7 May 2026
The 15 Most Common Spanish Verbs (and How to Conjugate Them)
If you're learning Spanish, there's a core group of verbs that will appear in virtually every conversation. Mastering these verbs will give you a solid foundation to express yourself in any situation. Here are the 15 most common Spanish verbs, with real usage examples.
1. Ser
Ser expresses identity, origin, profession, and permanent characteristics.
Soy española. Él es médico. Madrid es la capital de España. (I'm Spanish. He's a doctor. Madrid is the capital of Spain.)
See the full conjugation of SER
2. Estar
Estar describes a state, location, or temporary condition.
Estoy cansado. El libro está en la mesa. ¿Cómo estás? (I'm tired. The book is on the table. How are you?)
See the full conjugation of ESTAR
3. Tener
Tener indicates possession, obligation (with que), or a condition.
Tengo dos hermanos. Tienes que estudiar. Tengo hambre. (I have two siblings. You have to study. I'm hungry.)
See the full conjugation of TENER
4. Hacer
Hacer is one of the most versatile verbs in Spanish. It means to do, make, or create something.
¿Qué haces? Hace frío hoy. Hago deporte cada día. (What are you doing? It's cold today. I exercise every day.)
See the full conjugation of HACER
5. Ir
Ir expresses movement toward a place or a future action (with a + infinitive).
Voy al trabajo. ¿Adónde vas? Vamos a cenar juntos. (I'm going to work. Where are you going? We're going to have dinner together.)
See the full conjugation of IR
6. Poder
Poder indicates ability, possibility, or permission.
¿Puedes ayudarme? No puedo venir mañana. Podemos intentarlo. (Can you help me? I can't come tomorrow. We can try.)
See the full conjugation of PODER
7. Decir
Decir means to express something in words.
¿Qué dices? Él dice que no puede. Te digo la verdad. (What are you saying? He says he can't. I'm telling you the truth.)
See the full conjugation of DECIR
8. Dar
Dar expresses the action of giving or providing something.
Dame el libro. Le doy las gracias. ¿Qué te da más miedo? (Give me the book. I thank him. What scares you the most?)
See the full conjugation of DAR
9. Saber
Saber indicates knowledge of a fact or the ability to do something.
Sé cocinar. ¿Sabes la respuesta? No sé qué decir. (I know how to cook. Do you know the answer? I don't know what to say.)
See the full conjugation of SABER
10. Querer
Querer expresses desire or affection.
Quiero aprender español. Te quiero mucho. ¿Qué quieres comer? (I want to learn Spanish. I love you very much. What do you want to eat?)
See the full conjugation of QUERER
11. Venir
Venir indicates movement toward the place where the speaker is.
¿Vienes a la fiesta? Viene mañana. Ven aquí, por favor. (Are you coming to the party? He's coming tomorrow. Come here, please.)
See the full conjugation of VENIR
12. Hablar
Hablar is the model verb for -AR verbs and one of the most used in the language.
Hablo español. Habla muy rápido. ¿Podemos hablar? (I speak Spanish. She speaks very fast. Can we talk?)
See the full conjugation of HABLAR
13. Ver
Ver indicates visual perception or understanding.
¿Ves eso? No veo bien. Ya veo lo que quieres decir. (Do you see that? I can't see well. I see what you mean.)
See the full conjugation of VER
14. Llevar
Llevar expresses carrying something, wearing something, or elapsed time.
Llevo las llaves. Lleva un año en España. ¿Cuánto llevas esperando? (I'm carrying the keys. He's been in Spain for a year. How long have you been waiting?)
See the full conjugation of LLEVAR
15. Pasar
Pasar has multiple meanings: for time to pass, for something to happen, or to cross from one side to another.
¿Qué pasa? Pasa el tiempo muy rápido. Pasamos por el parque. (What's happening? Time passes very quickly. We walked through the park.)
See the full conjugation of PASAR
Why learn these verbs first?
According to lexical frequency studies, the 15 verbs in this list account for an enormous proportion of the verbal vocabulary that appears in everyday conversations, journalistic texts, and Spanish literature. Many are auxiliary verbs or have idiomatic uses that go beyond their literal meaning.
The good news is that learning their conjugation will serve as a foundation for thousands of expressions. Once you've mastered them, use our conjugation tool to explore any other Spanish verb.