Everyday sentences
Matching the verb to who is doing it
Subject–verb agreement in the present
Choose the present-tense verb form for whoever is doing the action.
Endings refresher
Present
Remove -ar, -er or -ir, then add the ending for the person.
| Person | -ar ending | -er ending | -ir ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | -o | -o |
| tú | -as | -es | -es |
| él / ella / usted | -a | -e | -e |
| nosotros / nosotras | -amos | -emos | -imos |
| vosotros / vosotras | -áis | -éis | -ís |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | -an | -en | -en |
hablar → habl- + -o → yo hablo
- These are regular endings. Some verbs change their stem or have a special yo form, such as hago or tengo.
- These charts use tú. Vosotros / vosotras is mainly used in Spain; ustedes uses the final row. Vos forms vary by region.
The pattern
- Yo: hablo. Tú: hablas. Él/ella/usted: habla.
- Nosotros: hablamos. Ellos/ellas/ustedes: hablan. Vosotros: habláis.
- A person plus yo makes nosotros: mi hermana y yo.
Mi hermana lee.
My sister reads.
Why it works: One person, like ella, uses lee.
Notice the difference
Mi hermana y yo leemos.
My sister and I read.
Why it works: My sister and I means we, so use leemos.
One thing to watch for
Usted means “you,” but uses the él/ella form: usted habla. Ustedes uses hablan.