🎯 Goal: Learn to conjugate regular -IR verbs in the present tense (e.g., vivir, escribir). Review regular -AR and -ER verbs from previous lessons. Practice using time expressions (por la mañana, por la tarde, and por la noche) to describe daily routines.
🧠 Grammar Explanation: Regular -IR Verbs
Spanish verbs are divided into three groups based on their infinitive endings:
- Verbs ending in -AR (e.g. hablar, trabajar)
- Verbs ending in -ER (e.g. comer, aprender)
- Verbs ending in -IR (e.g. vivir, escribir)
This lesson focuses on regular -IR verbs, which follow a specific conjugation pattern in the present tense. To conjugate, remove the -IR ending and add the appropriate ending based on the subject pronoun.
| Pronoun | Ending | Example: vivir (to live) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | vivo |
| tú | -es | vives |
| él/ella/usted | -e | vive |
| nosotros/as | -imos | vivimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | vivís |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -en | viven |
-IR verbs share similar endings with -ER verbs, except for nosotros (-imos vs. -emos) and vosotros (-ís vs. -éis).
✍️ Escribir (to write)
| Yo | escribo |
| Tú | escribes |
| Él/Ella/Usted | escribe |
| Nosotros/as | escribimos |
| Vosotros/as | escribís |
| Ellos/Ustedes | escriben |
🚪 Abrir (to open)
| Yo | abro |
| Tú | abres |
| Él/Ella/Usted | abre |
| Nosotros/as | abrimos |
| Vosotros/as | abrís |
| Ellos/Ustedes | abren |
📬 Recibir (to receive)
| Yo | recibo |
| Tú | recibes |
| Él/Ella/Usted | recibe |
| Nosotros/as | recibimos |
| Vosotros/as | recibís |
| Ellos/Ustedes | reciben |
🤔 Decidir (to decide)
| Yo | decido |
| Tú | decides |
| Él/Ella/Usted | decide |
| Nosotros/as | decidimos |
| Vosotros/as | decidís |
| Ellos/Ustedes | deciden |
🌍 Existir (to exist)
| Yo | existo |
| Tú | existes |
| Él/Ella/Usted | existe |
| Nosotros/as | existimos |
| Vosotros/as | existís |
| Ellos/Ustedes | existen |
🧩 Practice Quiz: Choose the Correct Form
Test your understanding of -IR verb conjugation with this quiz focusing on vivir (to live), abrir (to open), and escribir (to write).
🔤 Vocabulary: Regular -IR Verbs
Learn 15 high-frequency -IR verbs commonly used in daily life. Each verb is presented with an example sentence in the first person singular (yo).
| vivir | to live |
| escribir | to write |
| abrir | to open |
| recibir | to receive |
| decidir | to decide |
| compartir | to share |
| asistir | to attend |
| subir | to go up/climb |
| sufrir | to suffer |
| permitir | to allow |
| discutir | to discuss/argue |
| insistir | to insist |
| existir | to exist |
| cubrir | to cover |
| aplaudir | to applaud/clap |
📝Examples:
| Vivo en la ciudad. | I live in the city. |
| Escribo una carta. | I write a letter. |
| Abro la puerta. | I open the door. |
| Recibo un correo. | I receive an email. |
| Decido ir al cine. | I decide to go to the cinema. |
| Comparto mi comida. | I share my food. |
| Asisto a una clase. | I attend a class. |
| Subo las escaleras. | I climb the stairs. |
| Sufro por el calor. | I suffer from the heat. |
| Permito visitas en casa. | I allow visitors at home. |
| Discuto con mi amigo. | I discuss with my friend. |
| Insisto en ayudar. | I insist on helping. |
| Creo que los fantasmas no existen. | I believe ghosts don’t exist. |
| Cubro la mesa con un mantel. | I cover the table with a cloth. |
| Aplaudo en el concierto. | I clap at the concert. |
↩️ Flashcard: 15 Verbs
Click to reveal the translation of the verb. Listen to the audio and repeat each verb and sentence aloud.
Practice by reading each Spanish phrase aloud, then try to translate it to English from memory. Check the back of the card if you need help. Continue reviewing until you’ve learned them all!
🧩 Vocabulary Quiz: Image-Based
Test your knowledge of -IR verbs by matching them to images. View a picture (e.g., a person writing a letter) and select the correct verb from three options.
🧪 Practice Quiz: -IR Verbs
Practice conjugating -IR verbs with this dropdown quiz, using different verbs in each sentence.
🔍 Fill in the Missing Word
Fill in the gaps in the text using words from the list.
🧠 Grammar Focus: Por la mañana / tarde / noche
In Spanish, to express general times of day (not specific clock times), we use:
por la + [time of day]
- por la mañana – in the morning
- por la tarde – in the afternoon
- por la noche – at night
Always use “la” (feminine) and the preposition “por”.
📝 Examples:
- Estudio por la mañana. – I study in the morning.
- Trabajo por la tarde. – I work in the afternoon.
- Veo películas por la noche. – I watch movies at night.
Common mistakes:
- ❌ por el tarde → ✅ por la tarde
- ❌ por mañana → ✅ por la mañana
- ❌ para la noche → ✅ por la noche
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| por la tarde | general time of day | Trabajo por la tarde. |
| a las 3 de la tarde | specific time | Tengo clase a las 3 de la tarde. |
| en la noche | in Latin America | Salimos en la noche. |
| a la noche | Argentina / Uruguay | Vamos a cenar a la noche. |
💡 Note: In some countries, people say en la noche (Latin America) or a la noche (Argentina, Uruguay). All are correct in their regions, but por la noche is the most common and widely understood.
🎧 Listening Quiz
Listen and complete the sentences by typing the missing words.
🗣️Shadowing: Repeat After the Audio
Practice your pronunciation with these 12 sentences to reinforce correct conjugation and intonation.
⬇️ Click to show transcript & translation
Yo vivo en un pueblo. – I live in a small town.
María escribe un diario. – María keeps a journal.
Ellos cenan pizza por la noche. – They have pizza for dinner in the evening.
Mis amigos reciben regalos. – My friends receive gifts.
Tú decides viajar. – You decide to travel.
Hacemos deporte por la tarde. – We play sports in the afternoon.
Mi hermano y yo asistimos a una clase. – My brother and I attend a class.
Yo subo al tren. – I get on the train.
María sufre por el frío. – María suffers from the cold.
Yo desayuno café por la mañana. – I have coffee in the morning.
Nosotros compartimos la pizza. – We share the pizza.
Juan abre la puerta. – Juan opens the door.
📚 Reading: A Day in My Life
This short text uses -IR, -ER, and -AR verbs to describe a person’s day, reinforcing verb conjugation and vocabulary.
Text:
Me llamo Sofía. Vivo en Madrid y trabajo en una oficina. Por la mañana, desayuno café y como una manzana. Escribo correos y hablo con mis colegas. También asisto a una reunión. Por la noche, leo un libro y no sufro estrés.
🧩 Fill in the Blanks: Mixed Verb Practice
Practice conjugating -AR, -ER, -IR verbs, and tener with this mixed quiz.
🎧 Listening: Daily Activities
Listen to a short audio of a person describing their daily activities using -IR, -ER, and -AR verbs.
⬇️ Click to show transcript & translation
Hola, soy Luis. Vivo en un pueblo pequeño. Por la mañana, abro las ventanas y desayuno pan. Aprendo español en una escuela y hablo con mis amigos. Por la noche, escribo un diario y no bailo.
Hello, I’m Luis. I live in a small town. In the morning, I open the windows and have bread for breakfast. I learn Spanish at a school and talk with my friends. At night, I write in a diary and I don’t dance.
🧩 Fill in the Blanks: Full Paragraph
Complete the following text by filling in the blanks with the correct verb.
↩️ Flashcard: Review Vocabulary
Strengthen your word knowledge with these vocabulary flashcards. Focus on memorizing each term and its correct translation.