juntosEveryday Spanish Essentials: present tense and question words, refreshed
Five compact lessons covering the machinery every conversation runs on, then graded practice that catches the small errors a beginner's Spanish tends to keep.
| Person | -ar / -er / -ir ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o / -o / -o | hablo, como, vivo |
| tú | -as / -es / -es | hablas, comes, vives |
| él, ella, usted | -a / -e / -e | habla, come, vive |
| nosotros | -amos / -emos / -imos | hablamos, comemos, vivimos |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | -an / -en / -en | hablan, comen, viven |
| Stem-changers (all but nosotros) | e to ie, o to ue, e to i | quiero, puedo, pido |
| Irregular yo forms | Learn these early | tengo, hago, salgo, soy, voy |
Before the past tense, the subjunctive or anything advanced, a conversation needs a working present tense, a way to ask questions and a grip on numbers and time. This course is the refresh: the regular -ar/-er/-ir endings, the question words (qué, dónde, cuándo, cuánto, por qué) and how questions are built without the "do" English relies on, the stem-changing verbs (quiero, puedo, prefiero) that change in every form except nosotros, the numbers you need to hear a price or a time, and the tener expressions: tengo hambre, tengo 30 años, tengo que irme: where Spanish "has" what English "is".
These topics are usually taught first and therefore taught fast, which is why intermediate learners still say "soy 30 años", forget that poder becomes puedo, or freeze when a shopkeeper says "son quinientos cuarenta". None of these errors stops a conversation, so they survive for years. They are also the easiest errors to fix once someone points them out consistently.
Juntos points them out. The five lessons here are short and example-driven, and once you have read them the AI tutor puts them to work: an easy-level scenario like ordering at a café or chatting with a neighbour runs almost entirely on present-tense forms, questions and numbers, and every message is scored 0–100 with a correction. Repeated slips go into your Error Bank and come back in spaced-repetition reviews; the timed games add the speed that turns knowing quinientos into hearing it.
What's in this course
- Present tense regulars, The workhorse endings
- Asking questions, qué, cómo, dónde, cuánto
- Stem-changers, quiero, puedo, pido, the shoe verbs
- Numbers, prices & time, Survive any till, timetable or taxi
- Tener expressions, tengo hambre, tengo ganas, feelings via 'have'
Each lesson below is the same material used inside the Juntos app, with two of its exercises to try. In the app every lesson has the full exercise set, and the AI tutor grades your conversation practice against what you have learned.
Lesson 1: Present tense regulars
The workhorse endings
Present tense, the daily driver 🚗
| -ar (hablar) | -er (comer) | -ir (vivir) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablo | como | vivo |
| tú | hablas | comes | vives |
| él/usted | habla | come | vive |
| nosotros | hablamos | comemos | vivimos |
| ellos/ustedes | hablan | comen | viven |
Remember: after cuando you use a normal present verb, not "-ando": cuando compro comida (not "cuando comprando").
Try it
Yo ___ (trabajar) desde mi laptop.
I work from my laptop.
Show answer
trabajo · -ar, yo → trabajo.
Uso el español cuando ___ (comprar) comida.
I use Spanish when I buy food.
- comprando
- compro
- comprar
Show answer
compro · After 'cuando' → conjugated verb: compro. (Not the -ando form!)
Lesson 2: Asking questions
qué, cómo, dónde, cuánto
Question words ❓
All accented when used as questions, and wrapped in ¿ … ?:
- ¿Qué…? What / ¿Cuál…? Which
- ¿Cómo…? How
- ¿Dónde…? Where / ¿Adónde…? To where
- ¿Cuánto…? How much / ¿Cuándo…? When
- ¿Quién…? Who / ¿Por qué…? Why
Try it
¿___ estás? (= How are you?)
How are you?
- Qué
- Cómo
- Dónde
Show answer
Cómo · How → ¿Cómo estás?
¿___ es tu nombre? (asking someone's name)
What is your name?
- Qué
- Cuál
- Cómo
Show answer
Cuál · For name/number → ¿Cuál es…? sounds native.
Lesson 3: Stem-changers
quiero, puedo, pido, the shoe verbs
Verbs with a wobble 👟
Some verbs change their stem vowel in the present (everywhere except nosotros, the "shoe" pattern):
- e → ie: querer → quiero, pensar → pienso, preferir → prefiero, entender → entiendo
- o → ue: poder → puedo, dormir → duermo, volver → vuelvo, costar → cuesta
- e → i: pedir → pido, servir → sirve, repetir → repito
Try it
¿Cuánto ___ (costar) el pasaje?
How much does the ticket cost?
Show answer
cuesta · o→ue: cuesta.
No ___ (entender, yo), ¿puede repetir?
I don't understand, can you repeat?
- entendo
- entiendo
- entiende
Show answer
entiendo · e→ie: entiendo.
Lesson 4: Numbers, prices & time
Survive any till, timetable or taxi
Numbers you'll actually hear 💵
- 16-29 are one word: dieciséis, veintidós, veintinueve. From 31: treinta y uno…
- 100 = cien; 101+ = ciento…: ciento cincuenta. 500 = quinientos, 900 = novecientos (the rebels).
- Prices: ¿Cuánto cuesta? Cuesta tres cincuenta. ($3.50)
- Time: Es la una (1:00, singular!), Son las tres y media (3:30), las ocho menos cuarto (7:45), a las nueve (at 9).
Try it
'It's 1:30' =
- Son la una y media
- Es la una y media
- Es una y treinta
Show answer
Es la una y media · One o'clock is singular: ES LA una y media.
22 se escribe: ___
twenty-two (one word!)
Show answer
veintidós · 16-29 are single words: veintidós.
Lesson 5: Tener expressions
tengo hambre, tengo ganas, feelings via 'have'
You don't BE hungry, you HAVE hunger 🍽️
Spanish runs a bunch of states through tener:
- tener hambre / sed: to be hungry / thirsty
- tener calor / frío: to be hot / cold
- tener sueño: to be sleepy · tener miedo: to be afraid
- tener prisa: to be in a hurry · tener razón: to be right
- tener ganas de + inf, to feel like: Tengo ganas de viajar.
- tener que + inf, to have to: Tengo que irme.
Try it
Hace 35 grados, ¡___ mucho calor!
It's 35 degrees. I'm so hot!
- estoy
- soy
- tengo
Show answer
tengo · States via tener: tengo calor.
___ ganas de comer pupusas. (I feel like…)
I feel like eating pupusas.
Show answer
Tengo · tener ganas de + infinitive.
This course is free. Want it graded in conversation?
Everyday Essentials is free on Juntos, with the games and your Error Bank. Start a 7-day trial to add the AI tutor that grades every sentence you write or say, voice calls and the 12-track program. Then $8/month, no card to start.
Questions people ask
Do you need 'yo' in Spanish sentences?
Usually not. The verb ending already shows the subject, so hablo means 'I speak'. Add yo, tú and the rest for emphasis or contrast: yo trabajo y tú descansas.
How do you say 'I am 30 years old' in Spanish?
Tengo 30 años, with tener (to have), not ser. Spanish treats age like hunger or fear, as something you have: tengo hambre, tengo miedo.
How do you ask a question in Spanish without 'do'?
Spanish has no helper verb for questions. Keep the normal sentence and raise your voice at the end (¿Tienes tiempo?), or start with a question word (¿Dónde trabajas?). In writing, open with ¿ and close with ?.
What are stem-changing verbs in Spanish?
Verbs whose stem vowel changes in the present when it is stressed: querer becomes quiero, poder becomes puedo, pedir becomes pido. Every present form changes except nosotros (and vosotros in Spain): queremos, podemos, pedimos.
How do you say 'I have to' in Spanish?
Tener que plus an infinitive: tengo que trabajar (I have to work), tienes que probarlo (you have to try it). For a general 'you need to' with no specific person, use hay que: hay que reservar.
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