100 Most Common Spanish Verbs for Beginners: An Easy Start
Do you wonder what the most common verbs in Spanish are?
To speak a new language, you need action—in other words, you need verbs! Even in English, you know that you need verbs to bring life to your sentences.
Am I right?
In fact, this whole introduction wouldn’t exist without verbs!
Obviously, Spanish is no different.
If you’re just starting, you need to become familiar with some of the most common verbs that are vital and valuable elements to your conversation and written communications.
The added bonus is that by learning large chunks of verbs at a time, you dramatically improve your comprehension skills as you listen to or read authentic Spanish sources.
So, here are 100 of the most common verbs you’ll run across in Spanish.
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Verbs in Spanish End in -IR, -ER, or -AR
You’ll notice that all of nfinitive verbs on this list end with -ir, -er, or -ar. Brush up on beginner Spanish grammar here:
- 38 Regular -IR and -ER Verbs in Spanish You Can Easily Master
- 35 Regular -AR Verbs in Spanish You Can Easily Master
100 Most Common Spanish Verbs for Beginners
This list of the 100 most commonly-used verbs in Spanish will kickstart your fluency with valuable terms to help you express yourself. The example sentences provide additional context as well as varied conjugation in tense (past, present) or mood (subjunctive, imperative).
I’ve included useful links throughout to lead you to additional information you want to know the most.
Enjoy!
Abrir — To open
Primero debes abrir la puerta.
First you must open the door.
Acercar — To move closer
Tienes que acercar las plantas a la ventana.
You need to move the plants closer to the window.
Learn more: 50+ Spanish Expressions With the Verb ‘Tener’
Recordar — To remember
Recuerda lo que pasó la vez pasada.
Remember what happened last time.
Learn more: Acordarse vs Recordar: What’s the Difference Between These 2 Spanish Verbs?
Amar — To love
Te amo.
I love you.
Learn more: Te Amo vs Te Quiero: Don’t Say the Wrong ‘I Love You’ in Spanish!
Apoyar — To support
Apoyala, siempre que puedas.
Support her, every time you can.
Aprender — To learn
¿Quieres aprender a nadar?
Do you want to learn how to swim?
Callar — To be quiet, to stop talking
Calla y déjame pensar.
Be quiet and let me think.
Cambiar — To change
Voy a cambiarme la camiseta.
I’m going to change the shirt.
Learn more: What You Should Know About Indirect Objects in Spanish
Caminar — To walk, stroll
Vamos a dar una caminata.
Let’s go for a walk.
Learn more: 30+ Must-Know Spanish Expressions Using the Verb ‘Dar’
Cantar — To sing
A mi hermana le gusta cantar.
My sister likes to sing.
Learn more: How to Use Verbs Like ‘Gustar’ (Plus 29 New Verbs & Common Phrases)
Cazar — To hunt
Vamos a ir a cazar el fin de semana.
During the weekend we’re going hunting.
Cenar — To dine, to have dinner
Mis hermanos vienen a cenar.
My brothers are coming to dinner.
Learn more: Venir vs Llegar: How to Use These 2 Spanish Verbs
Cerrar — To close
Cierra la puerta, por favor.
Please close the door.
Cocinar — To cook
Hoy vamos a cocinar lasaña.
Today we’re going to cook lasagna.
Learn more: Easy Vocabulary Guide to Food and Drink Words in Spanish
Comenzar — To begin
Debes comenzar temprano en la mañana.
You must begin early in the morning.
Comer — To eat
¿Qué quieres comer?
What do you want to eat?
Learn more: What Is the Upside-Down Question Mark in Spanish?
Comprar — To buy
Te voy a comprar un regalo mañana.
Tomorrow I’m going to buy you a present.
Conducir — To drive
Ten cuidado a la hora de conducir.
Be careful when you drive.
Conocer — To meet, to get to know
Conozco ese lugar.
I know that place.
Learn more: Saber vs Conocer: What’s the Difference Between These 2 Verbs?
Correr — To run
Yo salgo a correr todos los días.
I got out running every day.
Creer — To believe
Creo en la reencarnación.
I believe in reincarnation.
Culpar — To blame
Espero que no me culpen.
I hope they don’t blame me.
Learn more: Easy Guide to the WEIRDO Subjunctive in Spanish
Dar — To give
Me gusta dar regalos en Navidad.
I like to give presents during Christmas.
Decir — To say
Tengo algo que decirte.
I have something to tell you.
Decidir — To decide
Tú debes decidir qué hacer.
You must decide what to do.
Descansar — To rest
Es hora de descansar.
It’s time to rest.
Describir — To describe
No puedo describir el lugar.
I can’t describe the place.
Desear — To wish
Deseo que tengas un buen día.
I wish you a good day. (I hope you have a good day.)
Learn more: Master the Subjunctive Mood in Spanish
Destruir — To destroy
Mi hija destruyó su patineta.
My daughter destroyed her skateboard.
Encontrar — To find
¿Ya encontraste lo que buscabas?
Did you find what you were looking for?
Enseñar — To teach
Me gusta enseñar matemáticas.
I like teaching math.
Entender — To understand
No entiendo lo que dices.
I don’t understand what you’re saying.
Learn more: How to Use ‘Lo Que’ and ‘Lo De’ in Your Spanish Conversations
Entrar — To go in
Entra por la puerta trasera.
Go in through the back door.
Escuchar — To listen
Escucha con atención.
Listen closely.
Estar — To be, to be at, to be in, etc.
Quisiera estar en la playa.
I’d like to be at the beach.
Learn more: Estar Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Quiz, and PDF
Estudiar — To study
A mi amigo le gusta estudiar.
My friend likes studying.
Esperar — To wait
Espera a que termine.
Wait until I finish.
Faltar — To miss, to lack
Le falta una pizca de sal.
It needs a bit of salt.
Ganar — To win
Anoche ganamos el partido.
Last night we won the match.
Gritar — To scream, to shout
Grita para que te oiga.
Scream so he can hear you.
Learn more: 20 Most Common Subjunctive Triggers in Spanish
Gustar — To like
¿Qué te gusta hacer?
What do you like to do?
Hablar — To speak
Hablamos toda la noche.
We talked all night.
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Intentar — To try, to attempt
Inténtalo, no es muy difícil.
Give it a try, it’s not that hard.
Ir — To go
Debo ir al supermercado.
I must go to the supermarket.
Jugar — To play
Jugamos a que somos piratas.
We play that we’re pirates.
Leer — To read
He leído diez libros este año.
I’ve read ten books this year.
Learn more: How to Use the Present Perfect Indicative Tense in Spanish
Llamar — To Call
Llama a mi mamá, es una emergencia.
Call my mom, it’s an emergency.
Llorar — To cry
No llores.
Don’t cry.
Matar — To kill
Mataron las plantas.
They killed the plants.
Mentir — To lie
No me mientas.
Don’t lie to me.
Learn more: How to Form Negative and Affirmative Commands in Spanish
Mirar — To look, to look at
Mira debajo de la cama.
Look under the bed.
Morir — To die
Mi teléfono murió.
My phone just died.
Mostrar — To show
Muéstrame cómo lo haces.
Show me how you do it.
Necesitar — To need
Necesito las llaves del carro.
I need the car keys.
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Odiar — To hate, to loathe
Odio cuando llueve.
I hate when it rains.
Olvidar — To forget
Olvidé dónde puse mis zapatos.
I forgot where I put my shoes.
Orar — To pray
Ora antes de dormir.
Say a prayer before you go to sleep.
Learn more: How to Use ‘Before’ and ‘After’ in Spanish
Oír — To hear, to listen
¿Has oído esta canción?
Have you heard this song?
Learn more: Escuchar vs Oír: What’s the Difference Between These 2 Spanish Verbs?
Pagar — To pay, to pay for
Hay que pagar por adelantado.
One must pay up front.
Learn more: Master the Use of ‘Hay Que’ in Spanish
Parar — To stop
Para de correr.
Stop running.
Partir — To split
Pártela a la mitad.
Split it in half.
Pensar — To think
Me gusta pensar antes de actuar.
I like to think before I act.
Perder — To miss, to lose
Perdí mi billetera.
I lost my wallet.
Perdonar — To forgive
Te perdono.
I forgive you.
Poner — To put, to place
Ponlo debajo de la mesa.
Put it under the table.
Preguntar — To ask
Pregúntale a tu papá.
Ask your dad.
Preparar — To prepare
Prepárate para el aterrizaje.
Prepare yourself for landing.
Probar — To try, to taste, or to prove
Pruébalo. Te va a gustar.
Taste it. You’re going to like it.
Prometer — To promise
Prométeme que te vas a lavar los dientes.
Promise me you’re going to brush your teeth.
Quemar — To burn
Se me quemó la comida.
I burned the food (by accident).
Learn more: How to Use Accidental or Impersonal Se in Spanish
Querer — To love, to want
Quiero ir de paseo.
I want to go for a walk.
Regalar — To gift, to give
Regálame un minuto de tu tiempo.
Give me a minute of your time.
Regresar — To go back, to return to
Regresemos a la casa.
Let’s go back home.
Learn more: How to Form ‘Nosotros’ Commands in Spanish
Repetir — To repeat
Repite lo que acabas de hacer.
Repeat what you just did.
Learn more: How to Use the Spanish Verb ‘Acabar’
Responder — To respond, to answer
Victor no respondió el teléfono.
Victor didn’t answer his phone.
Reírse — To laugh
Todos nos reímos de ese chiste.
We all laughed at that joke.
Learn more: Master Pronominal Verbs in Spanish Grammar
Saber — To know (information)
La maestra sabe mucho de animales.
The teacher knows a lot about animals.
Salir — To go out, to leave
Lisa salió del edificio.
Lista walked out of the building.
Saltar — To jump
A Francisco le gusta saltar.
Francisco likes to jump.
Salvar — To save, to salvage
El cinturón de seguridad te puede salvar la vida.
The seat belt can save your life.
Sentarse — To sit down
Siéntate si estás muy cansado.
Sit down if you’re really tired.
Sentir — To feel
Me gusta sentir la lluvia caer.
I like to feel the rain falling down.
Ser — To be
Puedes ser lo que sea que quieras ser.
You can be whatever you want to be.
Learn more: Ser Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Quiz, and PDF
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– Sharon K, Parent of 3
“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”
– Cindy D, Parent of 3
“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”
– Erica P. Parent of 1
Sonar — To sound
Va a sonar ridículo.
It’s going to sound ridiculous.
Sonreír — To smile
Sonrío cada vez que te veo.
I smile every time I see you.
Soñar — To dream
Mi hijo sueña con ser piloto.
My son dreams of being a pilot.
Temer — To be afraid of
Temo que voy a llegar tarde.
I’m afraid I’m going to be late.
Tener — To have
Mi vecino tiene una tortuga.
My neighbor has a turtle.
Terminar — To finish
Luis terminó su tarea.
Luis finished his homework.
Tocar — To touch
No lo toques ya que está muy caliente.
Don’t touch it because it’s too hot.
Learn more: ‘Ya Que’ vs ‘Porque’ in Spanish: What’s the Difference?
Tomar — To drink, or to grab
El doctor le recomendó tomar jugo de piña.
The doctor recommended her to drink pineapple juice.
Trabajar — To work
A Edgar no le gusta trabajar.
Edgar doesn’t like to work.
Traer — To bring
Todos los días mi perro me trae el periódico.
Every day my dog brings me the newspaper.
Learn more: Vocabulary Guide to Talk About Your Pet in Spanish
Tratar — To try
Mi papá trató de arreglar su carro.
My dad tried to fix his car.
Usar — To use
Luisa usó la sartén.
Luisa used the frying pan.
Vender — To sell
En la esquina venden fruta fresca.
In the corner they sell fresh fruit.
Ver — To see, to watch
A Roberto le gusta ver la salida del sol.
Roberto likes to watch the sunrise.
Viajar — To travel
Mi hermana viajó a Europa el año pasado.
My sister traveled to Europe last year.
Visitar — To visit
El fin de semana fui a visitar a mis abuelos.
Over the weekend, I went to visit my grandparents.
Volver — To go back, to come back, to return
Es hora de volver a casa.
It’s time to go back home.
Activate Your Spanish!
These verbs will surely help you kickstart your Spanish—but they’re just the beginning. If you truly want to learn Spanish, we can help you. Sign up for a free trial class today at Homeschool Spanish Academy. Yes, free! No credit card. No hidden fees.
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Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these
“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”
– Sharon K, Parent of 3
“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”
– Cindy D, Parent of 3
“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”
– Erica P. Parent of 1
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