Conjugating Infinitives
Spanish I
By: Candice Gregory
Introduction:
Singular Subject Pronouns:
- Yo (I)
- Tú (you)
- Él, ella, ud. (He, She, You)
Plural Subject Pronouns:
- Nosotros (we)
- Vosotros (ya'll)
- Ellos, Ellas, uds. (they)
How do you Conjugate AR verbs?
To give the verb a subject, you conjugate it.
For Example:
- Cantar- to sing
To Conjugate an AR verb in present tense, you first must drop the -ar ending of the infinitive.
- Cant__
Now look back at your Spanish Subject Pronouns.
Singular Subject Pronouns:
- Yo (I)
- Tú (you)
- Él, ella, Ud. (he, she, you)
Plural Subject Pronouns:
- Nosotros (we)
- Vosotros (ya'll)
- Ellos, ellas, Uds. (they)
After dropping the -ar ending to the infinitive you add different endings. Each ending goes with a particular Subject Pronoun.
Singular Subject Pronouns:
- Yo- canto
- Tú-cantas
- Él, ella, Ud.- canta
Plural Subject Pronouns:
- Nosotros- cantamos
- Vosotros- cantáis
- Ellos, Ellas, Uds.- cantan
How do you conjugate ER verbs?
For Example:
- Comer- to eat
To Conjugate an ER verb in present tense, you first must drop the -er ending of the infinitive. Similar so far?
- Com__
Remember to look back at your Spanish Subject Pronouns.
Singular Subject Pronouns:
- Yo (I)
- Tú (you)
- Él, ella, Ud. (he, she, you)
Plural Subject Pronouns:
- Nosotros (we)
- Vosotros (ya'll)
- Ellos, ellas, Uds. (they)
Now using your knowledge about Spanish Subject Pronouns and the -ar conjugation done in the first slide. How would you conjugate comer?
Singular Subject Pronouns:
- Yo- Como
- Tú- Comes
- Él, ella, Ud.- Come
Plural Subject Pronouns:
- Nosotros- Comemos
- Vosotros- Coméis
- Ellos, ellas, Uds.- Comen
Do you notice the difference? In conjugating -ar ending infinitives, you use a.
Example: Tú- Cantas
Whereas when you are conjugating -er ending infinitives you use e.
Example: Tú- Comes
How do you Conjugate IR verbs?
For Example:
- Escribir- to write letters
Remember to drop your -ir ending!
- Escrib__
Also remember to look back at your Spanish Subject Pronouns!
Singular Subject Pronouns:
- Yo (I)
- Tú (you)
- Él, ella, Ud. (he, she, you)
Plural Subject Pronouns:
- Nosotros (we)
- Vosotros (ya'll)
- Ellos, ellas, Uds. (they)
After dropping the -ir ending to the infinitive you add different endings. Each ending goes with a particular Subject Pronoun. Similar So far? Well it is about to get kind of tricky.
Singular Subject Pronouns:
- Yo- Escribo
- Tú- Escribes
- Él, ella, Ud.- Escribe
Plural Subject Pronouns:
- Nosotros- Escribimos
- Vosotros- Escribís
- Ellos, ellas, Uds.- Escriben
Do you see where it is different and where it is the same? For -ir verbs you use e mostly, just like -er verbs! Easy? Well wait till you get to Nosotros (we) and Vosotros (ya'll). Instead of using e you will just simply use i.
For Example: Tú- Escribes /Nosotros- Escribimos
For Example: Tú- Comes /Nosotros- Comemos