120 Most Essential AR Verbs in Spanish [With Example Sentences]
In Spanish there are three different types of verbs: -ar, -er and -ir.
As a Spanish learner, one of the best ways to master verb conjugation is by learning the specific conjugations for each of these endings.
This will make it easier for you to switch between tenses and start using new verbs as soon as you hear them!
In this post, we’ll share a list of the most common regular and irregular Spanish verbs ending in -ar as well as how to conjugate them in common tenses.
Contents
- How to Conjugate AR Verbs
- Most Common Regular AR Verbs
-
- 1. Acabar — To end, to finish
- 2. Aceptar — To accept, to agree to
- 3. Acompañar — To accompany, to go with
- 4. Admirar — To admire, to amaze
- 5. Adoptar — To adopt, to take
- 6. Adorar — To adore
- 7. Agravar — To aggravate, to worsen
- 8. Amar — To love
- 9. Arreglar — To fix, to arrange, to tidy up, to solve, to sort out
- 10. Ayudar — To help
- 11. Bailar — To dance
- 12. Bajar — To descend, to diminish
- 13. Cambiar — To change, to exchange
- 14. Caminar — To walk
- 15. Cantar — To sing
- 16. Celebrar — To celebrate
- 17. Cenar — To have dinner
- 18. Charlar — To chat
- 19. Chocar — To crash, to bump
- 20. Cocinar — To cook
- 21. Comprar — To buy
- 22. Contestar — To answer
- 23. Cortar — To cut
- 24. Declarar — To declare
- 25. Dejar — To allow, to let, to leave, to lend.
- 26. Descansar — To rest, to sleep
- 27. Desear — To desire
- 28. Dibujar — To draw
- 29. Donar — To donate
- 30. Emplear — To use, to spend, to employ
- 31. Encantar — To love
- 32. Enseñar — To teach, to show
- 33. Entrar — To enter, to fit, to participate
- 34. Escuchar — To listen
- 35. Esperar — To wait, to hope or to expect
- 36. Estudiar — To study
- 37. Expresar — To express
- 38. Faltar — To lack, to remain
- 39. Felicitar — To congratulate
- 40. Formar — To form, to comprise, to instruct
- 41. Fumar — To smoke
- 42. Funcionar — To function
- 43. Ganar — To win, to earn
- 44. Gritar — To yell
- 45. Habitar — To dwell, to live, to inhabit, to occupy
- 46. Hablar — To talk
- 47. Importar — To matter, to import
- 48. Invitar — To invite, to treat someone to something
- 49. Juntar — To collect, to put together
- 50. Lavar — To wash
- 51. Limpiar — To clean
- 52. Llamar — To call
- 53. Llorar — To cry, to whine
- 54. Luchar — To fight
- 55. Matar — To kill
- 56. Mejorar — To improve
- 57. Mirar — To look
- 58. Nadar — To swim
- 59. Necesitar — To need
- 60. Observar — To observe
- 61. Ocupar — To occupy
- 62. Olvidar — To forget
- 63. Opinar — To think, to give one’s opinion
- 64. Parar — To stop
- 65. Pasar — To pass, to happen
- 66. Pintar — To paint, to draw, to smudge, to describe
- 67. Preguntar — To ask
- 68. Preparar — To prepare, to make
- 69. Presentar — To present, to introduce
- 70. Regresar — To return
- 71. Respirar — To breathe
- 72. Saltar — To jump
- 73. Saludar — To greet, to say hello to
- 74. Separar — To separate
- 75. Sospechar — To suspect
- 76. Terminar — To end, to finish
- 77. Tomar — To take, to drink
- 78. Trabajar — To work
- 79. Tratar — To treat, to try
- 80. Usar — To use
- 81. Viajar — To travel
- 82. Visitar — To visit
- Most Common Irregular -AR Verbs
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- 83. Abrazar — To hug, to hold, to embrace
- 84. Acercar — To move closer, to bring closer
- 85. Acordar — To agree, to remember
- 86. Almorzar — To have lunch
- 87. Andar — To go, to walk, to feel, to be about
- 88. Atacar — To attack, to tackle
- 89. Avanzar — To advance, to move forward
- 90. Buscar — To search, to look for
- 91. Cerrar — To close, to conclude, to turn off
- 92. Comenzar — To begin
- 93. Contar — To count, to tell
- 94. Continuar — To continue
- 95. Dar — To give
- 96. Demostrar — To demonstrate, to prove, to show
- 97. Empezar — To begin
- 98. Encontrar — To find, to encounter
- 99. Entregar — To submit, to turn in, to deliver
- 100. Enviar — To send, to mail
- 101. Estar — To be
- 102. Explicar — To explain
- 103. Gobernar — To govern, to steer
- 104. Gustar — To like
- 105. Indicar — To indicate, to gesture, to prescribe
- 106. Jugar — To play
- 107. Llegar — To arrive, to come, to reach
- 108. Mostrar — To show
- 109. Nevar — To snow
- 110. Organizar — To organize
- 111. Pagar — To pay
- 112. Pensar — To think
- 113. Practicar — To practice
- 114. Probar — To prove, to taste, to try
- 115. Realizar — To carry out
- 116. Recomendar — To recommend
- 117. Recordar — To remember, to remind
- 118. Sacar — To take, get, to take out, to remove
- 119. Soñar — To dream
- 12o. Tocar — To touch, to play (an instrument)
- Resources to Practice Spanish AR Verbs
- AR Verb Conjugation Quiz
- And One More Thing…
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How to Conjugate AR Verbs
Before we take a look at the most common -ar verbs, let’s brush up on how to conjugate them. But if you’re completely new to verb conjugation I’d suggest taking a look at our in-depth article on the topic first!
So, to conjugate the verb, you need to first decide who you are talking about. This will determine which ending you choose.
When conjugating verbs in the present, preterite and imperfect tenses in Spanish, simply take the infinitive verb, remove the verb ending (-ar) and add the appropriate ending.
Then to conjugate verbs in the future and conditional tenses, simply add the corresponding ending to the end of the infinitive form of the verb.
Here are the verb conjugations for -ar verbs:
| Subject | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Present Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | -o | -é | -aba | -é | -e |
| Tú | -as | -aste | -abas | -ás | -es |
| Él/Ella/Usted | -a | -ó | -aba | -á | -e |
| Nosotros | -amos | -amos | -ábamos | -emos | -emos |
| Vosotros | -áis | -asteis | -abais | -éis | -eis |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | -an | -aron | -aban | án | -en |
Example sentences using -ar verbs in the present tense:
¿Qué idiomas hablas? — What languages do you speak? (Hablar [to speak] in tú present tense form).
Mis padres no están aquí. Están en México para una boda. — My parents are not here. They are in Mexico for a wedding. (Estar [to be] in ellos/ellas present tense form).
Chicos, ¿qué planeáis comer esta noche? — Guys, what do you plan to eat tonight? (Planear [to plan] in vosotros present tense form).
Most Common Regular AR Verbs
Learning is one thing; knowing is another thing altogether. You can try memorizing this list of verbs but we recommend learning them in context to make them easier to remember and actually use in conversation. At the end of this post we’ll look at some resources you can use to practice these verbs.
1. Acabar — To end, to finish
¿Cuándo acaban tus vacaciones? — When does your vacation end?
Acabo de llegar a casa después de pasar dos semanas en Costa Rica con mis mejores amigos. — I just got home after spending two weeks in Costa Rica with my best friends.
2. Aceptar — To accept, to agree to
Decidí aceptar la oferta de trabajo porque me interesan las oportunidades de crecimiento. — I decided to accept the job offer because I’m interested in the growth opportunities.
3. Acompañar — To accompany, to go with
Me gustaría acompañarlo al aeropuerto pero no puedo. Tengo que trabajar mañana. — I would like to accompany him to the airport but I can’t. I have to work tomorrow.
4. Admirar — To admire, to amaze
La persona que más admiro es mi abuela. Es una persona tan amable y fuerte. — The person I admire the most is my grandmother. She is such a kind and strong person.
Si quieres, podemos ir al mirador para admirar las vistas de la ciudad. — If you want we can go to the viewpoint to admire the views of the city.
5. Adoptar — To adopt, to take
Me han dicho que la compañía va a adoptar un nuevo enfoque para la próxima campaña. — I have been told that the company is going to take a new approach for the next campaign.
La semana pasada mis padres decidieron ir al refugio de animales para adoptar un gato para mi abuelo. — Last week my parents decided to go to the animal shelter to adopt a cat for my grandfather.
6. Adorar — To adore
Mi hija adora a sus abuelos. ¡Siempre les dice que son los mejores abuelos del mundo! — My daughter adores her grandparents. She always tells them that they are the best grandparents in the world!
7. Agravar — To aggravate, to worsen
Fumar es peligroso ya que puede agravar los problemas de salud. — Smoking is dangerous as it can aggravate health problems.
8. Amar — To love
Amo el deporte. Los domingos juego al tenis con mi esposo. — I love sport. On Sundays I play tennis with my husband.
9. Arreglar — To fix, to arrange, to tidy up, to solve, to sort out
Necesito arreglar mi coche pero el taller está cerrado hoy. — I need to fix my car but the garage is shut today.
Tengo que arreglar la casa porque hoy nos va a visitar el propietario. — I have to tidy the house because the owner is going to visit us today.
10. Ayudar — To help
Lo más importante es ayudar a los demás. — The most important thing is to help others.
11. Bailar — To dance
Me encanta bailar salsa con mis amigos. — I love dancing salsa with my friends.
12. Bajar — To descend, to diminish
El precio de la comida ha bajado un poco en los últimos meses. — The price of food has gone down a bit in the last few months.
13. Cambiar — To change, to exchange
¿Podemos cambiar nuestros asientos? No me gusta el asiento de pasillo. — Can we swap our seats? I don’t like the aisle seat.
14. Caminar — To walk
Me encanta caminar por las calles de Madrid. — I love walking through the streets of Madrid.
15. Cantar — To sing
A mi prima le gusta cantar en la iglesia. — My cousin likes singing in church.
16. Celebrar — To celebrate
Este año vamos a celebrar nuestro aniversario en Roma. — This year we’re going to celebrate our anniversary in Rome.
17. Cenar — To have dinner
En España la gente cena mucho más tarde. — In Spain people have dinner a lot later.
18. Charlar — To chat
Me encanta charlar con mis compañeros de la oficina. — I love chatting with my coworkers at the office.
19. Chocar — To crash, to bump
Choqué por accidente con una mujer al doblar la esquina. — I bumped into a woman when I turned the corner.
20. Cocinar — To cook
Desde pequeña siempre me ha gustado cocinar. — Since I was little I’ve always liked cooking.
21. Comprar — To buy
Prefiero comprar verduras en el mercado local. Saben mejor que las que venden en el supermercado. — I prefer to buy vegetables at the local market. They taste better than the ones they sell at the grocery store.
22. Contestar — To answer
Si me llamas y no contesto, es porque estoy en la ducha. — If you call and I don’t answer, it’s because I’m in the shower.
23. Cortar — To cut
Siempre le corto el pelo a mi esposo en casa para ahorrar dinero. — I always cut my husband’s hair at home to save money.
24. Declarar — To declare
Tengo que declarar mis ingresos anuales en la declaración de impuestos. — I have to declare my annual income on the tax return.
25. Dejar — To allow, to let, to leave, to lend.
¿Me dejas tu móvil para llamar a mi familia? — Can you lend me your cell phone to call my family?
No dejes que nadie te diga que no eres suficiente. — Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not enough.
26. Descansar — To rest, to sleep
Después de un vuelo tan largo, estoy muy cansada y solo quiero descansar. — After such a long flight, I’m very tired and I just want to rest.
27. Desear — To desire
Lo que más deseo es que mi familia sea feliz. — What I want most is for my family to be happy.
28. Dibujar — To draw
Mis hijos pasan mucho tiempo dibujando en la escuela en sus clases de arte. — My kids spend a lot of time drawing at school in their art classes.
29. Donar — To donate
Donamos comida y agua para los damnificados del huracán. — We donated food and water for the hurricane victims.
30. Emplear — To use, to spend, to employ
La empresa emplea a más de quinientas personas de ocho países del mundo. — The company employs more than 500 people from eight countries around the world.
31. Encantar — To love
Ayer vi un show de comedia y me encantó. — I saw a comedy show yesterday and I loved it.
32. Enseñar — To teach, to show
Su madre le enseñó a cocinar una variedad de platos españoles. — Her mother taught her to cook a variety of Spanish dishes.
Cuando llegué a casa, mis hijos me enseñaron sus nuevos dibujos que hicieron en la escuela. — When I got home, my children showed me their new drawings they did at school.
33. Entrar — To enter, to fit, to participate
No me dejan entrar a la embajada sin mi pasaporte. — They won’t let me go inside the embassy without my passport.
El ladrón entró a la casa por la ventana. — The burglar entered the house through the window.
34. Escuchar — To listen
Mi profesor me dijo que escuchar música es una buena manera de aprender un idioma. — My teacher told me that listening to music is a good way to learn a language.
35. Esperar — To wait, to hope or to expect
Espero que no llueva hoy. — I hope it doesn’t rain today.
Estoy esperándote en el centro de la ciudad. — I’m waiting for you in the city center.
36. Estudiar — To study
Mi amigo decidió estudiar Derecho en la universidad. — My friend decided to study law at university.
37. Expresar — To express
No sé qué hacer. Quiero expresar lo que siento pero no quiero que se sienta mal. — I don’t know what to do. I want to express what I feel but I don’t want him to feel bad.
38. Faltar — To lack, to remain
Me gustaría viajar a España pero me falta el coraje para hacerlo solo. — I would like to travel to Spain but I lack the courage to do it alone.
Faltan diez días para mi cumpleaños y estoy muy emocionada. — My birthday is ten days off and I’m really excited.
39. Felicitar — To congratulate
Hoy es el cumpleaños de Carlos. No olvides llamarlo para felicitarlo. — Today is Carlos’ birthday. Don’t forget to call him to congratulate him.
40. Formar — To form, to comprise, to instruct
Los voluntarios que forman parte de este equipo son de nueve países distintos. — The volunteers that are part of this team are from nine different countries.
41. Fumar — To smoke
No se permite fumar en espacios públicos. — Smoking is not allowed in public places.
42. Funcionar — To function
Mi licuadora ha dejado de funcionar. — My blender has stopped working.
43. Ganar — To win, to earn
Hace unos años, mi esposo compitió en el campeonato europeo de natación pero no ganó. Terminó segundo. — A few years ago my husband competed in the European swimming championships but he didn’t win. He finished second.
¿Cuánto dinero ganas al mes siendo abogado? — How much money do you earn per month as a lawyer?
44. Gritar — To yell
¡No grites, por favor! Los niños están durmiendo. — Please don’t shout! The children are sleeping.
45. Habitar — To dwell, to live, to inhabit, to occupy
¡Ten cuidado! Este bosque está habitado por osos. — Be careful! This forest is inhabited by bears.
46. Hablar — To talk
Ya hablo varios idiomas pero quiero aprender portugués. — I already speak several languages but I want to learn Portuguese.
47. Importar — To matter, to import
Quiero que me digas la verdad. Me importa tu opinión. — I want you to tell me the truth. Your opinion matters to me.
China importa muchas de sus materias primas de Rusia. — China imports many of its raw materials from Russia.
48. Invitar — To invite, to treat someone to something
No te preocupes, ¡yo te invito! — Don’t worry, it’s on me!
49. Juntar — To collect, to put together
Tenemos que juntar el dinero para este proyecto. — We have to put together the money for this project.
50. Lavar — To wash
Necesito lavar mi ropa antes de viajar a España el viernes. — I need to wash my clothes before traveling to Spain on Friday.
51. Limpiar — To clean
Mi amigo me ayudó a limpiar mi coche antes de venderlo. — My friend helped me clean my car before selling it.
52. Llamar — To call
Tengo que llamar a mi familia cuando llegue a casa. — I have to call my family when I get home.
Mi jefe se llama Rodrigo. — My boss is called Rodrigo.
53. Llorar — To cry, to whine
El bebé no dejaba de llorar en el avión. — The baby wouldn’t stop crying on the plane.
54. Luchar — To fight
Nada es imposible. Hay que luchar por nuestros sueños. — Nothing is impossible. We should fight for our dreams.
55. Matar — To kill
Ten cuidado, dicen que la curiosidad mató al gato. — Be careful, they say that curiosity killed the cat.
56. Mejorar — To improve
La mejor manera de mejorar tu español es practicarlo con gente nativa. — The best way to improve your Spanish is by practicing with native speakers.
57. Mirar — To look
Me encanta mirar el mapa mientras viajo en el avión. — I love looking at the map when I’m traveling on a plane.
¡Mira! ¡Hay una ardilla en ese árbol! — Look! There’s a squirrel on that tree!
58. Nadar — To swim
Cuando era más joven, me gustaba nadar en el lago durante el verano. — When I was younger, I loved to swim in the lake during the summer.
59. Necesitar — To need
Necesito comprar harina para hacer un pastel para el cumpleaños de mi padre. — I need to buy flour to make a cake for my father’s birthday.
60. Observar — To observe
Observé al chef mientras cocinaba para aprender su técnica. — I observed the chef while he was cooking to learn his technique.
61. Ocupar — To occupy
Ya no tengo tanto tiempo libre como antes. Mis dos trabajos ocupan la mayor parte de la semana. — I don’t have as much free time as before. My two jobs occupy most of the week.
62. Olvidar — To forget
Siempre olvido mi tarjeta de transporte cuando salgo de casa y tengo que pagar en efectivo. — I always forget my transport card when I leave home and I have to pay in cash.
63. Opinar — To think, to give one’s opinion
¿Qué opinas del restaurante? — What do you think of the restaurant?
64. Parar — To stop
La policía tuvo que parar el tráfico debido a una manifestación en la carretera. — The police had to stop traffic due to a protest on the road.
65. Pasar — To pass, to happen
Tengo que pasar por el supermercado antes de ir a casa. — I have to stop by the grocery store before going home.
66. Pintar — To paint, to draw, to smudge, to describe
Mi hermana pintó un cuadro de sus hijos para regalárselo a su esposo en su cumpleaños. — My sister painted a picture of her children to give to her husband on his birthday.
67. Preguntar — To ask
Hoy Pablo vino a la casa y me preguntó por ti. — Today Pablo came to the house and he asked me about you.
¿Puedo preguntarte algo? — Can I ask you something?
68. Preparar — To prepare, to make
Siempre trato de preparar mi almuerzo la noche anterior para no tener tanta prisa cuando me despierto. — I always try to make my lunch the night before so I’m not in such a rush when I wake up.
69. Presentar — To present, to introduce
María, ¿me presentas a tu amigo? Parece muy amable y divertido. — Maria, could you introduce me to your friend? He seems really kind and fun.
Mañana tengo que presentarle al jefe la nueva idea para la campaña de este año. — Tomorrow I have to present the new idea for this year’s campaign to the boss.
70. Regresar — To return
Después de pasar varios años trabajando en el extranjero, decidió regresar a su país para estar con su familia. — After spending several years working abroad, he decided to return to his country to be with his family.
71. Respirar — To breathe
En la cima de la montaña, el aire era fresco y pude respirar mejor. — At the top of the mountain, the air was fresh and I was able to breathe easier.
72. Saltar — To jump
Tuve que saltar para subirme al tren mientras las puertas se estaban cerrando. — I had to jump to get on the train as the doors were closing.
73. Saludar — To greet, to say hello to
Saludé a todos los invitados y les agradecí por venir a mi boda. — I greeted all the guests and thanked them for coming to my wedding.
74. Separar — To separate
Tienes que separar la basura para reciclar el plástico. — You have to separate the trash to recycle the plastic.
75. Sospechar — To suspect
Sospecho que mi vecino ha cortado el agua en el edificio para reparar la fuga de agua. — I suspect that my neighbor has turned off the water in the building to fix the water leak.
76. Terminar — To end, to finish
¿Cuándo vas a terminar tus estudios en la universidad? — When are you going to finish your studies at university?
77. Tomar — To take, to drink
Se recomienda que tomemos dos litros de agua al día. — It’s recommended that we drink two liters of water a day.
78. Trabajar — To work
Cuando tenía veinte años pasé un año viviendo y trabajando en Santiago de Chile. — When I was twenty I spent a year living and working in Santiago.
79. Tratar — To treat, to try
Hoy empecé mi nuevo trabajo y todos mis compañeros me trataron muy bien. — Today I started my new job and all of my colleagues treated me really well.
Trato de hacer ejercicio y mantener una dieta sana. — I try to exercise and maintain a healthy diet.
80. Usar — To use
Siempre es una buena idea usar auriculares para escuchar música en el autobús. — It’s always a good idea to use earphones to listen to music in the bus.
81. Viajar — To travel
Algún día me gustaría pasar un año viajando por Latinoamérica y Europa con mi novio. — One day I’d like to spend a year traveling around Latin America and Europe with my boyfriend.
82. Visitar — To visit
Hoy voy a viajar a Barcelona para visitar a mis abuelos. — Today I’m going to travel to Barcelona to visit my grandparents.
Most Common Irregular -AR Verbs
There are also many important irregular Spanish -ar verbs. These verbs may be regular in some tenses and irregular in others.
83. Abrazar — To hug, to hold, to embrace
Después de pasar dos años en el extranjero, cuando vi a mi hermano en el aeropuerto, lo abracé con mucha fuerza. — After spending two years abroad, when I saw my brother at the airport, I hugged him tightly.
84. Acercar — To move closer, to bring closer
¿Me puedes acercar al aeropuerto? Creo que el autobús no va a llegar y no quiero perder mi vuelo. — Can you give me a ride to the airport? I think the bus is not going to arrive and I don’t want to miss my flight.
85. Acordar — To agree, to remember
Acordamos un aumento a cambio de metas de venta más altas. — We agreed to a raise in exchange for higher sales targets.
No me acuerdo dónde dejé las llaves del auto . — I can’t remember where I left the car keys.
86. Almorzar — To have lunch
Normalmente salgo para almorzar, pero estoy tratando de ahorrar dinero. — I normally go out for lunch, but I’m trying to save money.
87. Andar — To go, to walk, to feel, to be about
No entiendo cómo mi hermana puede andar con esas chanclas. — I don’t understand how my sister can walk in those flip-flops.
¿Cómo andan las cosas en casa? — How are things going at home?
88. Atacar — To attack, to tackle
El perro del vecino es muy agresivo, siempre trata de atacar a los gatos. — The neighbor’s dog is very aggressive, it always tries to attack the cats.
89. Avanzar — To advance, to move forward
Recibimos más financiamiento del gobierno y pudimos avanzar con el proyecto. — We received more funding from the government and were able to move forward with the project.
90. Buscar — To search, to look for
Después de pasar seis meses buscando trabajo, por fin he encontrado una oportunidad laboral en otra ciudad. — After spending six months looking for a job, I have finally found a job opportunity in another city.
91. Cerrar — To close, to conclude, to turn off
Me dijo que cerrara la puerta para que no entrara el aire frío. — He told me to close the door to keep the cold air out.
92. Comenzar — To begin
Ya comenzó el partido. — The game has already begun.
93. Contar — To count, to tell
¿Me ayudas a contar este dinero? Lo voy a llevar al banco. — Can you help me count this money? I’m going to take it to the bank.
Mis amigos vinieron a mi casa y me contaron todo lo que pasó. — My friends came to my house and told me everything that happened.
94. Continuar — To continue
La obra de teatro continuó después de un intervalo de quince minutos. — The play continued after a fifteen-minute intermission.
95. Dar — To give
Para mi cumpleaños, mis padres me dieron uno de los collares de mi bisabuela. — For my birthday, my parents gave me one of my great-grandmother’s necklaces.
96. Demostrar — To demonstrate, to prove, to show
Con las imágenes de la cámara como evidencia, el abogado logró demostrar que el acusado era culpable de los robos. — Using the camera footage as evidence, the lawyer was able to prove that the defendant was guilty of the robberies.
97. Empezar — To begin
¿A qué hora empiezan tus clases? — What time do your classes start?
98. Encontrar — To find, to encounter
Cuando mi hijo estaba cavando en el jardín, encontró algunas monedas romanas. — When my son was digging in the garden, he found some Roman coins.
99. Entregar — To submit, to turn in, to deliver
En la aplicación dice que el repartidor entregó el paquete ayer, pero no lo encuentro. — On the app it says that the deliveryman delivered the package yesterday but I can’t find it.
100. Enviar — To send, to mail
Necesito ir a la oficina de correos para enviar esta carta a mi amigo que vive en Sevilla. — I need to go to the post office to send this letter to my friend who lives in Seville.
101. Estar — To be
¿Cómo estás? — How are you?
Estoy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? — I’m good, thank you. And you?
102. Explicar — To explain
Necesito que me expliques cómo armar este mueble. He perdido las instrucciones y no sé cómo hacerlo. — I need you to explain to me how to assemble this piece of furniture. I have lost the instructions and I don’t know how to do it.
103. Gobernar — To govern, to steer
Hoy en día, los reyes europeos no tienen tanto poder como antes. Son los gobiernos los que gobiernan sus países. — Today, European kings and queens don’t have as much power as before. It’s the governments that govern their countries.
104. Gustar — To like
Me gusta mucho viajar y aprender nuevos idiomas. — I really like traveling and learning new languages.
105. Indicar — To indicate, to gesture, to prescribe
Mi hermano indicó la dirección en el mapa para que no nos perdiéramos en el camino. — My brother indicated the direction on the map so we wouldn’t get lost on the way.
106. Jugar — To play
Todos los días mis hijos van al parque para jugar con sus amigos de la escuela. — Every day my children go to the park to play with their school friends.
107. Llegar — To arrive, to come, to reach
Mi vuelo llegó a tiempo pero tardé mucho en salir del aeropuerto porque no encontraba mi maleta. — My flight arrived on time but I took a long time to leave the airport because I couldn’t find my suitcase.
108. Mostrar — To show
Después de diez años sin verlo, me habló de su nueva vida en España y me mostró fotos de su familia. — After ten years without seeing him, he told me about his new life in Spain and showed me photos of his family.
109. Nevar — To snow
Cuando vieron que había empezado a nevar, los niños se emocionaron y salieron a jugar en la nieve. — When they saw that it had started to snow, the children got excited and went out to play in the snow.
110. Organizar — To organize
Este fin de semana voy a organizar los últimos detalles de la boda con mi coordinadora de bodas. — This weekend I am going to organize the final details of the wedding with my wedding planner.
111. Pagar — To pay
Me encanta este coche, pero no voy a comprarlo. No puedo pagar tanto por un coche nuevo. — I love this car but I’m not going to buy it. I can’t pay that much for a new car.
112. Pensar — To think
Me gustaría saber qué piensas sobre la nueva estrategia de marketing. — I would like to know what you think about the new marketing strategy.
113. Practicar — To practice
Para mí es muy importante practicar mi español todos los días con gente nativa. — For me it’s very important to practice my Spanish every day with native speakers.
114. Probar — To prove, to taste, to try
Una de las cosas que más me gusta de viajar a otros países es probar comida nueva. — One of the things I like the most about traveling to other countries is trying new food.
Probaré la inocencia de mi cliente con la evidencia. — I’ll prove my client’s innocence with the evidence.
115. Realizar — To carry out
Como parte de la nueva campaña, realizamos una encuesta sobre los objetivos profesionales del público. — As part of the new campaign, we carried out a survey on the public’s career goals.
116. Recomendar — To recommend
Voy a ir a Andalucía por primera vez este verano. ¿Me puedes recomendar unos platos típicos de esta región? — I’m going to go to Andalusia for the first time this summer. Can you recommend me some typical dishes from this region?
117. Recordar — To remember, to remind
¿Cómo se llama el vecino de la tía Clara? No recuerdo su nombre. — What’s Aunt Clara’s neighbor called? I don’t remember his name.
118. Sacar — To take, get, to take out, to remove
Necesito sacar un poco de dinero porque en esa tienda no aceptan tarjetas, solo efectivo. — I need to take out some money because in that store they don’t accept cards, only cash.
119. Soñar — To dream
Siempre he soñado con ser enfermera y ayudar a los demás. — I have always dreamed of being a nurse and helping others.
12o. Tocar — To touch, to play (an instrument)
Desde pequeña siempre me han fascinado los instrumentos. Toco el piano, la guitarra y la flauta. — Since I was little I have always been fascinated by instruments. I play the piano, the guitar and the flute.
Resources to Practice Spanish AR Verbs
That’s a lot of words! Luckily, you don’t have to just memorize them. There are plenty of resources available to help you remember and retain the information in this post. Here are a few to get you started:
- The Language Tutor podcast: In this episode, Dr. Danny Evans goes over -ar verbs and how to conjugate them. This podcast will definitely get you off to a good start with these verbs and prepare you to use them yourself when speaking.
- FluentU: With this program, you can learn -ar verbs in context and see how native speakers use them.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
- Audiobooks: A great way to learn new words is through stories. You can practice these verbs by listening to and reading new stories! Listen out for -ar verbs and how they’re used to improve your vocabulary and your listening comprehension skills at the same time.
AR Verb Conjugation Quiz
Now that you know 120
essential Spanish -ar verbs, it’s time to practice them.
Here, we have prepared a mini quiz for you to test out your new knowledge.
Part 1: Regular AR Verbs
1. Hoy Manuel _____ a Santiago para la boda de su hermana. (Today Manuel travels to Santiago for his sister’s wedding.)
2. Todos los días mis hermanos _____ en el lago. (Every day my brothers swim in the lake.)
3. Cuando llega a casa después del trabajo, _____ español en línea. (When he arrives home after work, he studies Spanish online.)
4. ¿Por qué no lo _____ a su cita médica en el hospital? (Why don’t you go with him to his medical appointment at the hospital?)
5. Mis padres siempre me _____ mucho con mis hijos cuando trabajo. (My parents always help me a lot with my kids when I work.)
6. La empresa _____ a unas 200 personas. (The company employs around 200 people.)
7. Los martes _____ italiano en la universidad. (On Tuesdays I teach Italian at the university.)
8. ¿Os gustan las canciones de Luis Miguel? Siempre las _____. (Do you guys like Luis Miguel’s songs? You always sing them.)
Answers:
1. Viaja
2. Nadan
3. Estudia
4. Acompañas
5. Ayudan
6. Emplea
7. Enseño
8. Cantáis
Part 2: Irregular AR Verbs
1. Todos los fines de semana Juan _____ al fútbol con sus amigos. (Every weekend Juan plays soccer with his friends.)
2. A mi abuela _____ jugar al tenis con sus amigas en el polideportivo. (My grandmother likes to play tennis with her friends at the sports center.)
3. Hoy _____ mis clases de francés en el centro de idiomas. (Today I start my French classes at the language center.)
4. Les dije que el amor se _____ con acciones, no sólo con palabras. (I told them that love is shown with actions, not just words.)
5. No sé qué pasa. Cuando _____ la puerta se abre sola. (I don’t know what’s happening. When I close the door it opens by itself.)
6. Siempre _____ en el mismo café. (You always have lunch at the same cafe.)
7. Chicos, ¿necesitáis ayuda? ¿Qué _____? (Guys, do you need help? What are you looking for?)
8. Todos los días mis hijos me _____ historias. (Every day my children tell me stories.)
Answers:
1. Juega
2. Le gusta
3. Empiezo
4. Demuestra
5. Cierro
6. Almuerzas
7. Buscáis
8. Cuentan
So, that’s a wrap!
Now that you know 120 essential regular and irregular Spanish -ar verbs, it’s time to start using them!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
And One More Thing…
If you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU.
Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.
FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:
FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.
Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab.
Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.
The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.
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