Section 8.1 · -Er and -Ir share almost all the same endings — the only difference is nosotros: -emos (-er) vs. -imos (-ir) — and all three verb families share the same yo ending: -o
You have already mastered the -ar verb family. Now you add the other two families: -er verbs (like comer, beber, aprender) and -ir verbs (like vivir, escribir, asistir). The good news: -er and -ir verbs share almost identical endings — the only difference between the two is the nosotros form: -er verbs use -emos while -ir verbs use -imos.
The process is identical to -ar verbs: remove the infinitive ending (-er or -ir) to find the stem, then add the appropriate ending for your subject. One key insight ties all three families together — the yo form always ends in -o, regardless of verb family. And the vowel in the other endings follows the infinitive: -ar verbs use a, -er verbs use e, and -ir verbs use e (for usted/él/ella and ustedes) or i (for nosotros).
| -Ar (hablar) | -Er (comer) | -Ir (vivir) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | hablo | como | vivo |
| Tú | hablas | comes | vives |
| Usted / Él / Ella | habla | come | vive |
| Nosotros ⚡ | hablamos | comemos | vivimos |
| Ustedes / Ellos / Ellas | hablan | comen | viven |
| Infinitive | Type | English | Usage Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| aprender | -er | to learn | Usted aprende español rápido. |
| leer | -er | to read | Yo leo el periódico. |
| vender | -er | to sell | Ellos venden frutas. |
| comer | -er | to eat | Nosotros comemos en la plaza. |
| beber | -er | to drink | Usted bebe agua con gas. |
| abrir | -ir | to open | Usted abre la puerta. |
| asistir | -ir | to attend | Nosotros asistimos a la reunión. |
| recibir | -ir | to receive | Usted recibe un mensaje. |
| vivir | -ir | to live | Yo vivo en esta ciudad. |
| escribir | -ir | to write | Usted escribe el reporte semanal. |
To conjugate any regular -er verb: remove the -er to find the stem, then add the ending for your subject. The five endings are -o (yo), -es (tú), -e (usted/él/ella), -emos (nosotros), -en (ustedes/ellos/ellas). Notice that the tú ending for -er verbs is -es — different from -ar's -as, but following the same e-vowel pattern as the rest of the -er family.
For -ir verbs, the process is the same: remove -ir to find the stem, then add the ending. Four of the five endings are identical to -er verbs: -o (yo), -es (tú), -e (usted/él/ella), -en (ustedes/ellos/ellas). The only difference is the nosotros form — -ir verbs use -imos instead of -emos. This single distinction is everything.
| Subject | vivir (viv–) | escribir (escrib–) |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | vivo | escribo |
| Tú | vives | escribes |
| Usted / Él / Ella | vive | escribe |
| Nosotros | vivimos | escribimos |
| Ustedes / Ellos / Ellas | viven | escriben |
Comer (to eat) and beber (to drink) are two of the most immediately useful -er verbs. Their stems are com- and beb- respectively. Both follow the identical -er pattern. Use comer to describe meals and food habits: ¿Qué come usted? (What do you eat?). Use beber for beverages: Usted bebe agua con gas (You drink sparkling water). In questions, the subject pronoun inverts as with -ar verbs — the verb form itself does not change: ¿Come usted…? Other useful -er verbs: aprender (to learn), leer (to read), vender (to sell).
| Subject | comer (com–) | beber (beb–) |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | como | bebo |
| Tú | comes | bebes |
| Usted / Él / Ella | come | bebe |
| Nosotros | comemos | bebemos |
| Ustedes / Ellos / Ellas | comen | beben |
Vivir (to live) is essential for giving personal information — your city, neighborhood, and home. Its stem is viv-. Escribir (to write) is indispensable in office and academic contexts — emails, reports, notes. Its stem is escrib-. Both follow the -ir pattern perfectly. Key professional -ir verbs to know: asistir (to attend — meetings, classes), recibir (to receive — messages, documents, visitors), abrir (to open — doors, files, accounts). Notice how these four -ir verbs cover everyday professional situations: you live somewhere, write documents, attend meetings, and receive information.
Now that you know all three regular verb families, the pattern becomes clear. The yo form always ends in -o — no matter which family. The tú form always ends in -es for -er and -ir verbs (and -as for -ar). The usted/él/ella form follows the infinitive vowel: -a (-ar), -e (-er), -e (-ir). The ustedes/ellos form adds -n to the usted form: -an, -en, -en. The nosotros form extends the vowel pattern: -amos, -emos, -imos.
Listen to each sentence in Spanish, then repeat aloud during the countdown pause.
Sentences 1–5 drill the -er verb comer across all four subjects. Sentences 6–10 practice beber and aprender (-er verbs). Sentences 11–15 focus on -ir verbs: vivir and escribir. Sentences 16–20 mix -ir verbs: asistir, recibir, abrir. Sentences 21–25 combine all three families in the same sentence or back-to-back, highlighting the nosotros contrast (-emos vs. -imos) and the parallel structure across families.
Step 1 — Identify the family: Before repeating each sentence, spot the verb and decide: is it -ar, -er, or -ir? Which ending does the subject require?
Step 2 — Repeat: During the 4-second countdown, say the full sentence — feel the stem + ending as one natural unit.
Step 3 — Extend: After hearing a nosotros form, notice which ending was used — -amos, -emos, or -imos. Mentally confirm which verb family it came from.
The nosotros trio is your anchor: hablamos / comemos / vivimos. Practice saying all three back-to-back until the vowel shift (a → e → i) feels automatic. This is the single most useful drill for all three regular verb families.
For sentences 21–25 (mixed families): Some sentences contain two different verb families. Track each verb independently — identify its stem and confirm the ending matches the subject and verb type.
Remember: -er and -ir are nearly twins. If you accidentally use -emos for an -ir verb, just swap the vowel: -imos. That one-letter fix is all that separates the two families.
Choose the correct answer. 20 questions drawn randomly from a pool of 30.