When you are learning a language, you often find yourself scrambling to build vocabulary first. Shortly thereafter you realize that you need to string that vocabulary together into meaningful thoughts and phrases that help you communicate.
Verbs are the glue that stick vocabulary together and bring life to your communication. Learning verbs in Spanish is essential for surviving everyday communication. The very first time a student of mine opens their course book and sees a full page of verbs categorized by AR, ER & IR – they literally flip out. Some of them ask “do I have to learn all of these”?
It’s funny actually, how situations predict the reactions of learners. My medical Spanish classroom students’ jaws drop when they see the list, yet my Spanish immersion students salivate over verbs because it means they can actually communicate what they’re trying to say and charade all day long.
This is a list of 101 verbs in Spanish that is extremely useful for anyone trying to have real conversations. Enjoy!
AceptarÂ
AndarÂ
AprenderÂ
AyudarÂ
BailarÂ
BeberÂ
BuscarÂ
CaberÂ
CaerseÂ
CambiarÂ
CaminarÂ
CancelarÂ
CantarÂ
ComerÂ
ComprarÂ
ConducirÂ
ConocerÂ
Contar (o-ue)Â
ContestarÂ
CorrerÂ
CortarÂ
CreerÂ
DañarÂ
DarÂ
DeberÂ
Decir (e-i)Â
DejarÂ
DesearÂ
DibujarÂ
Doler (o-ue)Â
Dormir (o-ue)Â
Encontrar (o-ue)Â
EnseñarÂ
EscucharÂ
EsperarÂ
EstarÂ
EstudiarÂ
ExplicarÂ
GuardarÂ
GustarÂ
HaberÂ
HablarÂ
HacerÂ
HerirÂ
IrÂ
Jugar (u-ue)Â
LavarÂ
LeerÂ
LimpiarÂ
LlamarÂ
LlegarÂ
LlenarÂ
LlevarÂ
LlorarÂ
ManejarÂ
MirarÂ
Mostrar (o-ue)Â
NecesitarÂ
OÃrÂ
OlvidarÂ
PagarÂ
PasarÂ
Pedir (e-i)Â
PeinarÂ
Pensar (e-ie)Â
Poder (o-ue)Â
PonerÂ
PreguntarÂ
PrestarÂ
QuedarseÂ
QuejarseÂ
Querer (e-ie)Â
RepararÂ
RomperÂ
SaberÂ
SacarÂ
SalirÂ
Seguir (e-i)Â
Sentirse (e-ie)Â
SerÂ
Soñar (o-ue)Â
Tener (e-ie)Â
TerminarÂ
TocarÂ
TomarÂ
ToserÂ
TrabajarÂ
TraerÂ
UsarÂ
ValerÂ
VenderÂ
Venir (e-ie)Â
VerÂ
Vestir (e-i)Â
ViajarÂ
VivirÂ
Volar (o-ue)Â
Volver (o-ue)
If you want to see how these verbs conjugate in various tenses, check out this page to see Spanish verb conjugations
Here is the meaning of the 101 verbs in Spanish…
Aceptar (To accept)
Andar (To go)
Aprender (To learn)
Ayudar (To help)
Bailar (To dance)
Beber (To drink)
Buscar (Look for / To search)
Caber (To fit)
Caerse (Fall down)
Cambiar (To change)
Caminar (To walk)
Cancelar (To cancel)
Cantar (To sign)
Comer (To eat)
Comprar (To buy)
Conducir (To drive)
Conocer (To know)
Contar (o-ue) (To count)
Contestar (To answer)
Correr (To run)
Cortar (To cut)
Creer (To believe)
Dañar (To damage)
Dar (To give)
Deber (To must / Have to / To owe)
Decir (e-i) (To say)
Dejar (To let / To leave / To stop / To allow / To quit)
Desear (To wish)
Dibujar (To draw)
Doler (o-ue) (To hurt / To ache)
Dormir (o-ue) (To sleep)
Encontrar (o-ue) (To find)
Enseñar (To teach)
Escuchar (To listen)
Esperar (To wait)
Estar (To be / To stay / To stand)
Estudiar (To study)
Explicar (To explain)
Guardar (To save / To keep)
Gustar (To like)
Haber (To have)
Hablar (To speak)
Hacer (To do / To make)
Herir (To hurt / To injure)
Ir (To go)
Jugar (To play)
Lavar (To wash)
Leer (To read)
Limpiar (To clean)
Llamar (To call)
Llegar (To arrive)
Llenar (To fill in / To fill out)
Llevar (To carry / To take / To bring)
Llorar (To cry)
Manejar (To drive / To manage)
Mirar (To look / To look at / To watch / To see)
Mostrar (o-ue) (To show)
Necesitar (To need / To require)
OÃr (To ear / To listen)
Olvidar (To forget)
Pagar (To pay)
Pasar (To pass / To go / To move)
Pedir (e-i) (To ask for / To request)
Peinar (to comb hair)
Pensar (e-ie)
Poder (o-ue) (To be able to / Can / May)
Poner (To put / To add / To set)
Preguntar (To ask)
Prestar (To lend / To loan)
Quedarse (To stay / To remain)
Quejarse (To complain / To moan)
Querer (e-ie) (To want / To love / To wish)
Reparar (To repair / To fix)
Romper (To break / To smash)
Saber (To know / To taste)
Sacar (To take out / To bring out / To extract)
Salir  (To leave / To get out / To go out)
Seguir (e-i) (To follow / To continue)
Sentirse (e-ie) (To feel)
Ser (To be)
Soñar (o-ue) (To dream)
Tener (e-ie) (To have / To keep / To own / To possess)
Terminar (To finish)
Tocar (To touch / To play)
Tomar (To take / To drink / To catch)
Toser (To cough)
Trabajar (To work)
Traer (To bring / To bring in / To carry)
Usar (To user)
Valer (To cost / To avail)
Vender (To sell)
Venir (e-ie) (To come)
Ver (To see / To watch)
Vestir (e-i) (To wear / To dress)
Viajar (To travel)
Vivir (To live)
Volar (o-ue) (To fly)
Volver (o-ue) Â (To come back / To go back / To return)