Hi there! I know Spanish can be hard when it comes to verb conjugation as English is much easier with respect to this topic. I understand it can be a challenge to deal with to think of a different form for each person, depending on who you are talking to, and for each tense.
When my Italian boyfriend started learning Spanish I noticed that he started by learning some easy verb combinations that were the simplest way to start and make progress without racking his brain. So, this is the reason why I want to share them with you. In these combinations you will only have to remember the pattern and then add the verb you intend to actually do. Let’s see some examples.
To express the future, an intention or a plan
VOY A (going to)
Voy a comer (I am going to eat)
Voy a leer (I am going to read)
¿Vas a venir? (Are you coming)
Vamos a bailar (We are going to dance)
To talk about something you have to do
TENER QUE (have to)
Tengo que descansar (I have to rest)
Tienes que comprar leche (You have to buy milk)
Tenemos que manejar (We have to drive)
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To talk about something you have just finished
ACABO DE (I just)
Acabo de llegar (I just arrived)
¿Acabas de comer? (Did you just eat?)
Acabamos de terminar (We have just finished)
To express that you are about to do something
ESTAR POR (To be about to)
Estoy por llegar (I am about to arrive)
Estoy por comer (I am about to eat)
Estamos por terminar (We are about to finish)
To express you need something
NECESITO (I need)
Necesito dormir (I need to sleep)
¿Necesitas comprar más? (Do you need to buy more)
Necesitamos empezar ya (We need to start now)
These are some examples of verb combinations that can help you start speaking faster. My recommendation would be to learn one or two of them and start practising whenever you have the chance. It is all about finding the pattern, getting used to it and start using it as soon as you can!
Paulina Gerez is a translator-interpreter, content creator, and founder of Crack The Code, a series of online courses focused on languages. Through her social media, she helps people see learning a language from another perspective through her fun experiences. Instagram: paulinagerezm / Tiktok: paugerez3 / YT: paulina gerez
this type of article is very helpful ( in my opinion ) . . . I hope you continue with these . . . muchas gracias por su ayuda conmigo y otras personas . . . con una sonrisa
Great article! Verbs are so very important to be able to communicate and convey so many important day to day things. I took the “Warren Hardy” method. Levels 1 and 2 in Puerto Vallarta 20 years ago with Maestro Melchor. Helped me tremendously with building blocks to learn the language. Right now I happen to be in San Miguel de Allende and will take Level 3 with Warren himself. I couldn’t be more excited. I found this method to be much easier than others and had really helped me to become fluent (remember to keep practicing and immerse along side of any schooling!). I’ve recommended his program to all my Vacation Rental clients for the last 20 odd years.
Thank you for such a helpful article. This is a great way to get started speaking in a way that you can be understood by others. These basic phrases are confidence builders!
Very helpful. Thank you so much!
Even though I lived in Mexico for over ten years and studied Spanish there I have a long way to go. I still speak Spanish almost daily with a native Mexican caretaker and I may sound “fluent” but I know it isn’t so. To avoid complications, I rewrite to make myself understood but it’s not always correct. And my wonderful “muchacha” never corrects me but understands exactly what I mean. This is all good and well, but I am concerned that I am not improving but simply relying on the same old verbs that I use and know how to conjugate when I should be trying others that I also know but feel reluctant to using. When we shop together in stores, I find myself speaking Spanish to people who don’t understand so I know I am thinking in Spanish and sometimes have trouble switching back and forth, probably due to my age. They say my accent is very good, probably due to my Swedish background. I do speak Swedish and German as well as, of course, English which is more like my native language at this point. And, yes, your suggestions above are helpful and I would welcome more of the same. Anything to encourage using the most common verbs correctly is very valuable indeed! To gain confidence in any language you must learn the grammatical structure well. That is the essence and the only way it will work for me personally.