Spanish Verbs 64 — Practice Exercises and Example SentencesLearning Spanish verbs is the backbone of becoming fluent. This article focuses on “Spanish Verbs 64” — a curated set of 64 frequently used verbs — and gives clear explanations, conjugation patterns, practice exercises, and plenty of example sentences so you can internalize forms across tenses. Whether you’re a beginner building foundations or an intermediate learner sharpening accuracy, these verbs will cover most everyday situations.
Why these 64 verbs matter
Some verbs appear so often in conversation, writing, and media that mastering them yields disproportionately large gains in comprehension and expression. The set of 64 includes regular and irregular verbs, reflexive verbs, and modal-like verbs (verbs often used with infinitives) that are essential for forming complex thoughts.
How to use this article
- Study the verbs list and note irregularities.
- Work through the conjugation patterns and example sentences.
- Do the practice exercises after each section and check answers.
- Create your own sentences and short dialogues using the verbs.
The 64 verbs (grouped by function)
Below is a practical grouping of the 64 verbs with brief English glosses. Learn them in context rather than isolation.
- Core auxiliaries and modal-like: ser (to be – identity), estar (to be – state/location), tener (to have), haber (to have — auxiliary), poder (can), deber (should/ought), querer (to want), saber (to know – facts/ability), necesitar (to need)
- Movement and position: ir (to go), venir (to come), llegar (to arrive), salir (to leave/go out), entrar (to enter), volver (to return), quedarse (to stay)
- Perception, communication, thought: ver (to see), mirar (to look/watch), oír (to hear), escuchar (to listen), decir (to say), hablar (to speak), preguntar (to ask), contestar/responder (to answer)
- Action and possession: hacer (to do/make), poner (to put), traer (to bring), llevar (to carry/take), tomar (to take/drink), dar (to give), recibir (to receive)
- Mental/emotional states: pensar (to think), creer (to believe), sentir (to feel), gustar (to like), amar (to love), odiar (to hate)
- Daily activities and needs: comer (to eat), beber (to drink), dormir (to sleep), levantarse (to get up), acostarse (to go to bed), bañarse/ducharse (to bathe/shower), vestirse (to dress)
- Work, study, and money: trabajar (to work), estudiar (to study), aprender (to learn), enseñar (to teach), pagar (to pay), comprar (to buy)
- Change and condition: cambiar (to change), abrir (to open), cerrar (to close), crecer (to grow), morir (to die)
- Miscellaneous useful verbs: olvidar (to forget), recordar (to remember), ayudar (to help), usar (to use), buscar (to search), encontrar (to find)
Conjugation patterns: quick reminders
- Regular -ar verbs (e.g., hablar): present: hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, hablan. Preterite: hablé, hablaste, habló, hablamos, hablasteis, hablaron.
- Regular -er verbs (e.g., comer): present: como, comes, come, comemos, coméis, comen. Preterite: comí, comiste, comió, comimos, comisteis, comieron.
- Regular -ir verbs (e.g., vivir): present: vivo, vives, vive, vivimos, vivís, viven. Preterite: viví, viviste, vivió, vivimos, vivisteis, vivieron.
- Common irregulars: ser, ir, tener, haber, hacer, decir, venir, poner, traer — each has its own stem changes especially in preterite and present tenses.
- Stem-changing verbs: pensar (e→ie), dormir (o→ue), pedir (e→i) — change in all present-tense forms except nosotros/vosotros.
- Reflexive verbs: include reflexive pronouns me, te, se, nos, os, se (e.g., levantarse → me levanto).
Example conjugations (selected verbs)
- Ser (present / preterite / subjunctive present)
- Present: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son
- Preterite: fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron
- Present subjunctive: sea, seas, sea, seamos, seáis, sean
- Estar (present / gerund)
- Present: estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están
- Gerund: estando
- Tener (present / preterite)
- Present: tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tenéis, tienen
- Preterite: tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuvimos, tuvisteis, tuvieron
- Poder (present / preterite)
- Present: puedo, puedes, puede, podemos, podéis, pueden
- Preterite: pude, pudiste, pudo, pudimos, pudisteis, pudieron
- Hacer (present / preterite)
- Present: hago, haces, hace, hacemos, hacéis, hacen
- Preterite: hice, hiciste, hizo, hicimos, hicisteis, hicieron
Example sentences (present, preterite, future)
-
Present:
- Yo hablo español con mis amigos.
- Ella tiene tres hermanos.
- Nosotros vamos al cine esta tarde.
-
Preterite:
- Ayer comimos en ese restaurante.
- Ellos llegaron tarde a la reunión.
- Tú estudiaste mucho la semana pasada.
-
Future:
- Mañana saldré temprano.
- Ellos vendrán a la fiesta el sábado.
- Yo podré ayudarte mañana.
Practice exercises
-
Conjugate in the present tense: a) (yo) — aprender
b) (tú) — poner
c) (ella) — vivir
d) (nosotros) — poder
e) (ellos) — decir -
Fill in the correct preterite: a) Ayer (yo) _____ (hacer) la cena.
b) La semana pasada (ella) _____ (ir) a Madrid.
c) (Nosotros) _____ (tener) una reunión el lunes. -
Translate into Spanish: a) I need to buy food.
b) She listened to the music.
c) We will return tomorrow. -
Rewrite using reflexive form (present): a) (yo) levantar — I get up at 7.
b) (él) duchar — He showers after soccer.
Answer key (concise)
-
Present conjugations: a) aprendo
b) pones
c) vive
d) podemos
e) dicen -
Preterite: a) hice
b) fue
c) tuvimos -
Translations: a) Necesito comprar comida.
b) Ella escuchó la música.
c) Volveremos mañana. -
Reflexive: a) Me levanto a las siete.
b) Se ducha después del fútbol.
Tips to remember irregulars
- Memorize small groups by common stems (e.g., preterite tuv- (tener), estuv- (estar), pud- (poder)).
- Practice with high-frequency sentences (daily routines, directions, simple stories).
- Use flashcards with full conjugation rows rather than isolated infinitives.
Short practice dialogue (uses many verbs)
A: Hola — ¿cómo estás?
B: Bien. Acabo de llegar; tuve mucho trabajo hoy.
A: ¿Qué hiciste?
B: Trabajé, hablé con clientes y tuve que preparar un informe. ¿Y tú?
A: Fui al supermercado y compré comida para la cena. Ahora voy a cocinar.
Next steps
- Make 10 original sentences using 10 different verbs from the 64 list; include at least one reflexive and one irregular.
- Record yourself speaking these sentences and compare pronunciation to native audio (apps or online dictionaries).
If you want, I can convert this into a printable worksheet, generate flashcards for spaced repetition (Anki-ready), or make audio recordings of the example sentences.
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