Top 27

Verbs to
Build Phrases

Jumpstart Your Spanish Practice with These Key Verbs

for Daily Spanish Conversations.
 Table of Contents
Exercise - Ejercicio 3
Phrase Building Worksheet 4
Tener - To Have 5
Querer - To Want / To Love 6
Ser - To Be 7
Estar - To Be 8
Gustar - To Like 8
Ir - To Go 9
Poder - Can / To Be Able To 9
Saber - To Know 10
Llamarse - Name Is 10
Haber - To Be 11
Haber - To Have (Auxiliary Verb) 11
Creer - To Think / To Believe 12
Trabajar - To Work 12
Irse - To Leave 13
Preferir - To Prefer 13
Hacer - To Do / To Make 14
Poner - To Put 14
Hablar - To Talk / To Speak 15
Decir - To Tell 15
Tomar - To Take 16
Dar - To Give 17
Entender - To Understand 17
Comer - To Eat 18
Beber - To Drink 18
Ver - To See / To Watch 19
Sentirse - To Feel 19
Escuchar - To Listen / To Hear 20

© Tell Me In Spanish | tellmeinspanish.com 2

 Exercise - Ejercicio
These 27 verbs are extremely common in Spanish. Since you’ll use them in different
situations, it’s important to get familiar with them.

So, let’s do a simple exercise with them:

1. Review each verb and read about its use.
2. Write 2-3 sentences or a short story (if you want to make things more challenging)
about yourself using each verb.

The only rule is that you must use all of these verbs. When you finish, do the same exercise
with a small variation – use another person. It can be a friend, partner, relative or even a
made up character. This will get you to use other conjugations and subject (personal)
pronouns.

© Tell Me In Spanish | tellmeinspanish.com 3

Phrase Building Worksheet: ____________________
English Sentence Spanish Sentence

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 Tener - To Have
How to Use ‘Tener’
In Spanish, tener allows you to:
● Say your and people’s age → [Tener conjugated] + [number] + años
● Talk about obligations → [Tener conjugated] + que + [the activity you must do]
● Express possession (things you own) → [Tener conjugated] + (qualitative adj) +
[thing you own]

I have ____________ Yo tengo ____________

You have ____________ Tú tienes ____________

He/She/It has ____________ Él/Ella/Usted tiene ____________

We have ____________ Nosotros tenemos ____________

You have ____________ Vosotros tenéis ____________

They have ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes tienen _________

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 Querer - To Want / To Love
How to Use ‘Querer’
You can use the verb querer to talk about the activities you wish to do or things you want.
This verb can also help you express affection for people or your pets. These are the
formulas you should use:
● For activities → [Querer conjugated] + [verb in infinitive form]
● For things → [Querer conjugated] + [determiner] + [noun]
● To express affection → [Direct object pronoun] + [querer conjugated]

I want ____________ Yo quiero ____________

You want ____________ Tú quieres ____________

He/She/It wants ____________ Él/Ella/Usted quiere ____________

We want ____________ Nosotros queremos ____________

You want ____________ Vosotros queréis ____________

They want ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes quieren ___________

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 Ser - To Be
How to Use ‘Ser’
We use ser to talk about our inherent characteristics such as your name, nationality,
personality, profession, physical appearance, and family relationships. Ser also allows you
to tell the time and talk about possession.

Useful structures:
● Telling time → Son + las + [number]
● Describing inherent characteristics → [Ser conjugated] + [adjective/noun]
● Talking about possession → [Ser conjugated] + [demonstrative] + [noun]

I am ____________ Yo soy ____________

You are ____________ Tú eres ____________

He/She/It is ____________ Él/Ella/Usted es ____________

We are ____________ Nosotros somos ____________

You are ____________ Vosotros sois ____________

They are ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes son ____________

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 Estar - To Be
How to Use ‘Estar’
We use estar to talk about location, feelings, physical conditions, and today’s date or
weather. To do this, you can use these guidelines:
● Location → [Noun] + [estar conjugated] + [preposition] + [place]
● Feelings & Conditions → [Estar conjugated] + [adjective]
● Date → Estamos a + [today’s date]
● Weather → Está + [adjective]

I am ____________ Yo estoy ____________

You are ____________ Tú estás ____________

He/She/It is ____________ Él/Ella/Usted es ____________

We are ____________ Nosotros estamos ____________

You are ____________ Vosotros estáis ____________

They are ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes están ___________

Gustar - To Like
How to Use ‘Gustar’
In Spanish, gustar is an affective verb which is used to talk about the activities or things
you like or dislike. Simply add that information after the conjugated verb.

I like ____________ Me gusta / Me gustan ____________

You like ____________ Te gusta / Te gustan ____________

He/She/It likes ____________ Le gusta / Le gustan ____________

We like ____________ Nos gusta / Nos gustan ____________

You like ____________ Os gusta / Os gustan ____________

They like ____________ Les gusta / Les gustan ___________

© Tell Me In Spanish | tellmeinspanish.com 8

 Ir - To Go
How to Use ‘Ir’
To express that you’re going from one place to another, you must use the verb ‘ir’. The
structure for this case is ir conjugated + a + [place]. The formula ir + a + infinitive allows you
to talk about actions that will take place in the near future.

I go ____________ Yo voy ____________

You go ____________ Tú vas ____________

He/She/It goes ____________ Él/Ella/Usted va ____________

We go ____________ Nosotros vamos ____________

You go ____________ Vosotros vais ____________

They go ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes van ___________

Poder - Can / To Be Able To

How to Use ‘Poder’
In Spanish, ‘poder’ allows you to describe your skills and things you can do. Such as ‘puedo
hablar español’. To build sentences, you simply need to conjugate ‘poder’ and add a verb in
infinitive form.

I can ____________ Yo puedo ____________

You can ____________ Tú puedes ____________

He/She/It can ____________ Él/Ella/Usted puede ____________

We can ____________ Nosotros podemos ____________

You puedo ____________ Vosotros podéis ____________

They puedes ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes pueden __________

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 Saber - To Know
How to Use ‘Saber’
With ‘saber’ you can talk about:
● The things you know how to do → [Saber conjugated] + [verb in infinitive form]
● Topics or things you know → [Saber conjugated] + [noun]
● Things you know by heart → [Saber conjugated] + [determiner] + [noun]

I know ____________ Yo sé ____________

You know ____________ Tú sabes ____________

He/She/It knows ____________ Él/Ella/Usted sabe ____________

We know ____________ Nosotros sabemos ____________

You know ____________ Vosotros sabéis ____________

They know ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes saben ____________

Llamarse - Name Is / To be Named

How to Use ‘Llamarse’
Llamarse is exclusively used to say your or someone else’s name in Spanish. You simply
must add the name after the conjugation.

My name is ____________ Yo me llamo ____________

Your name is ____________ Tú te llamas ____________

His/Her/Its name is ____________ Él/Ella/Usted se llama ____________

Our names are ____________ Nosotros nos llamamos ____________

Your names are ____________ Vosotros os llamáis ____________

Their names are ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes se llaman _________

© Tell Me In Spanish | tellmeinspanish.com 10

 Haber - To Be
How to Use ‘Haber’
Hay is the direct translation of ‘there is’ or ‘there are’. As a result, you should use hay when
you want to say or ask if something exists in a certain place. The formulas to do these are:
● Hay + [quantitative adjective] + [singular noun]
● Hay + [plural noun]

There is ____________ Hay ____________

There are ____________ Hay ___________

Haber - To Have (Auxiliary Verb)

How to Use ‘Haber’
In a more advanced setting, haber is used to build compound tenses such as the present
perfect. To do this, you simply need to add a past participle form after you conjugate haber.

I have ____________ Yo he ____________

You have ____________ Tú has ____________

He/She/It has ____________ Él/Ella/Usted ha ____________

We have ____________ Nosotros hemos ____________

You have ____________ Vosotros habéis ____________

They have ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes han __________

© Tell Me In Spanish | tellmeinspanish.com 11

 Creer - To Think / To Believe
How to Use ‘Creer’
In Spanish, creer que is a structure that helps you express your opinions. This structure is
usually followed by a conjugated verb. On the other hand, creer en conveys that you
believe in something or someone.

I think ____________ Yo creo ____________

You think ____________ Tú crees ____________

He/She/It thinks ____________ Él/Ella/Usted cree ____________

We think ____________ Nosotros creemos ____________

You think ____________ Vosotros creéis ____________

They think ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes creen ____________

Trabajar - To Work
How to Use ‘Trabajar’
Trabajar helps you talk about your working life. You can use ‘trabajar en’ to talk about the
place where you work or ‘trabajar de’ to mention your job position.

I work ____________ Yo trabajo ____________

You work ____________ Tú trabajas ____________

He/She/It works ____________ Él/Ella/Usted trabaja ____________

We work ____________ Nosotros trabajamos ____________

You work ____________ Vosotros trabajáis ____________

They work ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes trabajan __________

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 Irse - To Leave
How to Use ‘Irse’
You should use the reflexive verb irse to say that you’re departing from a certain place. Irse
a can help you say the specific time that you’re leaving or your destination.

I leave ____________ Yo me voy ____________

You leave ____________ Tú te vas ____________

He/She/It leaves ____________ Él/Ella/Usted se va ____________

We leave ____________ Nosotros nos vamos ____________

You leave ____________ Vosotros os vais ____________

They leave ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes se van ___________

Preferir - To Prefer
How to Use ‘Preferir’
If you need to talk about your preferences, you must use the verb preferir. This verb allows
you to talk both about things and activities. In other words, once you conjugate ‘preferir’,
you can add a noun or a verb in infinitive form to describe your preferences.

I prefer ____________ Yo prefiero ____________

You prefer ____________ Tú prefieres ____________

He/She/It prefers ____________ Él/Ella/Usted prefiere ____________

We prefer ____________ Nosotros preferimos ____________

You prefer ____________ Vosotros preferís ____________

They prefer ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes prefieren ___________

© Tell Me In Spanish | tellmeinspanish.com 13

 Hacer - To Do / To Make
How to Use ‘Hacer’
The verb hacer allows you to talk about the activities people carry out. The most common
formula you’ll use with this verb is hacer conjugated + noun.

I do/make ____________ Yo hago ____________

You do/make ____________ Tú haces ____________

He/She/It does/makes ____________ Él/Ella/Usted hace ____________

We do/make ____________ Nosotros hacemos ____________

You do/make ____________ Vosotros hacéis ____________

They do/make ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes hacen ___________

Poner - To Put
How to Use ‘Poner’
The most common formula you’ll use with this verb is poner conjugated + [determiner] +
noun. If needed, you can provide more information such as where you put something.

I put ____________ Yo pongo ____________

You put ____________ Tú pones ____________

He/She/It puts ____________ Él/Ella/Usted pone ____________

We put ____________ Nosotros ponemos ____________

You put ____________ Vosotros ponéis ____________

They put ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes ponen ___________

© Tell Me In Spanish | tellmeinspanish.com 14

 Hablar - To Talk / To Speak
How to Use ‘Hablar’
In Spanish, you can use the structure hablar conjugated + language to mention the
languages you speak. However, the structure hablar conjugated + con allows you to explain
who are you talking to.

I talk/speak ____________ Yo hablo ____________

You talk/speak ____________ Tú hablas ____________

He/She/It talks/speaks ____________ Él/Ella/Usted habla ____________

We talk/speak ____________ Nosotros hablamos ____________

You talk/speak ____________ Vosotros habláis ____________

They talk/speak ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes hablan ____________

Decir - To Tell
How to Use ‘Decir’
As the equivalent of ‘to tell’ or ‘to say’, you can use ‘decir’ to express what other people say.
To repeat what someone says, you use decir conjugated + que + verb conjugated.

I tell ____________ Yo digo ____________

You tell ____________ Tú dices ____________

He/She/It tells ____________ Él/Ella/Usted dice ____________

We tell ____________ Nosotros decimos ____________

You tell ____________ Vosotros decís ____________

They tell ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes dicen ____________

© Tell Me In Spanish | tellmeinspanish.com 15

 Tomar - To Take
How to Use ‘Tomar’
As the equivalent of ‘to take’, tomar can be used in different contexts. However, you do
need to mention the thing that you’re taking, which can be an object or a drink. You can do
this by using this structure:

[Tomar conjugated] + [determiner] + [noun]

I take ____________ Yo tomo ____________

You take ____________ Tú tomas ____________

He/She/It takes ____________ Él/Ella/Usted toma ____________

We take ____________ Nosotros tomamos ____________

You take ____________ Vosotros tomáis ____________

They take ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes toman ___________

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 Dar - To Give
How to Use ‘Dar’
Dar requires different elements to build coherente sentences. In other words, you need to
mention what you’re giving away and to whom. So, you’ll use the formula:

[Indirect object pronoun ] + [dar conjugated] + [determiner] + [noun]

I give ____________ Yo doy ____________

You give ____________ Tú das ____________

He/She/It gives ____________ Él/Ella/Usted da ____________

We give ____________ Nosotros damos ____________

You give ____________ Vosotros dáis ____________

They give ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes dan ___________

Entender - To Understand
How to Use ‘Entender’
To use ‘entender’ correctly, you may need to mention the thing or concept you understand
(or don’t understand). Entender + determiner + topic. If this information is implicit, you can
omit it.

I understand ____________ Yo entiendo ____________

You understand ____________ Tú entiendes ____________

He/She/It understands ____________ Él/Ella/Usted entiende ____________

We understand ____________ Nosotros entendemos ____________

You understand ____________ Vosotros entendéis ____________

They understand ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes entienden _________

© Tell Me In Spanish | tellmeinspanish.com 17

 Comer - To Eat
How to Use ‘Comer’
To write sentences with ‘comer’ in Spanish, you only need to add a noun that relates to
food. For example, ella come pay de manzana.

I eat ____________ Yo como ____________

You eat ____________ Tú comes ____________

He/She/It eats ____________ Él/Ella/Usted come ____________

We eat ____________ Nosotros comemos ____________

You eat ____________ Vosotros coméis ____________

They eat ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes comen ___________

Beber - To Drink
How to Use ‘Beber’
‘Beber’ communicates that a person drinks something. To do this, you only need to add the
name of a drink after the conjugated verb. For instance, ellos beben café.

I drink ____________ Yo bebo ____________

You drink ____________ Tú bebes ____________

He/She/It drinks ____________ Él/Ella/Usted bebe ____________

We drink ____________ Nosotros bebemos ____________

You drink ____________ Vosotros bebéis ____________

They drink ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes beben ____________

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 Ver - To See / To Watch
How to Use ‘Ver’
You can use ‘ver’ in Spanish to talk about movies, people or things. However, if you’re
referring to people, you need to use the structure ver a. To talk about other things, you
should use ver + determiner + noun.

I see ____________ Yo veo ____________

You see ____________ Tú ves ____________

He/She/It sees ____________ Él/Ella/Usted ve ____________

We see ____________ Nosotros vemos ____________

You see ____________ Vosotros veis ____________

They see ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes ven ___________

Sentirse - To Feel
How to Use ‘Sentirse’
Sentirse is a verb that helps you describe how you feel physically and mentally. To share
this information, add an adjective or adverb after the conjugated verb. For example, me
siento muy cansada.

I feel ____________ Yo me siento ____________

You feel ____________ Tú te sientes ____________

He/She/It feels ____________ Él/Ella/Usted se siente ____________

We feel ____________ Nosotros nos sentimos ____________

You feel ____________ Vosotros os sentís ____________

They feel ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes se sienten ________

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 Escuchar - To Listen / To Hear
How to Use ‘Escuchar’
When using escuchar, you can refer to people or things you listen to. Escuchar a is the
structure you must use if you’re talking about listening to someone. However, you can
simply use escuchar + (determiner) + [noun] if you’re talking about recordings, music, songs,
or similar things.

I listen ____________ Yo escucho ____________

You listen ____________ Tú escuchas ____________

He/She/It listens ____________ Él/Ella/Usted escucha ____________

We listen ____________ Nosotros escuchamos ____________

You listen ____________ Vosotros escucháis ____________

They listen ____________ Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes escuchan _________

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