50 Most Common Spanish Verbs (with Examples)

Start practicing Spanish with real life Examples

Learning verbs is one of the fastest ways to start speaking Spanish. With just a small group of verbs, you can make hundreds of useful sentences. In this guide, you’ll find the 50 most common Spanish verbs with their English meanings and simple examples.

Why Learn These Verbs?

• They appear in everyday conversations.
• They help you build sentences quickly.
• You can use them with different tenses once you know the basics.

Let’s start with the most common verbs in Spanish.

The 50 Most Common Spanish Verbs

The tables you’ll find below include the translation in English and a basic example. These verbs are also classified by cases.

Download the printable PDF: 50 Most Common Spanish Verbs (Free)

Spanish Verb	English	Example Sentence
ser	to be (essential/permanent)	Ella es profesora. → She is a teacher.
estar	to be (temporary/location)	Estoy cansado. → I am tired.
tener	to have	Tengo un coche. → I have a car.
hacer	to do, to make	Hago la cena. → I make dinner.
poder	can, to be able to	Puedo nadar. → I can swim.
decir	to say, to tell	Dijo la verdad. → He told the truth.
ir	to go	Voy al mercado. → I go to the market.
ver	to see	Veo la televisión. → I watch TV.
dar	to give	Ella me dio un regalo. → She gave me a gift.
saber	to know (facts)	Sé la respuesta. → I know the answer.

More Common Verbs You Will Use

Spanish Verb	English	Example Sentence
querer	to want, to love	Quiero aprender español. → I want to learn Spanish.
llegar	to arrive	Llegamos tarde. → We arrived late.
pasar	to happen, to pass	Pasó algo extraño. → Something strange happened.
deber	must, should	Debes estudiar. → You should study.
poner	to put, to place	Pongo la mesa. → I set the table.
parecer	to seem	Parece fácil. → It seems easy.
quedar	to stay, to remain	Me quedo en casa. → I stay at home.
creer	to believe	Creo en ti. → I believe in you.
hablar	to speak	Hablo español. → I speak Spanish.
llevar	to carry, to wear	Llevo una chaqueta. → I wear a jacket.

Everyday Action Verbs

Spanish Verb	English	Example Sentence
dejar	to leave, to let	Dejé el libro en la mesa. → I left the book on the table.
seguir	to follow, to continue	Sigue las instrucciones. → Follow the instructions.
encontrar	to find	Encontré mis llaves. → I found my keys.
llamar	to call	Te llamo mañana. → I’ll call you tomorrow.
venir	to come	Ven a mi casa. → Come to my house.
pensar	to think	Pienso en ti. → I think of you.
salir	to leave, to go out	Salgo con mis amigos. → I go out with my friends.
volver	to return	Vuelvo pronto. → I return soon.
tomar	to take, to drink	Tomo un café. → I drink a coffee.
conocer	to know (people, places)	Conozco Madrid. → I know Madrid.

More Useful Verbs for Daily Life

Spanish Verb	English	Example Sentence
vivir	to live	Vivo en España. → I live in Spain.
sentir	to feel	Siento frío. → I feel cold.
tratar	to try, to treat	Trata de estudiar más. → Try to study more.
mirar	to look at, to watch	Miro el paisaje. → I look at the view.
contar	to tell	Cuenta la historia. → Tell the story.
empezar	to start, to begin	Empiezo la clase. → I start the class.
esperar	to wait, to hope	Espero buenas noticias. → I hope for good news.
buscar	to search, to look for	Busco mis gafas. → I look for my glasses.
entrar	to enter	Entro en la casa. → I enter the house.
trabajar	to work	Trabajo en una oficina. → I work in an office.

Final Group of Common Verbs

Spanish Verb	English	Example Sentence
escribir	to write	Escribo una carta. → I write a letter.
perder	to lose	Perdí mi teléfono. → I lost my phone.
producir	to produce	La fábrica produce coches. → The factory produces cars.
ocurrir	to happen	Ocurrió ayer. → It happened yesterday.
entender	to understand	Entiendo la lección. → I understand the lesson.
pedir	to ask for, to request	Pido ayuda. → I ask for help.
recibir	to receive	Recibí una carta. → I received a letter.
recordar	to remember	Recuerdo tu nombre. → I remember your name.
terminar	to finish	Termino el trabajo. → I finish the work.
permitir	to allow, to permit	No permiten fumar. → Smoking is not allowed.

How to Practice These Verbs

• Make flashcards (Spanish on one side, English on the other).
• Write short sentences with 5 verbs per day.
• Practice with songs or TV shows – you’ll hear these verbs often.
• Review this list weekly to keep them fresh in your mind.

Summary

By learning these 50 verbs, you’ll understand a big part of daily Spanish. Focus first on ser, estar, tener, hacer, ir, poder, they are the core. Then expand to the others with examples.

Check out our guide on the difference between ser and estar, two of the most important verbs in Spanish.