1 · What Is a Spanish Verb?
A Spanish verb carries the action and tells you who is doing it through its ending.
Unlike English ("I eat / she eats"), Spanish usually drops the pronoun because the ending makes it clear:
como = I eat, come = he/she eats.
Tip: Spanish verbs end in -ar, -er, or -ir in the infinitive form.
This ending determines how you conjugate them. Learn the pattern once — apply it to hundreds of verbs.
2 · The Three Verb Families
hablar
to speak · –AR family
| yo | hablo |
| tú | hablas |
| él / ella / Ud. | habla |
| nosotros | hablamos |
| vosotros | habláis |
| ellos / Uds. | hablan |
comer
to eat · –ER family
| yo | como |
| tú | comes |
| él / ella / Ud. | come |
| nosotros | comemos |
| vosotros | coméis |
| ellos / Uds. | comen |
vivir
to live · –IR family
| yo | vivo |
| tú | vives |
| él / ella / Ud. | vive |
| nosotros | vivimos |
| vosotros | vivís |
| ellos / Uds. | viven |
Note on vosotros: The vosotros form is used in Spain. In Latin America (and most travel situations),
ustedes covers both formal and informal plural "you."
3 · The Two Most Important Irregular Verbs
ser and estar both mean "to be" — mastering them is critical to speaking Spanish.
ser
to be (permanent)
| yo | soy |
| tú | eres |
| él / ella / Ud. | es |
| nosotros | somos |
| vosotros | sois |
| ellos / Uds. | son |
estar
to be (temporary / location)
| yo | estoy |
| tú | estás |
| él / ella / Ud. | está |
| nosotros | estamos |
| vosotros | estáis |
| ellos / Uds. | están |
tener
to have
| yo | tengo |
| tú | tienes |
| él / ella / Ud. | tiene |
| nosotros | tenemos |
| vosotros | tenéis |
| ellos / Uds. | tienen |
ir
to go
| yo | voy |
| tú | vas |
| él / ella / Ud. | va |
| nosotros | vamos |
| vosotros | vais |
| ellos / Uds. | van |
Ser vs Estar quick rule:
• Soy médico. (I am a doctor — permanent identity) → ser
• Estoy en el hotel. (I am at the hotel — location) → estar
• Estoy cansado. (I am tired — temporary state) → estar
• Soy médico. (I am a doctor — permanent identity) → ser
• Estoy en el hotel. (I am at the hotel — location) → estar
• Estoy cansado. (I am tired — temporary state) → estar
4 · 50 Most Common Travel Verbs
These 50 verbs cover nearly every situation you'll encounter while travelling — at the airport, hotel, restaurant, doctor's office, and on the street.
Each entry includes a ready-to-use example sentence.
| # | Español | English | Example (ES) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | viajar | to travel | Me gusta viajar en verano. | I like to travel in summer. |
| 2 | ir | to go | ¿Adónde vas? | Where are you going? |
| 3 | llegar | to arrive | Llegamos a las diez. | We arrive at ten. |
| 4 | salir | to leave / depart | El vuelo sale a las ocho. | The flight leaves at eight. |
| 5 | reservar | to book / reserve | Quiero reservar una habitación. | I want to book a room. |
| 6 | pagar | to pay | ¿Dónde puedo pagar? | Where can I pay? |
| 7 | comprar | to buy | Quiero comprar recuerdos. | I want to buy souvenirs. |
| 8 | comer | to eat | ¿Dónde podemos comer bien? | Where can we eat well? |
| 9 | beber | to drink | Necesito beber agua. | I need to drink water. |
| 10 | dormir | to sleep | Duermo en el hotel. | I sleep at the hotel. |
| 11 | hablar | to speak | ¿Habla inglés? | Do you speak English? |
| 12 | preguntar | to ask | Quiero preguntar algo. | I want to ask something. |
| 13 | entender | to understand | No entiendo. ¿Puede repetir? | I don't understand. Can you repeat? |
| 14 | necesitar | to need | Necesito un taxi. | I need a taxi. |
| 15 | querer | to want | Quiero una mesa para dos. | I want a table for two. |
| 16 | poder | to be able to / can | ¿Puede ayudarme? | Can you help me? |
| 17 | tener | to have | Tengo una reserva. | I have a reservation. |
| 18 | encontrar | to find | No puedo encontrar mi pasaporte. | I can't find my passport. |
| 19 | buscar | to look for / search | Busco el aeropuerto. | I'm looking for the airport. |
| 20 | ayudar | to help | ¿Me puede ayudar, por favor? | Can you help me, please? |
| 21 | mostrar | to show | ¿Puede mostrarme el mapa? | Can you show me the map? |
| 22 | dar | to give | Deme la cuenta, por favor. | Give me the bill, please. |
| 23 | llevar | to take / carry | ¿Me lleva al centro? | Can you take me downtown? |
| 24 | tomar | to take (transport / food) | Voy a tomar el tren. | I'm going to take the train. |
| 25 | facturar | to check in (luggage) | Necesito facturar mi maleta. | I need to check in my suitcase. |
| 26 | subir | to go up / board | Subimos al avión. | We board the plane. |
| 27 | bajar | to go down / get off | ¿Dónde bajo del autobús? | Where do I get off the bus? |
| 28 | cambiar | to change / exchange | Quiero cambiar dinero. | I want to exchange money. |
| 29 | alquilar | to rent | Quiero alquilar un coche. | I want to rent a car. |
| 30 | visitar | to visit | Quiero visitar el museo. | I want to visit the museum. |
| 31 | ver | to see | Quiero ver la catedral. | I want to see the cathedral. |
| 32 | conocer | to know / meet (person/place) | ¿Conoces Madrid? | Do you know Madrid? |
| 33 | perderse | to get lost | Me perdí en la ciudad. | I got lost in the city. |
| 34 | esperar | to wait / hope | Espero el autobús. | I'm waiting for the bus. |
| 35 | confirmar | to confirm | Quiero confirmar mi vuelo. | I want to confirm my flight. |
| 36 | cancelar | to cancel | Necesito cancelar la reserva. | I need to cancel the reservation. |
| 37 | llamar | to call | Llame a un médico, por favor. | Please call a doctor. |
| 38 | abrir | to open | ¿A qué hora abren? | What time do they open? |
| 39 | cerrar | to close | El banco cierra a las tres. | The bank closes at three. |
| 40 | recomendar | to recommend | ¿Qué recomienda usted? | What do you recommend? |
| 41 | traer | to bring | ¿Me trae la carta? | Can you bring me the menu? |
| 42 | perder | to lose | Perdí mi equipaje. | I lost my luggage. |
| 43 | robar | to steal | Me robaron la cartera. | My wallet was stolen. |
| 44 | doler | to hurt / ache | Me duele la cabeza. | My head hurts. |
| 45 | sentirse | to feel | No me siento bien. | I don't feel well. |
| 46 | cruzar | to cross | Cruce la calle aquí. | Cross the street here. |
| 47 | seguir | to continue / follow | Siga recto. | Go straight ahead. |
| 48 | girar | to turn | Gire a la derecha. | Turn right. |
| 49 | sacar | to take out / withdraw | Necesito sacar dinero del cajero. | I need to withdraw money from the ATM. |
| 50 | disfrutar | to enjoy | ¡Disfrute su viaje! | Enjoy your trip! |
5 · Verb Groups at a Glance
Transportation verbs:
viajar travel
ir go
llegar arrive
salir depart
tomar take
subir board
bajar get off
alquilar rent
facturar check-in
Hotel & Accommodation verbs:
reservar book
confirmar confirm
cancelar cancel
dormir sleep
pagar pay
Restaurant & Food verbs:
comer eat
beber drink
pedir order
recomendar recommend
traer bring
Navigation verbs:
buscar look for
encontrar find
cruzar cross
seguir continue
girar turn
perderse get lost
Emergency & Health verbs:
llamar call
ayudar help
doler hurt
sentirse feel
perder lose
robar steal
6 · Quick Practice — Fill in the Verb
Choose the correct verb from the box and conjugate it. Answers are shown below each card.
1. Yo ________ (querer) una habitación doble.
I want a double room.
I want a double room.
✓ quiero — Yo quiero una habitación doble.
2. El avión ________ (salir) a las seis.
The plane leaves at six.
The plane leaves at six.
✓ sale — El avión sale a las seis.
3. Nosotros ________ (buscar) el hotel.
We are looking for the hotel.
We are looking for the hotel.
✓ buscamos — Nosotros buscamos el hotel.
4. ¿Usted ________ (hablar) inglés?
Do you speak English?
Do you speak English?
✓ habla — ¿Usted habla inglés?
5. Me ________ (doler) el estómago.
My stomach hurts.
My stomach hurts.
✓ duele — Me duele el estómago.
6. Ellos ________ (llegar) mañana.
They arrive tomorrow.
They arrive tomorrow.
✓ llegan — Ellos llegan mañana.
7. ¿Dónde puedo ________ (cambiar) dinero?
Where can I exchange money?
Where can I exchange money?
✓ cambiar — infinitive kept after poder.
8. Yo ________ (estar) en el aeropuerto.
I am at the airport.
I am at the airport.
✓ estoy — Yo estoy en el aeropuerto.
9. ¿Puede ________ (recomendar) un restaurante?
Can you recommend a restaurant?
Can you recommend a restaurant?
✓ recomendar — infinitive after puede.
10. ¡________ (disfrutar) su viaje!
Enjoy your trip!
Enjoy your trip!
✓ Disfrute — formal imperative (Ud.).
7 · Must-Know Travel Sentences
| Situation | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Asking for help | ¿Puede ayudarme, por favor? | Can you help me, please? |
| Finding a place | ¿Dónde está la estación de metro? | Where is the metro station? |
| Booking a room | Quiero reservar una habitación para dos noches. | I want to book a room for two nights. |
| Ordering food | ¿Me puede traer la carta, por favor? | Can you bring me the menu, please? |
| Paying | La cuenta, por favor. | The bill, please. |
| Getting directions | Siga recto y gire a la izquierda. | Go straight and turn left. |
| Health emergency | Llame a un médico. No me siento bien. | Call a doctor. I don't feel well. |
| Lost & found | Perdí mi pasaporte. ¿Puede ayudarme? | I lost my passport. Can you help me? |
| Exchanging money | ¿Dónde puedo cambiar dinero? | Where can I exchange money? |
| Not understanding | No entiendo. ¿Puede hablar más despacio? | I don't understand. Can you speak more slowly? |
8 · What's Next?
Coming in Lesson 2: Numbers, time expressions, and telling the clock in Spanish — essential for schedules, tickets, and reservations while travelling.
Study tip: Pick 10 verbs from the table each day. Write them in a sentence about your own travels.
Repetition in context is far more effective than memorizing lists.