← Back to Grammar
VerbsbeginnerCEFR A2

Irregular Verbs in Present Tense: Master ser, estar, tener & More

📋Overview🏗️Structure💡Examples⚠️Common Mistakes🧠Quiz📚Useful Resources

What You'll Learn

  • A1 Core: Master the 5 most essential irregular verbs (ser, estar, tener, hacer, ir)
  • Identify which verbs are irregular and need special memorisation
  • Recognise common irregular patterns to make learning easier
  • Use these verbs in everyday phrases like "¿Cómo estás?" and "Tengo hambre"
  • A2 Extension: Learn 5 additional high-frequency irregular verbs (poder, querer, decir, venir, saber)

Overview / Usage

Irregular verbs break the patterns we learned with regular verbs. While regular verbs follow predictable rules, irregular verbs have unique that must be memorised. These include some of the most frequently used verbs in Spanish.

🤔 Irregular Verbs: Same Concept, Different Language

English has irregular verbs too! Think about "go" → "went" or "be" → "am/is/are". Spanish irregular verbs work the same way - they don't follow the standard patterns.

🇬🇧 English Irregular Examples
be: I am, you are, he is
have: I have, he has
go: I go, he goes
do: I do, he does

These don't follow regular English patterns!

🇪🇸 Spanish Irregular Examples
ser: yo soy, tú eres, él es
tener: yo tengo, tú tienes
ir: yo voy, tú vas
hacer: yo hago, tú haces

Like English, these don't follow regular -ar, -er, -ir patterns!

💡 The Good News:

Spanish irregular verbs are more common than English irregular verbs - meaning you'll encounter them frequently, making them easier to memorize through practice! Plus, many irregular verbs share similar patterns.

Spanish irregular verbs include the most essential verbs you'll use daily: ser (to be), estar (to be), tener (to have), hacer (to do/make), and ir (to go). These 5 verbs appear in nearly every conversation, making them crucial for basic A1-level communication.

Structure & Formation

🏗️ Understanding Irregular Verb Patterns

📝 Understanding A1 Irregular Verbs

Important for A1 learners: Don't worry about memorising all the patterns! Focus on learning these 5 essential verbs through practice and repetition. They're irregular, which means they don't follow the normal rules - just like "go/went" in English.

🔵 SER & IR - Completely Different

These change completely. You just need to memorise them:

ser: soy, eres, es...
ir: voy, vas, va...
🔴 HACER & TENER - "Yo" Changes

These mainly change in the "yo" form:

hacer: yo hago (not haco)
tener: yo tengo (not teno)
🟢 ESTAR - Stress Pattern

Has stress marks (accents) in some forms:

estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están

📊 Essential A1 Verb Conjugations

💡 A1 Tip: Focus on mastering SER vs ESTAR first - they're both "to be" but used differently. Then learn TENER for expressing needs and feelings.

SER (to be - permanent)

SingularPlural
yo soy
I am
nosotros somos
we are
tú eres
you are
vosotros sois
you all are
él/ella es
he/she is
ellos/ellas son
they are

ESTAR (to be - temporary)

SingularPlural
yo estoy
I am
nosotros estamos
we are
tú estás
you are
vosotros estáis
you all are
él/ella está
he/she is
ellos/ellas están
they are

TENER (to have)

SingularPlural
yo tengo
I have
nosotros tenemos
we have
tú tienes
you have
vosotros tenéis
you all have
él/ella tiene
he/she has
ellos/ellas tienen
they have

🔵 A2 Extension: Additional Important Irregular Verbs

Ready for more? These verbs are also very common and follow similar irregular patterns. Master them to reach a solid A2 level!

PersonPODER (can)QUERER (want)DECIR (say)VENIR (come)SABER (know)
SingularPluralSingularPluralSingularPluralSingularPluralSingularPlural
1st (I/We)puedopodemosquieroqueremosdigodecimosvengovenimossésabemos
2nd (You)puedespodéisquieresqueréisdicesdecísvienesveníssabessabéis
3rd (He/She/They)puedepuedenquierequierendicedicenvienevienensabesaben

💡 A2 Study Tip: Notice how poder, querer, and venir all change e→ie in some forms (stem-changing verbs). This is a pattern you'll see in many Spanish verbs!

Examples

💬 Real-Life Examples

Essential Daily Expressions

Soy español.
I am Spanish.
¿Cómo estás?
How are you?
Tengo hambre.
I am hungry.
¿Qué haces?
What are you doing?
Voy al trabajo.
I go to work.

Common Questions & Answers

¿Quién eres?
Who are you?
Soy María.
I am María.
¿Dónde estás?
Where are you?
Estoy en casa.
I am at home.
¿Tienes tiempo?
Do you have time?
Sí, tengo tiempo.
Yes, I have time.

🎯 Essential Irregular Verbs to Master

📚 Learning Path:
  • A1 Beginners: Focus on the first 5 verbs (marked with 🟢)
  • A2 Learners: Master all 10 verbs including the extension verbs (marked with 🔵)

💡 Study tip: Focus on learning just the present tense conjugations for now – once you've mastered them, come back here to test yourself with our quiz!

Click any verb below to see all its conjugations and practice with our interactive tool.

Gotchas / Common Mistakes

⚠️ Common Mistakes & Tips

❌ Don't Use Regular Patterns with Irregular Verbs

Wrong:Yo sero (applying -er pattern to ser)
Correct:Yo soy

Irregular verbs have their own unique patterns - don't try to force regular rules on them!

⚡ Ser vs Estar - Both Mean "To Be"

Use SER for permanent characteristics, ESTAR for temporary states:

SER: Soy doctor

(permanent profession)

ESTAR: Estoy cansado

(temporary feeling)

💡 Memory Tip: Focus on the Most Common Forms

Start by memorizing yo, tú, and él/ella forms first - these are used 80% of the time:

ser: soy, eres, es

Once these are automatic, add the plural forms (somos, sois, son).

Quick Test / Mini Quiz

🧠 Test Your Knowledge

1

Complete: 'Yo _____ español' (I am Spanish)

2

Complete: 'María _____ en casa' (María is at home)

3

How do you say 'I have hunger' (I'm hungry)?

4

Complete: 'Nosotros _____ al parque' (We go to the park)

5

What is the 'yo' form of HACER (to do)?

6

Choose the correct form: 'Ellos _____ profesores' (They are teachers)

7

Complete: 'Tú _____ cansado' (You are tired)

8

How do you say 'She has two brothers'?

Useful Resources

Coming soon...