Spanish Verbs 41: Practice Exercises and FlashcardsLearning Spanish verbs is one of the fastest ways to build confidence and fluency. This article focuses on “Spanish Verbs 41” — a targeted set of 41 high-frequency verbs — and gives practice exercises, flashcard templates, tips for memorization, and ways to use them in conversation. Whether you’re a beginner aiming to master present-tense basics or an intermediate student working on irregular forms and past tenses, these exercises will help cement verb conjugations and improve active recall.
Why focus on 41 verbs?
Focusing on a limited, high-utility list accelerates progress. These 41 verbs include many of the most commonly used regular and irregular verbs in Spanish; together they’ll cover a large portion of everyday speech. Practicing these thoroughly gives you tools to build sentences, ask questions, and understand spoken Spanish more reliably.
The 41 verbs (infinitive + brief English gloss)
- ser — to be (essential/permanent)
- estar — to be (temporary/location)
- tener — to have
- haber — to have (auxiliary) / there is/are
- hacer — to do, to make
- ir — to go
- decir — to say, to tell
- poder — to be able to, can
- querer — to want, to love
- ver — to see
- dar — to give
- saber — to know (facts, how)
- llegar — to arrive
- pasar — to pass, to happen
- deber — should, ought to, owe
- poner — to put, to place
- parecer — to seem
- quedar — to remain, to stay; to fit (clothing)
- creer — to believe
- hablar — to speak, to talk
- llevar — to carry, to wear
- dejar — to leave, to let
- seguir — to follow, to continue
- encontrar — to find
- llamar — to call, to name
- venir — to come
- pensar — to think
- salir — to leave, to go out
- volver — to return, to come back
- tomar — to take, to drink
- conocer — to know (people, places), to meet
- vivir — to live
- sentir — to feel, to regret
- tratar — to try, to treat
- mirar — to look at, to watch
- contar — to count; to tell (a story)
- empezar — to begin, to start
- esperar — to wait; to hope
- buscar — to look for
- existir — to exist
- entrar — to enter, to go in
How to use this list
- Begin by learning infinitives and English meanings.
- Learn present indicative conjugations first (most common in basic communication).
- Add preterite and imperfect next for past narration.
- Learn key irregular stems (e.g., tener -> tuv-, hacer -> hic-, decir -> dij-) and irregular yo forms (e.g., conocer -> conozco).
- Practice in context: create sentences, short dialogues, and role-plays.
Flashcard templates
Use physical index cards or a spaced-repetition app (Anki, Memrise). Each verb should have multiple cards focusing on different recall tasks.
Flashcard types:
- Infinitive → English meaning (recognition)
- English meaning → Infinitive (recall)
- Infinitive → Conjugate in present (yo, tú, él/ella, nosotros, vosotros, ellos)
- Infinitive → Conjugate in preterite (yo, tú, él/ella…)
- Sentence with a blank → fill with correct conjugated verb
- Conjugated form → identify infinitive and tense
Example cards (text): Front: ser — yo (present)
Back: soy
Front: “She went to the store.” → Spanish
Back: Ella fue a la tienda. (ir — preterite)
Practice exercises
1) Present tense conjugation drill
Conjugate the following verbs in the present indicative for all pronouns: hablar, comer, vivir, tener, ser, estar, ir, venir, hacer, poder.
2) Fill-in-the-blank sentences (mixed tenses)
Complete with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
- Ayer yo ______ (ir) al cine.
- Nosotros ______ (tener) que estudiar para el examen.
- Ella siempre ______ (decir) la verdad.
- Cuando era niño, yo ______ (vivir) en Madrid.
- ¿Tú ______ (poder) ayudarme mañana?
- Ellos no ______ (saber) la respuesta ayer.
- ¿Qué te ______ (parecer) esta idea?
- Ella ______ (salir) a las ocho anoche.
- Nosotros ______ (empezar) el proyecto la semana pasada.
- Yo te ______ (llamar) después.
Answers:
- fui
- tenemos
- dice
- vivía
- puedes
- supieron (or no sabían — depends on intended meaning; common answer: supieron)
- parece
- salió
- empezamos
- llamaré (or llamé if past; common present/future: llamaré)
3) Short translation practice
Translate these into Spanish:
- She believes what he said.
- I will return tomorrow.
- They are looking for the keys.
- We had to leave early.
- Do you know Maria?
Suggested translations:
- Ella cree lo que él dijo.
- Volveré mañana.
- Ellos buscan las llaves.
- Tuvimos que irnos temprano.
- ¿Conoces a María?
4) Story completion (use at least 10 verbs)
Write a short paragraph (5–8 sentences) describing a day using at least 10 verbs from the list. Focus on mixing tenses (present, preterite, imperfect) and using pronouns.
Prompt example: “Yesterday I woke up late, I had coffee, I went to work, I saw a friend, we talked, I returned home, and I felt happy.”
Tips for memorization
- Use spaced repetition (review cards on increasing intervals).
- Practice speaking aloud; muscle memory helps.
- Group verbs by patterns (regular -ar, -er, -ir; stem-changing e→ie, o→ue; irregular yo forms).
- Make mini-stories linking verbs to vivid images.
- Record yourself and compare to native pronunciation.
Sample weekly study plan
- Day 1: Learn 10 infinitives + present tense conjugations.
- Day 2: Review Day 1; add 10 more verbs.
- Day 3: Flashcards + 30-minute speaking practice using verbs.
- Day 4: Learn preterite forms for first 20 verbs.
- Day 5: Mixed exercises (fill-in, translations).
- Day 6: Quiz yourself (write a short story).
- Day 7: Rest or light review; focus on weak verbs.
Tracking progress
Keep a simple log with columns: verb, known (Y/N), tricky forms, last reviewed, next review. Update after each practice session.
Additional resources
- Spaced-repetition apps (Anki, Quizlet) with pre-made decks for these verbs.
- Short graded readers and beginner podcasts that reuse high-frequency verbs.
- Language exchange partners for real conversation practice.
Focus your effort on active production (speaking/writing) more than passive recognition. Mastery of these 41 verbs will give you a large expressive range and accelerate comprehension in real conversations.
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