Section 7.1 · Remove the -ar to find the stem — then add -o, -a, -amos, or -an depending on who is acting — the same four endings work for every regular -ar verb
To use an -ar verb, you first find the stem by removing the -ar ending from the infinitive. Then, you add a new ending that matches the subject performing the action. This process is called conjugation. Regular -ar verbs are the most common verb type in Spanish — once you know the four endings, you can conjugate hundreds of verbs immediately.
This course uses five subject pronouns: yo (I), tú (you informal), usted / él / ella (you formal / he / she), nosotros (we), and ustedes / ellos / ellas (you all / they). Each takes a different ending. Memorizing these five endings — -o, -as, -a, -amos, -an — unlocks the present tense for all regular -ar verbs.
| Infinitive | English | Usage Example |
|---|---|---|
| ayudar | to help | Usted ayuda a su equipo. |
| buscar | to look for | Yo busco la dirección. |
| caminar | to walk | Nosotros caminamos al parque. |
| comprar | to buy | Usted compra el almuerzo. |
| llevar | to carry / to take | Ellos llevan los papeles. |
| necesitar | to need | ¿Qué necesita usted? |
| hablar | to speak | Tú hablas muy bien el español. |
| trabajar | to work | Usted trabaja muy duro. |
| estudiar | to study | Él estudia medicina. |
Every regular -ar verb follows the same pattern. Step 1: remove the -ar infinitive ending to expose the stem. Step 2: add the ending that matches your subject. The five endings are -o (yo), -as (tú), -a (usted/él/ella), -amos (nosotros), -an (ustedes/ellos/ellas). Because the ending encodes who is acting, you can often omit the subject pronoun — the verb form alone is enough. However, usted and ustedes are generally kept in formal and professional settings to show respect.
Hablar (to speak) is one of the most essential -ar verbs. Its stem is habl-. You use it to describe which languages you speak, who you are talking with, and what you are discussing. In questions, the subject pronoun comes after the verb: ¿Habla usted…? Notice that all four conjugated forms come from the same stem — only the ending changes with each subject.
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hablo | I speak |
| Tú | hablas | you speak (informal) |
| Usted / Él / Ella | habla | you speak / he speaks / she speaks |
| Nosotros | hablamos | we speak |
| Ustedes / Ellos / Ellas | hablan | you all / they speak |
Trabajar (to work) is indispensable in professional contexts. Its stem is trabaj-. Use it to describe where you work, what you do, and your schedule. Notice how the stem stays identical across all four forms — only the final ending changes. This consistency is what makes regular -ar verbs so learnable: once you know the stem, you automatically know all four forms.
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | trabajo | I work |
| Tú | trabajas | you work (informal) |
| Usted / Él / Ella | trabaja | you work / he works / she works |
| Nosotros | trabajamos | we work |
| Ustedes / Ellos / Ellas | trabajan | you all / they work |
Estudiar (to study) is the verb you will use most in an academic context. Its stem is estudi-. Notice that the stem ends in a vowel (i), and when you add the endings, the forms are: estudio, estudia, estudiamos, estudian. The two vowels appear together naturally in Spanish — estudia, estudian. This is not a spelling error; it is simply how the stem and ending combine. The pattern is the same as every other regular -ar verb.
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estudio | I study |
| Tú | estudias | you study (informal) |
| Usted / Él / Ella | estudia | you study / he studies / she studies |
| Nosotros | estudiamos | we study |
| Ustedes / Ellos / Ellas | estudian | you all / they study |
In Spanish, the verb ending alone tells you who is acting, so subject pronouns can often be dropped — especially yo and nosotros: Llegamos tarde (We arrive late) is perfectly natural without saying "nosotros." However, there is an important exception: usted and ustedes should always be stated in formal and professional settings. This is because they share endings with él/ella and ellos/ellas respectively — including the subject makes the speaker's respectful intent clear. Omitting usted in a professional context can sound abrupt or overly informal.
Listen to each sentence in Spanish, then repeat aloud during the countdown pause.
Sentences 1–5 use all four conjugation forms with the verb hablar. Sentences 6–10 drill trabajar across all subjects. Sentences 11–15 practice estudiar. Sentences 16–20 cycle through common -ar verbs (ayudar, buscar, caminar, comprar, llevar, necesitar). Sentences 21–25 mix all verbs and subjects, including question forms and sentences without an explicit subject pronoun.
Step 1 — Listen: Identify the verb ending before repeating. Ask: which subject does this ending signal? -o (yo), -a (usted/él/ella), -amos (nosotros), or -an (ustedes/ellos/ellas)?
Step 2 — Repeat: During the 4-second countdown, say the full sentence aloud — feel the stem + ending as a single flowing unit.
Step 3 — Build the habit: After each sentence, mentally apply the same ending to a different -ar verb. If you heard habla, try trabaja, estudia, ayuda — the -a ending works identically for all of them.
Drill the four endings as a chant: o — a — amos — an. Repeat them with the stem: habl-o, habl-a, habl-amos, habl-an. Then switch stems: trabaj-o, trabaj-a… The stem changes, the endings never do.
Listen for the ending first: In rapid Spanish speech, the ending carries the meaning of who is acting. Train yourself to catch the final syllable: -o = yo, -a = usted/él/ella, -amos = nosotros, -an = ustedes/ellos.
Practice questions in sentences 21–25: Notice that question inversion doesn't change the verb form. ¿Trabaja usted aquí? uses the same trabaja as Usted trabaja aquí. The ending is identical — only the word order and intonation change.
Choose the correct answer. 20 questions drawn randomly from a pool of 30.