | podemos |
| vosotros/as | podeis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | pueden |
Table 9. Ver (to see). Irregular yo.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | veo |
| tu | ves |
| el / ella / usted | ve |
| nosotros/as | vemos |
| vosotros/as | veis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | ven |
Table 10. Saber (to know - facts). Irregular yo.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | se |
| tu | sabes |
| el / ella / usted | sabe |
| nosotros/as | sabemos |
| vosotros/as | sabeis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | saben |
Table 11. Querer (to want, to love). Stem-changing.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | quiero |
| tu | quieres |
| el / ella / usted | quiere |
| nosotros/as | queremos |
| vosotros/as | quereis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | quieren |
Table 12. Llegar (to arrive). Regular.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | llego |
| tu | llegas |
| el / ella / usted | llega |
| nosotros/as | llegamos |
| vosotros/as | llegais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | llegan |
Table 13. Pasar (to pass, to happen, to spend). Regular.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | paso |
| tu | pasas |
| el / ella / usted | pasa |
| nosotros/as | pasamos |
| vosotros/as | pasais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | pasan |
Table 14. Dar (to give). Irregular yo.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | doy |
| tu | das |
| el / ella / usted | da |
| nosotros/as | damos |
| vosotros/as | dais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | dan |
Table 15. Deber (must, should, to owe). Regular.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | debo |
| tu | debes |
| el / ella / usted | debe |
| nosotros/as | debemos |
| vosotros/as | debeis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | deben |
Table 16. Poner (to put, to place). Irregular yo.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pongo |
| tu | pones |
| el / ella / usted | pone |
| nosotros/as | ponemos |
| vosotros/as | poneis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | ponen |
Table 17. Parecer (to seem). Irregular yo.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | parezco |
| tu | pareces |
| el / ella / usted | parece |
| nosotros/as | parecemos |
| vosotros/as | pareceis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | parecen |
Table 18. Quedar (to remain, to stay, to meet up). Regular.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | quedo |
| tu | quedas |
| el / ella / usted | queda |
| nosotros/as | quedamos |
| vosotros/as | quedais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | quedan |
Table 19. Creer (to believe). Regular (with spelling shift).
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | creo |
| tu | crees |
| el / ella / usted | cree |
| nosotros/as | creemos |
| vosotros/as | creeis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | creen |
Table 20. Hablar (to speak, to talk). Regular -ar.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | hablo |
| tu | hablas |
| el / ella / usted | habla |
| nosotros/as | hablamos |
| vosotros/as | hablais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | hablan |
Verbs 21-50: The Second Tier
Table 21. Verbs 21-50 by frequency.
| Spanish | English | Type |
|---|---|---|
| llevar | to carry, to wear | regular |
| dejar | to leave, to let | regular |
| seguir | to follow, to continue | stem-changing |
| encontrar | to find | stem-changing (o-ue) |
| llamar | to call | regular |
| venir | to come | irregular |
| pensar | to think | stem-changing (e-ie) |
| salir | to leave, to go out | irregular yo |
| volver | to return | stem-changing (o-ue) |
| tomar | to take, to drink | regular |
| conocer | to know (person/place) | irregular yo (conozco) |
| vivir | to live | regular |
| sentir | to feel, to regret | stem-changing (e-ie) |
| tratar | to try, to deal with | regular |
| mirar | to look at | regular |
| contar | to count, to tell | stem-changing (o-ue) |
| empezar | to begin | stem-changing (e-ie) |
| esperar | to wait, to hope | regular |
| buscar | to look for | regular |
| existir | to exist | regular |
| entrar | to enter | regular |
| trabajar | to work | regular |
| escribir | to write | regular |
| perder | to lose | stem-changing (e-ie) |
| producir | to produce | irregular yo |
| ocurrir | to happen | regular |
| entender | to understand | stem-changing (e-ie) |
| pedir | to ask for, to order | stem-changing (e-i) |
| recibir | to receive | regular |
| recordar | to remember | stem-changing (o-ue) |
Verbs 51-100: The Extended Core
Table 22. Verbs 51-100.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| terminar | to end, to finish |
| permitir | to permit, to allow |
| aparecer | to appear |
| conseguir | to get, to obtain |
| comenzar | to begin |
| servir | to serve |
| sacar | to take out |
| necesitar | to need |
| mantener | to maintain |
| resultar | to result |
| leer | to read |
| caer | to fall |
| cambiar | to change |
| presentar | to present |
| crear | to create |
| abrir | to open |
| considerar | to consider |
| oir | to hear |
| aceptar | to accept |
| realizar | to realize, to carry out |
| suponer | to suppose |
| comprender | to understand |
| lograr | to achieve |
| explicar | to explain |
| preguntar | to ask |
| tocar | to touch, to play (instrument) |
| reconocer | to recognize |
| estudiar | to study |
| alcanzar | to reach, to achieve |
| nacer | to be born |
| dirigir | to direct |
| correr | to run |
| utilizar | to use |
| pagar | to pay |
| ayudar | to help |
| gustar | to please / to like |
| escuchar | to listen |
| cumplir | to fulfill |
| ofrecer | to offer |
| descubrir | to discover |
| levantar | to lift |
| intentar | to try |
| usar | to use |
| decidir | to decide |
| repetir | to repeat |
| olvidar | to forget |
| sentar | to sit |
| ensenar | to teach |
| romper | to break |
| bajar | to go down |
Regular vs Irregular Patterns
Regular -ar verb pattern. (Hablar model.)
| Pronoun | Ending |
|---|---|
| yo | -o |
| tu | -as |
| el | -a |
| nosotros | -amos |
| vosotros | -ais |
| ellos | -an |
Regular -er verb pattern. (Comer model.)
| Pronoun | Ending |
|---|---|
| yo | -o |
| tu | -es |
| el | -e |
| nosotros | -emos |
| vosotros | -eis |
| ellos | -en |
Regular -ir verb pattern. (Vivir model.)
| Pronoun | Ending |
|---|---|
| yo | -o |
| tu | -es |
| el | -e |
| nosotros | -imos |
| vosotros | -is |
| ellos | -en |
Note that -er and -ir verbs share everything except nosotros and vosotros endings.
Main Irregular Patterns
Stem-changing verbs (present tense only). These change the stem vowel in the first three singular persons and the third person plural, but keep the regular stem in nosotros/vosotros.
E to IE. pensar (pienso, piensas, piensa, pensamos, pensais, piensan). Also: querer, empezar, entender, perder, sentir, preferir, cerrar, despertar, recomendar.
O to UE. volver (vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, volvemos, volveis, vuelven). Also: poder, dormir, morir, encontrar, contar, recordar, soler, mover.
E to I. pedir (pido, pides, pide, pedimos, pedis, piden). Only -ir verbs: pedir, servir, repetir, seguir, conseguir, vestir, reir.
U to UE. jugar (juego, juegas, juega, jugamos, jugais, juegan). Only jugar.
Irregular yo. Many common verbs have an irregular first-person singular but are regular elsewhere:
- tener: tengo
- hacer: hago
- poner: pongo
- salir: salgo
- traer: traigo
- caer: caigo
- dar: doy
- ver: veo
- saber: se
- conocer: conozco
Functional Groups
Communication verbs. decir, hablar, contar, explicar, preguntar, contestar, escribir, leer, escuchar, oir, llamar.
Movement verbs. ir, venir, llegar, salir, entrar, volver, correr, caminar, subir, bajar, pasar.
Cognitive verbs. pensar, saber, conocer, entender, comprender, creer, recordar, olvidar, aprender, ensenar.
Daily routine verbs. despertarse, levantarse, ducharse, desayunar, vestirse, trabajar, comer, cenar, acostarse, dormir.
Emotional verbs. sentir, gustar, encantar, amar, querer, odiar, preocupar, alegrar, enfadar.
Verbs like gustar, encantar, preocupar behave "backwards" from English: the thing is the grammatical subject, the person is the indirect object. Me gusta el cafe literally means "coffee pleases me." For the full pattern, see the Spanish pronouns reference.
Modal verbs. poder (can), deber (must), tener que (have to), saber (know how to), querer (want), soler (usually do).
Common Mistakes
- Confusing ser and estar. Both translate "to be" but cover different territory. See the ser vs estar guide.
- Confusing saber and conocer. Saber = know facts, information, or how to do something. Conocer = know people, places, or things through familiarity. Se la respuesta (I know the answer) vs Conozco a Maria (I know Maria).
- Using poder with a conjugated verb. Poder takes an infinitive: Puedo hablar, never Puedo hablo.
- Confusing tener with haber. Tener = to possess. Haber = auxiliary for compound tenses and the impersonal hay. Tengo un libro (I have a book) vs He comido (I have eaten).
- Conjugating gustar with the person as subject. Yo gusto el cafe is wrong; Me gusta el cafe is correct.
- Missing stem changes. Yo puedo (not yo podo); yo quiero (not yo quero).
- Mishandling the -zco irregular yo. Conozco, conduzco, produzco, parezco, traduzco all have -zco in the first person.
Quick Reference Cheat Sheet
Top 10 verbs to memorize first.
- ser - to be (identity)
- estar - to be (state)
- haber - to have (auxiliary)
- tener - to have (possess)
- hacer - to do, to make
- ir - to go
- decir - to say
- poder - to be able
- ver - to see
- saber - to know
Top 10 useful daily verbs.
- hablar - to speak
- comer - to eat
- vivir - to live
- trabajar - to work
- estudiar - to study
- llegar - to arrive
- querer - to want
- dar - to give
- tomar - to take
- salir - to leave
Stem-change patterns to drill.
- e -> ie: pensar, querer, entender
- o -> ue: volver, poder, dormir
- e -> i: pedir, servir, seguir
Irregular yo forms to memorize.
- tener -> tengo
- hacer -> hago
- poner -> pongo
- salir -> salgo
- saber -> se
- conocer -> conozco
- dar -> doy
FAQ
Which Spanish verbs should I learn first?
Ser, estar, tener, hacer, ir, decir, poder, ver, saber, and querer are the ten most useful verbs. Learn each in the present tense first, then in the preterite and imperfect. These ten verbs cover a disproportionate share of everyday speech.
What's the difference between saber and conocer?
Saber is to know facts, information, or to know how to do something: Se la respuesta (I know the answer); Se hablar espanol (I know how to speak Spanish). Conocer is to know a person, place, or thing through familiarity: Conozco a Maria; Conozco Madrid. English uses one verb for both; Spanish splits the concept.
What's the difference between ser and estar?
Ser describes identity, essence, profession, nationality, time, ownership, and material. Estar describes location, physical state, emotion, and ongoing progress. Soy medico (I am a doctor, profession). Estoy cansado (I am tired, temporary state). See the ser vs estar guide.
What are stem-changing verbs?
Verbs whose stem vowel changes in some conjugated forms. Pensar has pienso, piensas, piensa, pensamos, pensais, piensan - the stem e becomes ie in three singular and third plural forms but stays e in nosotros/vosotros. Four main patterns exist: e-ie, o-ue, e-i, u-ue.
What is the periphrastic future (ir + a + infinitive)?
A compound future formed with a conjugated ir plus a plus infinitive: Voy a comer (I'm going to eat). It is grammatically simpler than the one-word future (comere) and is used constantly in spoken Spanish, especially for near-future events.
Why is haber different from tener?
Haber is the auxiliary verb for compound tenses (he comido, I have eaten) and the source of hay (there is / there are). Tener expresses actual possession: Tengo un libro. English collapses both into "have," but Spanish insists on the distinction: you use haber to form a compound, tener to own an object.
How do I conjugate verbs like gustar?
Gustar, encantar, interesar, importar, molestar, preocupar, doler all use reversed grammar: the thing is the subject, the person is the indirect object. Me gusta el cafe (coffee pleases me / I like coffee). The verb agrees with what is liked: Me gusta el cafe (singular) / Me gustan los libros (plural).
See Also
- Spanish verb conjugation guide present tense
- Spanish verb conjugation system -AR -ER -IR reference
- Ser vs estar complete guide with examples
- Spanish past tense preterite vs imperfect
- Spanish subjunctive mood reference
- Spanish pronouns direct indirect object reflexive
- Spanish grammar rules complete beginners guide
- Verb tense systems compared across languages
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Spanish verbs should I learn first?
Ser, estar, tener, hacer, ir, decir, poder, ver, saber, and querer are the ten most useful. Learn each in present, then preterite, then imperfect. These ten cover a disproportionate share of everyday speech.
What's the difference between saber and conocer?
Saber is to know facts, information, or how to do something (Se la respuesta, Se hablar espanol). Conocer is to know a person, place, or thing through familiarity (Conozco a Maria, Conozco Madrid). English uses one verb; Spanish splits the concept.
What's the difference between ser and estar?
Ser describes identity, essence, profession, nationality, time, ownership, material. Estar describes location, physical state, emotion, and ongoing progress. Soy medico (profession); Estoy cansado (temporary state).
What are stem-changing verbs?
Verbs whose stem vowel changes in some conjugations. Pensar has pienso, piensas, piensa, pensamos, pensais, piensan - the e becomes ie in three singular and third plural forms but stays e in nosotros/vosotros. Four patterns: e-ie, o-ue, e-i, u-ue.
What is the periphrastic future (ir + a + infinitive)?
A compound future: conjugated ir + a + infinitive. Voy a comer = I'm going to eat. It's simpler than the one-word future (comere) and dominates spoken Spanish for near-future events.
Why is haber different from tener?
Haber is the auxiliary for compound tenses (he comido, I have eaten) and source of hay (there is/are). Tener expresses actual possession: Tengo un libro. English collapses both into 'have'; Spanish insists on the distinction.
How do I conjugate verbs like gustar?
Gustar, encantar, interesar, doler use reversed grammar: the thing is the subject, the person is the indirect object. Me gusta el cafe (coffee pleases me = I like coffee). Verb agrees with what is liked: Me gusta el cafe / Me gustan los libros.
