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Spanish grammar Part of Chapter 3

CEFR A1-A2

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Test yourself (27 questions)

Spanish -ir Verbs: Present Tense Conjugation Chart and List

By Michael McGettrick and Sergio Linares-HernandesUpdated 12 October 2026

A regular -ir verb drops the - and adds an ending that says who is acting:

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Each sentence has one wrong verb form. Tap it.

  • Madrid. - I live in Madrid.
  • ¿ ? - Where do you live?

The regular -ir endings

The whole pattern on one screen. The highlighted ending is the part that changes.

the part that changesWhat do the colours mean?
PersonEndingvivir (to live)
yo-o
-
, , -e
-imos
-ís
, -
Drop -ir, add the ending: vivimos, we live

-ir is -er, except in two forms

Four forms are identical to -er verbs. Only and keep the i of the infinitive:

Personcomervivir
yo

Every regular -ir verb copies :

  • . - We open at nine.
  • . - I write to my mother.
  • ¿ ? - Do you get a lot of letters?

Stem-changing -ir verbs

-ir verbs have the boot changes you know from and , plus one of their own: e becomes i. As always, and keep the vowel of the infinitive.

e becomes i: pido, I ask for
Personpedir (e > i)sentir (e > ie)dormir (o > ue)
yo
, ,
,
  • . - I'm ordering a coffee.
  • . - I'm sorry.
  • . - I sleep eight hours.

The common ones, each learnt with its yo form:

VerbChangeyoEnglish
e > iI ask for
e > iI follow
e > iI get, I manage
e > iI repeat
e > ieI feel
e > ieI prefer
o > ueI sleep
o > ueI die

and drop the u of their stem before -o: , . The u is only there to keep the g hard before e and i, as in .

  • . - I'm still here.

Stem-changing verbs has the full list, and the forms where the -ir changes reach other tenses.

The big irregulars

Five everyday -ir verbs break the pattern. Learn them as a block. First the three with a g in the yo form:

Persondecir (to say)venir (to come)salir (to go out)
yo
, ,
,
  • . - I'm telling you the truth.
  • ¿ ? - Are you coming with me?
  • . - I leave at eight.

Then , which shares nothing with its infinitive, and :

Personir (to go)oír (to hear)
yo
, ,
,
  • . - I'm going home.
  • ¿ ? - Can you hear me?

turns its i into y between two vowels, and puts an accent on the í of and so it is said as its own syllable. Irregular verbs shows how the yo-go group (, , , ) runs across all three classes.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
Vivemos . .- takes -imos
Vivéis . .- takes -ís
Yo salo.. has a g in yo
Yo vo a . .yo is
Pidimos . . keeps the e
Yo dormo . .o becomes ue in yo

What to do next

  1. Say the endings aloud: o, , e, imos, ís, .
  2. Learn , , , and as words in their own right.
  3. Then reflexive verbs: the same forms with me, or in front.

The 10 verbs in this curriculum

Curriculum
10 words
# Freq Word
118irto go
224decirto say, to tell
360venirto come
4113salirto go out, to leave, to come out
5119seguirto follow, to continue, to keep
6121oírto hear (oír)
7167morirto die
8184vivirto live
9190conseguirto get, to achieve, to manage to
10243dormirto sleep

Practise: test yourself

Build the word

0/6

Build the present-tense form from its pieces.

  1. nosotros + vivir

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  2. vosotros + vivir

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  3. tú + pedir

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  4. ellos + dormir

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  5. nosotros + dormir

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  6. yo + salir

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

Sort into groups

0/7

What does the stem vowel turn into in the yo form?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Spot the mistake

0/5

Each sentence has one wrong verb form. Tap it.

Complete the story

0/5

Choose the right form for each gap.

Life in Madrid

Mi hermano y yo en Madrid. Yo de casa a las ocho, pero él hasta las diez. Por la tarde nosotros al parque. ¿ tú con nosotros?

Gap 1 of 5

Fill in the blank

0/4

Type the present-tense form of the verb in brackets.

  1. Ellos a casa. (ir) (ir is irregular all the way through)

  2. Tú la verdad. (decir) (e becomes i)

  3. Yo en Madrid. (vivir) (yo: -o)

  4. Nosotros a casa. (venir) (nosotros keeps the e)

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Frequently asked questions

What are the present-tense endings for Spanish -ir verbs?
-o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en. They are the -er endings except in and , where -ir keeps its i: and , against and . So gives , vives, vive, , , .
How do you conjugate (to go) in the present?
, , , , , van. None of the forms looks like the infinitive, so has to be learnt as a one-off. Its endings look like -ar endings, and has no accent because it is one syllable.
How do you conjugate (to say) in the present?
, , , , , . has two irregularities: a g in the yo form (), and an e that becomes i whenever the stem is stressed (, , ). and keep the e: , .
What is an e>i stem-changing verb?
An -ir verb whose stem vowel e becomes i in yo, , and : gives , , , , , . Only -ir verbs make this change. and do it too, and drop the u of their stem before -o: , .
How do you conjugate (to hear) in the present?
, , , , , . The yo form adds -ig-, the i becomes y between vowels in , and , and and carry an accent on the í. It is the messiest of the common -ir verbs.