13. Verbal tenses

In spanish like in almost all the languages there are regular and irregular verbs, for the moment we are going to explain how to conjugate the regular ones, because is easier and also because once you know the general rule you are able to work with almost all the verbs.

Groups ar / er / ir

Spanish verbs are classified in 3 groups depending on their ending:

• -ar (amar, cantar, trabajar) - (to love, to sing, to work)

• -er (comer, beber, saber) - (to eat, to drink, to know)

• -ir (vivir, abrir, compartir) - (to live, to open, to share)

To conjugate a verb we need to know the gorup it belongs to.

Spanish tenses and modes:

Spanish language is really rich in verb tenses, so, for a lot of foreigners it's really hard to use them correctly, specially if their home language doesn't have latin roots.

Anyways if your purpose is to learn some basic or intermediate spanish, not in a professional way, you will not need all of them, with some of the indicative tenses, conditional, and imperative is more than enought to hold almost every conversation in spanish.

There are 4 moods / modes that group all the tenses:

• Indicative

• Subjuntive

• Conditional

• Imperative

Indicative mood:

Indicative mood is used to express facts, realities. Most common tenses, and the first ones you are going to learn.

Subjunctive mood:

Subjunctive mood express hypothetical ideas, facts contrary to reality, feelings, wishes, doubts or intends. It's hard to explain and understand, so foreget about this tenses unless you are quite advance in Spanish language

Conditional mood:

Conditional mood express uncertainty.

Imperative mood:

Imperative mood is used to express orders, prohibitions or requests.

Here you have fast links to all the tenses lessons in case you want to check a certain one, anyways i suggest you to continue the grammar lessons in order, because some of this tenses are not easy to learn and use. Let's go on with the simple present!

12. Verb estar

Grammar