6 Rutinas: conjugations in present indicative

There are two ways to communicate events: one is by just naming the event (no matter who started it), and the other is implying who started it.

The infinitive is the type of verb that just names the event. In English the infinitive is implied by adding the preposition “to”: to sing, to stay, to drink, to write, to match. Many times it’s just a servant to another leading verb: “I like to sing” versus “She likes to sing”. You change “like”=I into “likes”=she to imply who does the singing, but the verb “to sing” in itself remains the same.

Spanish infinitives have an R at the end of the verb. Infinitives can be of one of the three types: AR, ER, or IR. You have to see the dictionary and memorize the ending of each verb. For example, hablar significa to talk, comer significa to eat, and vivir significa to live. The vowel before the R will reappear in certain events to tell you whether the action is present or past, or whether it’s a reality or a desire.

The infinitive always has the stress at the end of the word, so it should sound cantár, vivír, comér. The stress moves one site back when the verb conjugates in the present indicative.

Conjugation is when you use the verbs to imply who and when started the action or event expressed in the verb. In English, for example, you add an S to the verb to imply that such person is someone else you are talking about, and it’s a routine or repeated event in the present. When you don’t add the S, then it’s either you, your hearer, or someone else in plural.

Conjugation in the present indicative in English uses S for He or She. The time of the event is the present, the person is stated with words like I, You, He, She, We, They called subject pronouns.

1. I sleep
2. You sleep
3. He sleeps, she sleeps, it sleeps
4. We sleep
5. They sleep

The present indicative states present-day routines, repeated or frequent actions in the present. If you want to add a time expression, it would be “everyday”, “every night” or something that implies routine.

Subject pronouns in Spanish

• Yo=I
• Tú=you (informal)
• Él=he, ella=she, it=/
• Nosotros=we, nosotras=we (female)
• Ellos=they, ellas=they (female), ustedes= you all

Notice that the word “it” doesn’t have translation when working as a subject. You just say nothing when needing to say “it”. The verb conjugation will remind that it’s referring to “it.”

Time expressions:

• todos los días=everyday
• siempre=always
• los fines de semana=weekends
• a veces=sometimes

Steps to conjugate

Step 1: Delete the R and the previous vowel from the infinitive. The resulting part is called the stem. In the verb cantar (=to sing) you delete AR. The stem is cant (this doesn’t mean anything if kept alone).

Step 2: Add endings that tell who does the action regularly in the present indicative to state present-day routines or repeated events.

I underlined the syllable where to place the stress. In the present indicative, stress goes in the syllable before the last.

Vocabulary verbs that follow this conjugation:

• bailar (to dance)
• buscar (to search)
• caminar (to walk)
• cantar (to sing)
• cenar (to have dinner)
• comprar (to buy)
• contestar (to reply)
• conversar (to chat, to talk)
• desayunar (to have breakfast)
• descansar (to rest)
• dibujar (to draw)
• escuchar (to listen)
• esperar (to wait)
• estudiar (to study)
• explicar (to explain)
• hablar (to speak, to talk)
• llegar (to arrive)
• llevar (to carry, to wear)
• mirar (to look)
• necesitar (to need)
• pasar (to happen, to pass)
• practicar (to practice)
• preparar (to prepare)
• regresar (to return)
• terminar (to finish)
• tomar (to take, to drink)
• trabajar (to work)

In la canción (=the song) “El Pescador”, the singer is talking about someone else. She’s talking what the fisherman does regularly when he goes fishing. She says “Habla con la luna” AND “habla con la playa”. Then in the second stanza she starts talking about the finshermen in plural, and she says “regresan” (=they return).

Beginners 2: The vowel in the infinitive goes down to repeat itself in the conjugations. If you use the vowel, then you’ll be able to conjugate also verbs ending in AR and ER. I underlined the stressed syllable so you can have an idea on how it should sound. The stress is important because you may change the meaning of the conjugation if you misplace the stress.

• aprender (to learn)
• barrer (to sweep)
• beber (to drink)
• comer (to eat)
• comprender (to understand)
• correr (to run)
• creer (to believe)
• deber (to owe, must)
• esconder (to hide)
• leer (to read)
• meter (to insert, to put in)
• prender (to light, to turn on)
• prometer (to promise)
• responder (to answer)
• romper (to break)
• tejer (to weave)
• temer (to be afraid of)
• toser (to cough)
• ver (to see), only this verb keeps the vowel in “veo” (=I see).

As la canción del hombre caimán says, Come queso y come pan (Eats cheese and eats bread). The singer doesn’t need to say “he” again, but with saying “come” el cantante is implying that it’s the gator who does that.

Sample conversations

Routines

A: ¿Qué haces todos los días? (=What do you do everyday?)

B: Todos los días yo ____________ y ___________.

A: ¿Qué estudias?

B: Yo estudio __________ (add major).

Languages you speak

A: ¿Hablas español? (=Do you speak Spanish)​

B: Sí, hablo español. (=Yes, I speak Spanish) / No, no hablo español. (No, I don’t speak Spanish)​

A: ¿Hablas inglés? (=Do you speak English?)​

B: Sí, hablo inglés. (=Yes, I speak English) / No, no hablo inglés.​

A: ¿Hablas una lengua indígena? (=Do you speak an indigenous language?)​

B: Sí, hablo ____________ (Add the language you speak). No, no hablo lenguas indígenas (=No, I don’t speak Indigenous languages).​

A: *if yes. ¿Cuál? (=Which one?)​

B: Yo hablo ___________ (add the language you speak).​

Discussing what you eat

A: ¿Qué comes en el desayuno?​

B: Yo como ________________.​

A: ¿Qué tomas en el desayuno?​

B: Yo tomo ________________.​

Nada=nothing​, Huevos=eggs, Pan=bread, Queso=cheese, Salchicha=saussage, Fruta=fruit, Cereal=cereal, Café=coffee, Leche=milk, Agua=water, Jugo=juice​

Asking whether someone does something:

A: ¿__________ todos los días?

B: Sí, yo ________. / No, yo no ________.

caminar (=to walk), dibujar (=to draw), trabajar (=to work) bailar (=to dance), manejar (=to drive), practicar deportes (=to practice sports), correr (=to run), barrer (=to sweep),

Beginners 2, Intermediates, Advanced and Native speakers of Spanish also use the following verbs: hacer deportes (yo form=hago), jugar (=to play, U turns to UE), dormir (=to sleep, O turns to UE), despertar (=to wake up, E turns to IE), almorzar (=to have lunch, O turns to UE)

Interviewing a celebrity

Pretend you are a famous person.

B: Yo soy cantante – actor – actriz – político – empresario – empresaria – deportista (pick one).

A: ¿Qué haces todos los días?

B: Todos los días yo _____________, _____________ y ______________.

A: ¿Qué hiciste ayer?

B: Ayer yo ____________, _____________ y _______________.

A: ¿Con quién hablas por teléfono todos los días?

B: Yo hablo con ______________ y con _______________.

A: ¿Con quién hablaste ayer?

B: Ayer hablé con ____________ y con ________________.

A: ¿Qué vas a hacer mañana?

B: Mañana voy a _____________, _____________ y ______________.