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Lesson 8: Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense – Ser, Estar, Ir, Tener

🎯 Goal

Understand how to use four essential irregular verbs: ser, estar, ir, and tener — and when to choose each one.

🧠 Why You Need This

These verbs are used in almost every sentence: to say who you are, where you are, how you feel, what you have, and where you’re going. Master them now, and conversations get easier fast.

🧠 What Are Irregular Verbs?

Irregular verbs don’t follow the regular –ar, –er, or –ir patterns you learned in Lessons 6 and 7. Their endings change in unique ways, and sometimes the whole verb stem changes.

But the good news? Once you memorize them, you unlock 70% of daily Spanish usage.

🔥 The 4 Must-Know Irregular Verbs:

1. Ser – To be (identity, origin, time, profession)

Subject Conjugation
yo soy
tú eres
él/ella/usted es
nosotros/as somos
vosotros/as sois
ellos/ellas/ustedes son

🧠 Use ser for:

  • Nationality: Soy puertorriqueño. – I’m Puerto Rican.

  • Profession: Ella es doctora. – She’s a doctor.

  • Telling time: Son las dos. – It’s two o’clock.

  • Descriptions: Somos amigos. – We’re friends.

2. Estar – To be (location, emotion, temporary states)

Subject Conjugation
yo estoy
tú estás
él/ella/usted está
nosotros/as estamos
vosotros/as estáis
ellos/ellas/ustedes están

🧠 Use estar for:

  • Location: Estoy en casa. – I’m at home.

  • Emotions: ¿Estás feliz? – Are you happy?

  • Conditions: La comida está fría. – The food is cold.

🧠 Quick Trick:
Use ser for what something is, and estar for how something is (location, condition, emotion).

3. Ir – To go

Subject Conjugation
yo voy
tú vas
él/ella/usted va
nosotros/as vamos
vosotros/as vais
ellos/ellas/ustedes van

🧠 Use ir with “a” to express where someone is going:

  • Voy a la tienda. – I’m going to the store.

  • ¿Vas al cine? – Are you going to the movies?

4. Tener – To have

Subject Conjugation
yo tengo
tú tienes
él/ella/usted tiene
nosotros/as tenemos
vosotros/as tenéis
ellos/ellas/ustedes tienen

🧠 Use tener for:

  • Possession: Tengo un perro. – I have a dog.

  • Age: Tengo 30 años. – I’m 30 years old.

  • Expressions:

    • Tener hambre – to be hungry

    • Tener sed – to be thirsty

    • Tener prisa – to be in a hurry

🧠 Extra Tips: Ser vs Estar (the classic confusion)

Use ser for... Use estar for...
Identity Feelings
Origin Location
Permanent characteristics Temporary states
Telling time Physical/emotional conditions

📝 Practice Time

✏️ Part A: Fill in the blanks with the correct verb

  1. Yo ______ cansado. (estar)

  2. Nosotros ______ en casa. (estar)

  3. Ella ______ maestra. (ser)

  4. Tú ______ 25 años. (tener)

  5. Ellos ______ al parque. (ir)

✏️ Part B: Translate to Spanish

  1. I have a big family.

  2. We are friends.

  3. They are at the restaurant.

  4. You (informal) are tired.

  5. She goes to school.

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • ❌ Mixing ser and estar

  • ❌ Forgetting to add “a” after ir

  • ❌ Using “tengo años” without “tengo” → Tengo 20 años, not Soy 20 años

📌 Final Tip:

These 4 verbs appear in every conversation. Memorize their present forms cold — you’ll use them in greetings, introductions, questions, and daily talk.

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