Learn the present indicative conjugation of regular Spanish verbs ending in -ar, -er, and -ir, such as contactar (to contact), deber (to owe/must), and cumplir (to fulfill). This lesson focuses on forming and using these verbs to express actions happening now.
  1. In Spanish, all verbs end in -ar, -er, -ir, the three conjugations.
ContactarDeberCumplir
(Yo) contacto ((I) contacto)(Yo) debo ((I) debo)(Yo) cumplo ((I) cumplo)
(Tú) contactas ((You) contactas)(Tú) debes ((You) debes)(Tú) cumples ((You) fulfils)
(Él / Ella / Usted) contacta ((He / She / You) contacts)(Él / Ella / Usted) debe ((He / She / You) must must)(Él / Ella / Usted) cumple ((He / She / You) fulfils)
(Nosotros / Nosotras) contactamos ((We) contactamos)(Nosotros / nosotras) debemos ((We) should)(Nosotros / nosotras) cumplimos  ((We) fulfilir)
(Vosotros / Vosotras) contactáis  ((You all) contactáis)(Vosotros / Vosotras) debéis  ((You) must)(Vosotros / Vosotras) cumplís  ((You all) cumplís)
(Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes) contactan  ((They) contactan )(Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes) deben ((They) must)(Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes) cumplen ((They / You) fulfilen)

Exceptions!

  1. Normally, you do not need to use a pronoun because the verb ending makes it clear who or what performs the action.

Exercise 1: Presente de indicativo: los verbos regulares

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

trabaja, cumplen, apellidan, estudio, escribir, dice, contacta, viven

1.
Vivir: Ellos ... en España.
(Live: They live in Spain.)
2.
Trabajar: El hombre ... en un piso cerca de la familia.
(Work: The man works on a flat near the family.)
3.
Contactar: El hombre ... a la mujer con el móvil.
(Contact: The man contacts the woman using the mobile phone.)
4.
Estudiar: Yo ... el número de la tarjeta de crédito.
(I study the credit card number.)
5.
Apellidarse: Ellas se ... García.
(To be surnamed: Their surname is García.)
6.
Cumplir: Ellos ... cuarenta años.
(To turn forty: They turn forty years old.)
7.
Decir: Él ... su fecha de nacimiento.
(Say: He says his date of birth.)
8.
Escribir: Tú ... tu lugar de nacimiento al profesor.
(Write: You write your place of birth to the teacher.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Si __________ la arroba en el correo electrónico, el email es válido.

(If __________ the at sign in the email, the email is valid.)

2. Tú __________ con tus amigos por el móvil.

(You __________ your friends by mobile.)

3. Si __________ español, practicas nuevas palabras.

(If __________ Spanish, you practice new words.)

4. Ellos __________ con sus obligaciones en el trabajo.

(They __________ their obligations at work.)

5. Nosotros __________ por correo electrónico.

(We __________ by email.)

6. Si __________ diez menos cinco, tienes cinco.

(If __________ ten minus five, you have five.)

Present Indicative Tense: Regular Verbs

This lesson covers the present indicative tense using regular Spanish verbs. In Spanish, this tense is used to talk about actions happening right now. Regular verbs in Spanish fall into three categories based on their infinitive endings: -ar, -er, and -ir. Understanding how to conjugate these verbs is fundamental for everyday communication.

Regular Verb Conjugations

Here are examples of the conjugation pattern for each verb type using the verbs contactar (to contact), deber (to owe, must), and cumplir (to fulfill):

  • Contactar (verb ending in -ar):
    (Yo) contacto, (Tú) contactas, (Él/Ella/Usted) contacta, (Nosotros/as) contactamos, (Vosotros/as) contactáis, (Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes) contactan
  • Deber (verb ending in -er):
    (Yo) debo, (Tú) debes, (Él/Ella/Usted) debe, (Nosotros/as) debemos, (Vosotros/as) debéis, (Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes) deben
  • Cumplir (verb ending in -ir):
    (Yo) cumplo, (Tú) cumples, (Él/Ella/Usted) cumple, (Nosotros/as) cumplimos, (Vosotros/as) cumplís, (Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes) cumplen

Important Notes

In Spanish, subject pronouns (like yo, , él) are often omitted because the verb endings clearly indicate who is performing the action.

The table above illustrates typical verb endings for regular verbs in each conjugation group. Mastering these endings allows you to express present actions confidently.

Examples of Useful Words and Expressions

  • Escribes – you write
  • Contactas – you contact
  • Estudias – you study
  • Cumplen – they fulfill or comply
  • Restas – you subtract

Differences Between English and Spanish

One notable difference is that Spanish verb conjugations change with the subject, while English verbs change very little (mostly adding -s in third person singular). For example, in English you say "I contact" and "he contacts" but in Spanish the verbs change ending more extensively.

Also, Spanish verbs clearly indicate the subject, so pronouns are often dropped, unlike in English where subject pronouns are almost always used.

Here are some useful phrases to remember:
¿Cómo te llamas? – What's your name?
¿Dónde vives? – Where do you live?
Hablo español. – I speak Spanish.

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Alessia Calcagni

Languages for communication in international enterprises and organizations

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

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Last Updated:

Friday, 18/07/2025 07:26