Conjugating -AR verbs
Spanish verbs come in three flavors based on the infinitive ending: -ar, -er, -ir. Today: -ar. This is by far the biggest group: hablar, trabajar, estudiar, comprar, escuchar, mirar… All of them take the same set of present-tense endings. Learn the pattern once, conjugate hundreds of verbs.
Take the stem
From hablar (to speak), drop the -ar — you get the stem habl-. Add the endings for each person to that stem.
Present-tense -ar endings
yo → -o: yo hablo (I speak). tú → -as: tú hablas. él/ella/usted → -a: ella habla. nosotros → -amos: nosotros hablamos. vosotros → -áis: vosotros habláis. ellos/ellas/ustedes → -an: ellos hablan. Memorize the rhythm: o, as, a, amos, áis, an.
Several -ar verbs at once
trabajar (to work) → trabajo, trabajas, trabaja, trabajamos, trabajáis, trabajan. estudiar (to study) → estudio, estudias, estudia, estudiamos, estudiáis, estudian. comprar (to buy) → compro, compras, compra, compramos, compráis, compran. escuchar (to listen), mirar (to look), cantar (to sing) — same pattern.
Pronouns are usually dropped
The ending already tells you who: hablo = 'I speak' without yo. Hablas español = 'You speak Spanish'. Pronouns come back for emphasis or when ambiguity matters (especially with él/ella/usted, which all share the -a form).
Three meanings in one form
Hablo español can mean: 1) 'I speak Spanish (I'm able to)', 2) 'I'm speaking Spanish (right now)', 3) 'I regularly speak Spanish'. English usually has separate words for these, but Spanish uses one form. Context (and time markers like ahora = now) sorts it out.
