The system · 07 tenses

Conjugation Patterns

Spanish verbs are a grid: who is acting × when it happened × what class of verb. Learn the grid once; every verb slots into it.

← PastPresentFuture →
The system · seven tense markers

The endings. read across, recognize anywhere

Preterite
completed past
-AR-ER/-IR
yo-é-í
tú-aste-iste
él/ella-ó-ió
nosotros-amos-imos
vosotros-asteis-isteis
ellos-aron-ieron
-ER and -IR merge completely! -AR uses a, -ER/-IR use i
Present Indicative
the here-and-now
-AR-ER-IR
yo-o-o-o
tú-as-es-es
él/ella-a-e-e
nosotros-amos-emos-imos
vosotros-áis-éis-ís
ellos-an-en-en
-ER/-IR share endings except in nosotros/vosotros where -IR keeps its i
Future
will + verb
ALL verbs
yo-é
tú-ás
él/ella-á
nosotros-emos
vosotros-éis
ellos-án
Attach to FULL infinitive (hablar + é = hablaré). Endings match present of haber!
Imperfect
ongoing / habitual past
-AR-ER/-IR
yo-aba-ía
tú-abas-ías
él/ella-aba-ía
nosotros-ábamos-íamos
vosotros-abais-íais
ellos-aban-ían
Super regular! -AR adds -aba-, -ER/-IR add -ía-, then person markers
Present Subjunctive
hypothetical / emotional
-AR → uses E-ER/-IR → uses A
yo-e-a
tú-es-as
él/ella-e-a
nosotros-emos-amos
vosotros-éis-áis
ellos-en-an
THE VOWEL FLIP! -AR verbs take -ER/-IR vowels, and vice versa
Conditional
would + verb
ALL verbs
yo-ía
tú-ías
él/ella-ía
nosotros-íamos
vosotros-íais
ellos-ían
Infinitive + imperfect -ER/-IR endings. Same irregular stems as future!
Imperfect Subjunctive
counterfactuals / after si
ALL verbs (-ra)
yo-ra
tú-ras
él/ella-ra
nosotros-ramos
vosotros-rais
ellos-ran
Derived from 3rd person plural preterite. Drop -ron, add -ra endings
Built from the preterite 3rd-person plural — drop -ron, add -ra/-ras/…. Used after si (counterfactuals) and in polite requests.
The formula

How endings build together

stem
habl-
+
theme
-a-
+
tense
-ba-
+
person
-mos
=
hablábamos

we were speaking · we used to speak

Built across tenses

Universal person markers

the same shapes appear across almost every tense

-s
tú
you
-mos
nosotros
we
-is
vosotros
you all
-n
ellos / ustedes
they / you
Class signature

Theme vowels

paired with person markers to form endings

A
-AR verbs
hablar · cantar
E
-ER verbs
comer · beber
I / E
-IR verbs
vivir · pedir

Non-finite forms

Used as building blocks for compound tenses (haber + past participle) and progressives (estar + gerund)

Gerund (Present Participle)

-ando / -iendo

-AR verbs use -ando, while -ER/-IR verbs use -iendo

hablar
habl + ando = hablando
comer
com + iendo = comiendo
vivir
viv + iendo = viviendo

Past Participle

-ado / -ido

-AR verbs use -ado, while -ER/-IR verbs use -ido

hablar
habl + ado = hablado
comer
com + ido = comido
vivir
viv + ido = vivido
Takeaways

Insights. what it all adds up to

  • Simple tenses (present, preterite, imperfect) are built from: stem + tense marker + person
  • Future and conditional are unique: they attach to the full infinitive
  • Subjunctive present uses the opposite theme vowel — this is the famous "vowel flip"
  • Subjunctive imperfect is derived from the preterite 3rd person plural
  • Person markers (-s, -mos, -is, -n) appear consistently across most tenses

Ready to see these patterns in real verbs?

Open Verb Explorer

How to read it

Color = Time

Past — violet (behind you)
Present — green (the here-and-now)
Future — blue (forward projection)

Tint = Mood

Green + warmth → Subjunctive (emotion)
Blue + yellow → Conditional (dependency)
Soft violet → Imperfect (atmospheric)

Shape = Aspect

Dot — single completed event
Wave — repeating, habitual
Circle — ongoing, now
Cloud — hypothetical, emotional
Arrow — forward projection
Forked arrow — dependent path