⚡ Present Irregular Verbs in Spanish

🌟 Introduction

After mastering regular verbs in the present tense, the next step is to learn irregular verbs. These verbs don’t follow the normal patterns of -ar, -er, or -ir endings, so they must be memorized.

The most common irregular verbs in Spanish are ser (to be), estar (to be), tener (to have), ir (to go), and hacer (to do/make). These verbs appear in almost every conversation and are essential for building sentences.

In this lesson, we’ll explore their conjugations, meanings, and uses, and then practice with examples, dialogues, and exercises.

🔑 Verb Ser (to be)

The verb ser is one of the most important and irregular verbs in Spanish. It is used for identity, origin, professions, descriptions, and permanent characteristics.

✅ Affirmative Conjugation of Ser

• Yo soy estudiante. → I am a student.
• Tú eres mi amigo. → You are my friend.
• Él/Ella es profesor(a). → He/She is a teacher.
• Usted es muy amable. → You (formal) are very kind.
• Nosotros/Nosotras somos de México. → We are from Mexico.
• Vosotros/Vosotras sois inteligentes. → You all (Spain) are intelligent.
• Ellos/Ellas son mis hermanos. → They are my brothers/sisters.
• Ustedes son estudiantes. → You all are students.

❌ Negative Sentences

• Yo no soy médico. → I am not a doctor.
• Ellos no son españoles. → They are not Spanish.

❓ Interrogative Sentences

• ¿Tú eres estudiante? → Are you a student?
• ¿Ellos son tus amigos? → Are they your friends?

❓❌ Interro-Negative Sentences

• ¿Tú no eres profesor? → Aren’t you a teacher?
• ¿Ellas no son tus hermanas? → Aren’t they your sisters?

🔎 Tip: Use ser for permanent traits (identity, nationality, profession, time, relationships).

📍 Verb Estar (to be)

The verb estar also means "to be," but it is used for temporary states, locations, emotions, and conditions. It contrasts with ser, which expresses permanent or defining traits.

✅ Affirmative Conjugation of Estar

• Yo estoy en casa. → I am at home.
• Tú estás feliz. → You are happy.
• Él/Ella está en la escuela. → He/She is at school.
• Usted está cansado/a. → You (formal) are tired.
• Nosotros/Nosotras estamos en Madrid. → We are in Madrid.
• Vosotros/Vosotras estáis ocupados. → You all (Spain) are busy.
• Ellos/Ellas están en el parque. → They are in the park.
• Ustedes están listos. → You all are ready.

❌ Negative Sentences

• Yo no estoy enfermo. → I am not sick.
• Ellos no están en casa. → They are not at home.

❓ Interrogative Sentences

• ¿Tú estás cansado? → Are you tired?
• ¿Ustedes están en la oficina? → Are you all at the office?

❓❌ Interro-Negative Sentences

• ¿Tú no estás en clase? → Aren’t you in class?
• ¿Ella no está contenta? → Isn’t she happy?

🔎 Tip: Use estar for location, feelings, and temporary conditions. Think of it as "how you feel and where you are."

📍 Verb Tener (to have)

The verb tener means "to have" and is also used in many common expressions (for age, obligations, feelings of hunger, thirst, etc.). It is irregular in the present tense.

✅ Affirmative Conjugation of Tener

• Yo tengo un libro. → I have a book.
• Tú tienes una hermana. → You have a sister.
• Él/Ella tiene una bicicleta. → He/She has a bicycle.
• Usted tiene una casa grande. → You (formal) have a big house.
• Nosotros/Nosotras tenemos una idea. → We have an idea.
• Vosotros/Vosotras tenéis un examen. → You all (Spain) have a test.
• Ellos/Ellas tienen muchos amigos. → They have many friends.
• Ustedes tienen una reunión. → You all have a meeting.

❌ Negative Sentences

• Yo no tengo dinero. → I don’t have money.
• Ellos no tienen coche. → They don’t have a car.

❓ Interrogative Sentences

• ¿Tú tienes tiempo? → Do you have time?
• ¿Ustedes tienen hijos? → Do you all have children?

❓❌ Interro-Negative Sentences

• ¿Tú no tienes tarea? → Don’t you have homework?
• ¿Ella no tiene perro? → Doesn’t she have a dog?

🔎 Tip: Tener is used to express age (Tengo 20 años = I am 20 years old), obligations with tener que (Tengo que estudiar = I have to study), and states/conditions (Tengo hambre = I’m hungry).

📍 Verb Ir (to go)

The verb ir means "to go". It is highly irregular in the present tense and is commonly used to talk about movement and future plans (with a + infinitive).

✅ Affirmative Conjugation of Ir

• Yo voy al mercado. → I go to the market.
• Tú vas a la escuela. → You go to school.
• Él/Ella va al cine. → He/She goes to the cinema.
• Usted va a la oficina. → You (formal) go to the office.
• Nosotros/Nosotras vamos al parque. → We go to the park.
• Vosotros/Vosotras vais a la playa. → You all (Spain) go to the beach.
• Ellos/Ellas van al restaurante. → They go to the restaurant.
• Ustedes van a la universidad. → You all go to the university.

❌ Negative Sentences

• Yo no voy a la fiesta. → I’m not going to the party.
• Ellos no van al trabajo hoy. → They are not going to work today.

❓ Interrogative Sentences

• ¿Tú vas al médico? → Are you going to the doctor?
• ¿Ustedes van al centro comercial? → Are you all going to the mall?

❓❌ Interro-Negative Sentences

• ¿Tú no vas a clase? → Aren’t you going to class?
• ¿Ella no va al gimnasio? → Isn’t she going to the gym?

🔎 Tip: Ir is often used with a + infinitive to form the near future:
Ejemplo: Yo voy a estudiar mañana. → I am going to study tomorrow.

🛠️ Verb Hacer (to do / to make)

The verb hacer is one of the most commonly used irregular verbs in Spanish. It means to do or to make, and it is used in a wide variety of expressions.

✅ Affirmative Conjugation

• Yo hago la tarea. → I do the homework.
• Tú haces ejercicio. → You do exercise.
• Él/Ella hace un pastel. → He/She makes a cake.
• Nosotros hacemos la cama. → We make the bed.
• Vosotros hacéis deporte. → You all do sports. (Spain)
• Ellos/Ellas hacen un viaje. → They take a trip.

🚫 Negative Sentences

• Yo no hago la tarea. → I don’t do the homework.
• Tú no haces ejercicio. → You don’t exercise.
• Él/Ella no hace un pastel. → He/She doesn’t make a cake.

❓ Interrogative Sentences

• ¿Haces ejercicio? → Do you exercise?
• ¿Hace ella un pastel? → Does she make a cake?
• ¿Hacen ellos un viaje? → Do they take a trip?

❌❓ Negative + Interrogative

• ¿No haces la tarea? → Don’t you do the homework?
• ¿No hace él deporte? → Doesn’t he do sports?
• ¿No hacen ustedes un viaje? → Don’t you (plural) take a trip?

📌 Usage Notes for Hacer

The verb hacer is very versatile in Spanish. It doesn’t just mean to do or to make — it also appears in many common expressions. Here are the main categories:

🛏️ Household & Daily Tasks

• Hacer la cama → to make the bed Yo hago la cama todas las mañanas. → I make the bed every morning.
• Hacer la tarea → to do homework Ellos hacen la tarea después de la escuela. → They do their homework after school.
• Hacer la compra → to do the shopping Nosotros hacemos la compra los sábados. → We do the shopping on Saturdays.

🏃 Health & Activities

• Hacer ejercicio → to exercise ¿Tú haces ejercicio en el gimnasio? → Do you exercise at the gym?
• Hacer yoga → to do yoga Mi madre hace yoga por las mañanas. → My mother does yoga in the mornings.
• Hacer deporte → to play sports Los estudiantes hacen deporte en la escuela. → The students play sports at school.

🌦️ Weather Expressions

In Spanish, we use hacer to talk about the weather.

• Hace frío → It’s cold En invierno hace mucho frío. → In winter it’s very cold.
• Hace calor → It’s hot Hoy hace mucho calor en la ciudad. → Today it’s very hot in the city.
• Hace sol → It’s sunny Mañana hace sol en la playa. → Tomorrow it will be sunny at the beach.
• Hace viento → It’s windy Hace viento en las montañas. → It’s windy in the mountains.

🛠️ Other Common Uses

• Hacer un viaje → to take a trip Vamos a hacer un viaje a México. → We are going to take a trip to Mexico.
• Hacer una pregunta → to ask a question El estudiante hace una pregunta en clase. → The student asks a question in class.
• Hacer daño → to hurt / to harm Esa comida me hace daño. → That food makes me sick.

💬 Examples in Context with Hacer

Let’s look at a short conversation where hacer is used in everyday situations:

🎯 Practice & Exercises with Hacer

Let’s practice hacer with different contexts. Try to conjugate correctly, complete the blanks, or translate the sentences. Answers can be checked below each activity.

1️⃣ Conjugation Drill

Conjugate hacer in the present tense for each subject:

• Yo → __________
• Tú → __________
• Él/Ella → __________
• Nosotros → __________
• Vosotros → __________
• Ellos/Ellas → __________

2️⃣ Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct form of hacer:

1. Hoy __________ calor en la ciudad. (It’s hot today)
2. Nosotros __________ ejercicio en el gimnasio. (We work out at the gym)
3. ¿Qué __________ tú después de la escuela? (What are you doing after school?)
4. Mis amigos __________ un viaje a España. (My friends are taking a trip to Spain)
5. Yo siempre __________ la cama por la mañana. (I always make the bed in the morning)

3️⃣ Translate into Spanish

1. It’s cold in winter. → __________
2. I do my homework every day. → __________
3. What are you doing right now? → __________
4. We are taking a trip to Mexico. → __________
5. She makes a cake for her family. → __________

4️⃣ Multiple Choice

Choose the correct option:

1. ¿Qué __________ tú los fines de semana?
   a) hace   b) haces   c) hago
2. Ellos __________ deporte todos los días.
   a) hacen   b) hacemos   c) haces
3. En verano __________ mucho sol.
   a) haces   b) hago   c) hace

📚 Summary & Next Steps

In this lesson, you learned the most common irregular verbs in Spanish: ser, estar, tener, ir, hacer. These verbs are essential because they are used daily to talk about identity, location, possession, movement, and actions.

• Ser → to describe identity, origin, permanent traits.
• Estar → to describe temporary states, locations, emotions.
• Tener → to express possession, age, and certain idioms.
• Ir → to express movement or the near future with a + infinitive.
• Hacer → to express actions, weather, and common activities.

✅ Mastering these verbs will allow you to build hundreds of useful sentences and hold basic conversations in Spanish. Next, you’ll move on to reflexive verbs and daily routines, where you’ll learn to describe your typical day in detail.

🧩 Global Quiz – Irregular Verbs

Test your knowledge of ser, estar, tener, ir, and hacer. Try to complete the exercises, then check your answers inside each details section.

1️⃣ Conjugation Practice

Fill in the correct form:

1. Yo __________ estudiante. (ser)
2. Ellos __________ en la playa. (estar)
3. Nosotros __________ un perro. (tener)
4. Tú __________ al supermercado. (ir)
5. Hoy __________ frío en la montaña. (hacer)

2️⃣ Multiple Choice

Choose the correct option:

1. ¿De dónde __________ tú?
   a) eres   b) estás   c) haces
2. Mis amigos __________ muy simpáticos.
   a) son   b) están   c) tienen
3. Nosotros __________ un examen mañana.
   a) vamos   b) tenemos   c) hacemos

3️⃣ Translate into Spanish

1. I am happy today. → __________
2. They are doctors. → __________
3. We are going to the park. → __________
4. She has two sisters. → __________
5. It’s hot in summer. → __________

4️⃣ Complete the Dialogue

Fill in the blanks with the correct verb:

— Hola, ¿cómo __________ (estar) tú?
— Bien, gracias. Yo __________ (ser) estudiante de español.
— ¡Qué bien! ¿Cuántos años __________ (tener) tú?
— Yo __________ (tener) 20 años. ¿Y tú?
— Yo __________ (ir) a la universidad también, y __________ (hacer) mucho deporte.