How to Conjugate the 25 Most Common -IR Verbs in Spanish

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If you’re just starting to dip your toes into Spanish, you might have encountered some verbs that end in -IR, such pedir or dormir. All verbs in Spanish are classified by their endings, so you’ll need to learn how to successfully conjugate -IR verbs in Spanish. Though -IR verbs are not as common as -AR and -ER verbs in Spanish, the chances of an -IR verb making its way into conversations are still high. To help you navigate the common verbs in Spanish, you might want to work with a Rosetta Stone tutor after you’ve read through this guide!

Spanish conjugation basics

In Spanish, verbs are classified by their endings:

• -AR verbs (trabajar and hablar)
• -ER verbs (comer and leer) 
• -IR verbs (vivir and dormir) 

When you see a verb in Spanish that ends in -AR, -ER, or -IR, they are in their infinitive form. But if you want to express that these actions are done by different subjects (you, he, they, etc.) or in different tenses (present, past, future, etc.), the verbs need to be conjugated, just as you do in English.. 

For example, English verbs in the past tense have “-ed” endings, like “shopped” or “played,” and verbs in the present progressive tense have “-ing” endings, like “shopping” or “playing.” 

The same concept applies to Spanish: Spanish verbs have different endings for different tenses, and this guide will help you gain confidence with -IR verb conjugation.

How to conjugate -IR verbs in Spanish

There are 18 different verb tenses in Spanish, but for beginners, learning how to conjugate verbs in these three tenses is enough to get you started: 

• Present: express actions happening now or regularly (“I bike to school.”)
• Preterite: express actions that have been completed in the past (“I biked to school this morning.”)
• Future: express actions that will happen in the future (“I will bike to school later.”)

-IR verb conjugation in the present tense

To conjugate -IR verbs in the present tense, remove the “-ir” and add the following endings: 

*Vosotros and vosotras are only used in Spain

Here is how the verb escribir (to write) looks in the present tense: 

-IR verb conjugation in the preterite tense

To conjugate -IR verbs in the preterite tense, remove the “-ir” ending and add the following endings: 

This is what the verb escribir (to write) looks like in the preterite tense: 

-IR verb conjugation in the future tense

Conjugating verbs in the future tense is a bit different from the previous two tenses. Instead of removing the “-ir” ending, simply add the following endings to the entire infinitive form: 

For example, here is what the verb escribir (to write) looks like in the future tense: 

15 common regular -IR verbs in Spanish

Regular -IR verbs will always follow the conjugation patterns outlined above. Here is a list of -IR verbs that you can use with any common Spanish words. 

1. abrir = to open
2. añadir = to add
3. compartir = to share 
4. decidir = to decide
5. describir = to describe
6. discutir = to discuss
7. dividir = to divide 
8. escribir = to write
9. existir = to exist 
10. ocurrir = to occur
11. partir = to leave
12. permitir = to permit
13. recibir = to receive
14. sufrir = to suffer
15. vivir = to live

To get you going, here’s a chart showing how to conjugate vivir for each subject pronoun:

10 most common irregular -IR verbs in Spanish

On the other hand, irregular -IR verbs don’t follow the same conjugation rules. Irregular verbs might take more time and effort to learn, but shouldn’t be overlooked as they are actually more common than regular verbs. Here is an irregular -IR verb chart for 10 common verbs that you’ll likely use. 

You’ll see the conjugation of these common irregular verbs in the present tense. To see how to conjugate irregular verbs in other tenses, you can look them up in a reliable conjugation dictionary like SpanishDictionary. 

1. Ir (to go)

The verb ir is a commonly used verb to express the action of going somewhere.

• ¡Vamos a la playa! = Let’s go to the beach!
• ¿Vas al médico cuando estás enfermo? = Do you go to the doctor when you’re sick? 

2. Oír (to hear)

Especially if you’re just learning Spanish, you’ll need to make sure you can hear what the other person is saying. If you can’t, use the verb oír.

• Los niños aprenden palabras que oyen en su entorno. = Children pick up words they hear in their environment. 
• ¿Por qué no oímos lo que el grupo tiene para decir? = Why don’t we hear what the group has to say?

3. Seguir (to follow)

Going on a food tour in the heart of Mexico City or Barcelona? Make sure you seguir (follow) your tour guide!

• No sigo tu lógica. = I don’t follow your logic. 
• Mi perro me sigue. = My dog follows me. 

4. Venir (to come)

The verb venir is used when you want to have someone or something to come to you. It’s a little different from llegar which means “to arrive.”

• Cada vez que venimos es un desastre. = Every time we come here, it’s a disaster.
• ¿Por qué no venís a cenar mañana? = Why don’t you all come for dinner tomorrow?

5. Decir (to say, to tell)

You’ll use decir frequently when talking with friends, family, and coworkers since it means “to say” or “to tell.” 

• Dices eso ahora, pero ¿qué tal en 30 años? = You say that now, but what about in 30 years?
• Mi mamá dice que necesitamos dormir ahora. = My mom says we need to sleep now. 

6. Pedir (to ask for, to order)

You’ll want to use pedir to ask for or to order some authentic tamales at a restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. 

• Pido tacos de pescado del restaurante de la calle. = I order fish tacos from the restaurant down the street.
• ¿Por qué no le pides que juegue con nosotras? = Why don’t you ask her to play with us?

7. Repetir (to repeat)

Repetir is the right verb to ask someone to repeat what they just said. It’s a helpful verb for anyone learning to speak Spanish. 

• Mi hijo pequeño repite todo lo que su hermano dice. = My younger son repeats everything his brother says.
• Los niños repiten lo que hacen las personas mayores. = Children repeat what older people do.  

8. Sentir (to feel)

To express what you feel, the verb sentir will come in handy. It’s a little different from sentirse which tends to describe how you feel.

• Me siento como un turista en mi propia ciudad. = I feel like a tourist in my own city.
• Los dos sentís lo mismo. = You both feel the same way.

9. Vestir (to dress, to wear)

When you want to know what’s appropriate to wear to a party, use the verb vestir.

• ¿Cómo te vistes para el trabajo? = How do you dress for work?
• ¡Nos vestimos para impresionar! = We dress to impress!

10. Dormir (to sleep)

By the end of a long day exploring a new city in Spain or Brazil, you’ll be ready to dormir (to sleep) in a comfy bed. 

• ¿Duermes en clase? = Do you sleep in class?
• Los bebés duermen menos que los adolescentes. = Babies sleep less than teenagers.

Master Spanish -IR verbs with Rosetta Stone

There are more -IR Spanish verbs than we can list, but there are also more ways to effectively learn Spanish than memorizing conjugation tables. In fact, the best way to learn a language and get conversation-ready is through immersive learning. 

And Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion approach to language learning helps you do just that! With real-world topics and real-time TruAccent pronunciation feedback, you can learn everything you need to speak confidently—in a way that feels natural and fun.