A2 vocabulary guide
Common Spanish verbs: build sentences around useful actions
A small set of verbs lets you do a surprising amount: say what you need, explain where you are going and describe a routine. Learn each infinitive with a short sentence, then add the subject and time phrase that make it yours.
Start with the pattern
Words are easier to keep when they make sense.
Spanish infinitives end in -ar, -er or -ir. Present-tense endings show the subject, so the pronoun is often omitted: trabajo means I work. High-frequency verbs such as ser, estar, ir, tener and hacer have irregular forms worth learning early; others follow regular patterns or have predictable stem changes.
An English verb can split across several Spanish choices. Ser and estar both translate as “be” in some contexts; saber and conocer can both relate to “know”; llevar can mean carry, wear or take depending on context. Learn verbs through sentences and collocations, not one-word equivalence.
Hear it in a sentence
Examples in everyday Spanish
Trabajo cerca del centro y voy a la oficina en metro.
I work near the centre and go to the office by metro.
¿Sabes dónde está la biblioteca?
Do you know where the library is?
Saber introduces knowledge of a fact.
Conozco un café tranquilo junto a la plaza.
I know a quiet café beside the square.
Conocer expresses familiarity with a place.
Hoy hacemos la compra después de clase.
Today we’re doing the food shopping after class.
Listen for the local detail
A note on Spanish in Spain
- In Spain, hacer la compra commonly means doing the grocery shopping. Cogemos el autobús is standard Spain usage; tomar el autobús is broadly understood and common elsewhere.
- The present tense is not a frequency ranking. These are widely useful verbs selected for everyday communication, not a corpus-verified order.
Look out for
Common mistakes, made clearer
Avoid
Yo sabo la respuesta.
Use / understand
Yo sé la respuesta.
Saber has the irregular first-person present form sé.
Avoid
Conozco cómo nadar.
Use / understand
Sé nadar.
Saber + infinitive expresses knowing how to do something.
Avoid
Madrid es en España.
Use / understand
Madrid está en España.
Use estar to locate a place.
Five quick checks
Try it before you peek.
- 01
Complete: Yo ___ (tener) una pregunta.
Reveal answer and explanation
tengo.
Tener has an irregular yo form.
- 02
Translate “I know how to cook.”
Reveal answer and explanation
Sé cocinar.
Saber + infinitive means know how to do something.
- 03
Complete: Nosotros ___ (ir) al mercado.
Reveal answer and explanation
vamos.
Ir is irregular; nosotros vamos.
- 04
Choose ser or estar: El museo ___ en el centro.
Reveal answer and explanation
está.
Use estar to give a location.
- 05
Complete: Ella ___ (hacer) una lista.
Reveal answer and explanation
hace.
Hacer is irregular in yo, but the ella form is hace.
Still wondering
Questions about common spanish verbs: build sentences around useful actions
Which Spanish verbs should beginners learn first?
Start with verbs that help you identify, locate, describe needs and form plans: ser, estar, tener, ir, hacer, querer and poder. Add everyday actions that match your routine.
What is the difference between saber and conocer?
Saber often covers facts or knowing how to do something; conocer often means knowing a person or being familiar with a place or subject. Context and construction matter.
Keep the learning connected