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A1 · Stage 1 · Week 9~60 minutes

After this lesson, you'll be able to:

  • ✓Conjugate regular -ER and -IR verbs in present tense
  • ✓Talk about meals and eating habits
  • ✓Describe what you eat and drink
  • ✓Discuss food preferences and dietary habits
  • ✓Use verbs of communication (escribir, leer)

Grammar Focus

Essential grammar for this lesson with examples.

Recap: Verbs in Spanish

Last week we learned that Spanish verbs come in three types based on their ending: -AR, -ER, and -IR. We covered -AR verbs (like hablar, trabajar, estudiar) and practiced conjugating them in the present tense. This week, we complete the picture with the remaining two groups: -ER and -IR verbs. The good news? The pattern is very similar - once you know -AR, the others are easy.

Examples:

Hablo español. (hablar - -AR)I speak Spanish.
Como paella. (comer - -ER)I eat paella.
Vivo en Madrid. (vivir - -IR)I live in Madrid.
Tip: All three verb types share the same yo ending: -o. The differences appear in the other forms - and -ER and -IR are almost identical to each other!

Regular -ER Verb Pattern

Many Spanish verbs end in -ER (like "comer" - to eat). To conjugate them, remove the -ER ending and add the endings shown in green:

comer (to eat) - Present Tense: -ER endings

PersonSingularPlural
1st person(yo) comoI eat(nosotros) comemoswe eat
2nd person(tú) comesyou eat(vosotros) coméisyou all eat
3rd person(él/ella) comehe/she eats(ellos/ellas) comenthey eat

Examples:

Como fruta todos los días.I eat fruit every day.
Él bebe mucho café.He drinks a lot of coffee.
Ella lee el periódico.She reads the newspaper.
Nosotros aprendemos español.We learn Spanish.
Ellos corren por la mañana.They run in the morning.
Tip: The endings are: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en. Compare with -AR: the vowel changes from "a" to "e" (except for yo, which is always -o).
Complete guide to -ER/-IR verb conjugation →

Regular -IR Verb Pattern

Verbs ending in -IR (like "vivir" - to live) follow a very similar pattern to -ER verbs. Spot the differences:

vivir (to live) - Present Tense: -IR endings

PersonSingularPlural
1st person(yo) vivoI live(nosotros) vivimoswe live
2nd person(tú) vivesyou live(vosotros) vivísyou all live
3rd person(él/ella) vivehe/she lives(ellos/ellas) viventhey live

Examples:

Vivo en Madrid.I live in Madrid.
Ella escribe emails todos los días.She writes emails every day.
Él abre la tienda a las nueve.He opens the shop at nine.
Nosotros compartimos la comida.We share the food.
Ellos reciben muchos mensajes.They receive many messages.
Tip: The endings are: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en. Only nosotros (-imos vs -emos) and vosotros (-ís vs -éis) differ from -ER verbs - everything else is identical!

Common -ER Verbs

These -ER verbs are essential for everyday conversation:

Examples:

comer → comoto eat → I eat
beber → beboto drink → I drink
leer → leoto read → I read
correr → corroto run → I run
comprender → comprendoto understand → I understand
aprender → aprendoto learn → I learn
Tip: Many -ER verbs relate to basic actions: eating, drinking, reading, running, understanding.

Common -IR Verbs

These -IR verbs are useful for communication and daily life:

Examples:

vivir → vivoto live → I live
escribir → escriboto write → I write
abrir → abroto open → I open
subir → suboto go up / upload → I go up
compartir → compartoto share → I share
recibir → reciboto receive → I receive
Tip: Many -IR verbs relate to communication (escribir, compartir) and movement (subir, abrir).

Talking About Food & Meals

Use -ER verbs to talk about what you eat and drink at different meals:

Examples:

¿Qué comes para el desayuno?What do you eat for breakfast?
Como fruta y cereales.I eat fruit and cereal.
¿Qué bebes con la cena?What do you drink with dinner?
Bebo agua o a veces vino.I drink water or sometimes wine.
Tip: Meals: el desayuno (breakfast), el almuerzo (lunch), la comida (lunch in Spain), la merienda (afternoon snack), la cena (dinner).

Expressing Opinions About Food

Combine eating/drinking verbs with "gustar" to talk about preferences:

Examples:

Me gusta comer pescado.I like to eat fish.
Prefiero beber agua.I prefer to drink water.
Como mucha fruta porque me gusta.I eat a lot of fruit because I like it.
No me gusta la carne.I don't like meat.
Tip: Remember from Week 3: "me gusta" + infinitive = I like to [verb].

Comparing -AR, -ER, -IR

Here's a side-by-side comparison of all three verb types. Notice how the endings follow predictable patterns - the "signature vowel" is a (AR), e (ER), or i (IR):

All Three Verb Types - Present Tense

-AR (hablar)-ER (comer)-IR (vivir)
(yo)hablocomovivo
(tú)hablascomesvives
(él/ella)hablacomevive
(nosotros)hablamoscomemosvivimos
(vosotros)habláiscoméisvivís
(ellos/ellas)hablancomenviven

Examples:

Hablo español, como paella y vivo en España.I speak Spanish, eat paella and live in Spain.
Ella estudia mucho, lee libros y escribe notas.She studies a lot, reads books and writes notes.
Tip: Memory trick: yo always ends in -o. The "signature vowel" is a (-AR), e (-ER), or i (-IR) - most visible in the nosotros and vosotros forms.

Conversation Example

Ana and Pablo discuss their eating habits during lunch break.

Ana
Pablo, ¿qué comes normalmente para el almuerzo?Pablo, what do you normally eat for lunch?
Pablo
Generalmente como una ensalada o un bocadillo. ¿Y tú?I usually eat a salad or a sandwich. And you?
Ana
Yo como en el hospital. La comida no es muy buena.I eat at the hospital. The food isn't very good.
Pablo
¿Bebes café después de comer?Do you drink coffee after eating?
Ana
No, bebo agua. El café por la tarde no me deja dormir.No, I drink water. Coffee in the afternoon doesn't let me sleep.
Pablo
Yo bebo mucho café. Tres o cuatro al día.I drink a lot of coffee. Three or four a day.
Ana
¡Eso es mucho! ¿Qué cenas por la noche?That's a lot! What do you have for dinner?
Pablo
Depende. A veces cocino pasta, a veces como fuera.It depends. Sometimes I cook pasta, sometimes I eat out.
Ana
Yo ceno ligero. Normalmente una sopa o una tortilla.I have a light dinner. Normally a soup or an omelette.
Pablo
Mi hermana no come carne. Es vegetariana.My sister doesn't eat meat. She's vegetarian.

🌍 Meal Times and Food Culture

Spanish meal culture differs significantly from English-speaking countries. In Spain, "la comida" (lunch, 2-3 PM) is the main meal, often multiple courses. "La cena" (dinner, 9-10 PM) is lighter. In Latin America, schedules vary but meals remain social events. "La merienda" (afternoon snack, 5-6 PM) is popular, especially for children. Spaniards often say "¡Buen provecho!" before meals (like "bon appétit"). Sharing food ("compartir") is common and shows friendship. Asking "¿Qué tal la comida?" (How's the food?) is polite conversation.

Want to learn more?

📚Regular -ER/-IR verbs→📚Food vocabulary→📚Gustar review→