- Core: Learn 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"
- Extension: Learn 5 additional high-frequency irregular verbs (poder, querer, decir, venir, saber)
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Essential VerbsElementary
Irregular Verbs Present Tense
Master ser, estar, tener, hacer, ir and more essential irregular verbs
What You'll Learn
Overview
Irregular verbs break the patterns we learned with regular verbs. While regular verbs follow predictable rules, irregular verbs have unique conjugations 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
have: I have, he has
go: I go, he goes
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
tener: yo tengo, tú tienes
ir: yo voy, tú vas
Like English, these don't follow regular -ar, -er, -ir patterns!
The Good News
Many irregular verbs share similar patterns. Once you learn that tener becomes tengo, you'll recognise the same "go" pattern in venir → vengo, hacer → hago, and others. Learning a few patterns unlocks many verbs.
While Spanish has many irregular verbs, this page focuses on the 5 most essential. These appear in nearly every conversation, so mastering them first gives you a strong foundation.
ser: soy, eres, es...
estar: estoy, estás, está...
tener: tengo, tienes, tiene...
hacer: hago, haces, hace...
ir: voy, vas, va...
Structure & Formation
Understanding Irregular Verb Patterns
Important for Beginners
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. Just 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 accent marks in some forms:estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están
Tip: Focus on mastering SER vs ESTAR first - they're both "to be" but used differently. Then learn TENER for expressing needs and feelings.
Essential Verb Conjugations
SER (to be - permanent)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
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)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
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)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
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 |
SER (to be (permanent))
| yo | soy | I am |
| tú | eres | you are |
| él/ella | es | he/she is |
| nosotros | somos | we are |
| vosotros | sois | you all are |
| ellos | son | they are |
ESTAR (to be (temporary))
| yo | estoy | I am |
| tú | estás | you are |
| él/ella | está | he/she is |
| nosotros | estamos | we are |
| vosotros | estáis | you all are |
| ellos | están | they are |
TENER (to have)
| yo | tengo | I have |
| tú | tienes | you have |
| él/ella | tiene | he/she has |
| nosotros | tenemos | we have |
| vosotros | tenéis | you all have |
| ellos | tienen | they have |
Extension: Additional Important Irregular Verbs
Ready for more? These verbs are also very common and follow similar irregular patterns. Master them to expand your Spanish proficiency!
Note: Four of these are also stem-changing verbs: poder (o→ue), querer (e→ie), decir (e→i), and venir (e→ie). Decir and venir also add "go" in the yo form. Saber only changes in yo (sé).
Examples
Essential Daily Expressions
SER
Soy español.
I am Spanish.
ESTAR
¿Cómo estás?
How are you?
TENER
Tengo hambre.
I am hungry.
HACER
¿Qué haces?
What are you doing?
IR
Voy al trabajo.
I go to work.
Common Questions & Answers
Question
¿Quién eres?
Who are you?
Answer
Soy María.
I am María.
Question
¿Dónde estás?
Where are you?
Answer
Estoy en casa.
I am at home.
Question
¿Tienes tiempo?
Do you have time?
Answer
Sí, tengo tiempo.
Yes, I have time.
Common Mistakes
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 memorising 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
Test your understanding of irregular verb conjugations:
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'?
Want more practice? Try our interactive fill-in-the-blank exercises with progressive lessons covering ser, estar, ir, and more irregular verbs!