In this lesson, you'll combine all three verb types (-ar, -er, -ir) to talk about work and study. You'll also learn adverbs of frequency to say how often you do things. By the end, you'll be able to describe a typical workday from start to finish!
Learning tips
- You now know all three regular verb patterns (-ar, -er, -ir) — try to identify which type each new verb belongs to.
- Adverbs of frequency (siempre, a veces, nunca) usually go before or after the verb — both positions are correct.
- Notice that 'nunca' can go before the verb without 'no': 'Nunca trabajo el domingo' = I never work on Sunday.
- Try combining verbs from different lessons to build longer, more interesting sentences.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ducharse | to shower |
| vestirse | to get dressed |
| peinarse | to comb one's hair |
| acostarse | to go to bed |
| dormirse | to fall asleep |
| cepillarse | to brush (teeth) |
| lavarse | to wash (oneself) |
| la noche | the night |
| después | after |
| antes | before |
Dialog
Andrés describes his workday using a mix of -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. Notice how 'a veces' (sometimes) indicates an activity doesn't happen every day, while 'siempre' (always) indicates a regular habit. The verbs 'leer' (to read), 'escribir' (to write), 'comer' (to eat), and 'vivir' (to live) are all regular -er/-ir verbs following the patterns from lesson 3.3.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| trabajar | /tɾa.βaˈxaɾ/ | to work | Regular -ar verb — 'trabajo' (I work) |
| estudiar | /es.tuˈðjaɾ/ | to study | Regular -ar verb — 'estudio' (I study) |
| el trabajo | /el tɾaˈβa.xo/ | the work, the job | The noun — 'el trabajo' is both 'the work' and 'the workplace' |
| la clase | /la ˈkla.se/ | the class | Can mean a school class or a lesson |
| el almuerzo | /el alˈmweɾ.so/ | the lunch | In Colombia, lunch is the biggest meal of the day, usually between 12-2 PM |
| comer | /koˈmeɾ/ | to eat | Regular -er verb — 'como' (I eat) |
| escribir | /es.kɾiˈβiɾ/ | to write | Regular -ir verb — 'escribo' (I write) |
| leer | /leˈeɾ/ | to read | Regular -er verb — 'leo' (I read) |
| vivir | /biˈβiɾ/ | to live | Regular -ir verb — 'vivo' (I live) |
| a veces | /a ˈβe.ses/ | sometimes | Adverb of frequency — between 'siempre' and 'nunca' |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la reunión | /la re.uˈnjon/ | the meeting | Common in work context — 'tengo una reunión' (I have a meeting) |
| el proyecto | /el pɾoˈʝek.to/ | the project | Work-related vocabulary |
| el computador | /el kom.pu.taˈðoɾ/ | the computer | In Latin America, 'computador' — in Spain, 'ordenador' |
| el correo | /el koˈre.o/ | the email | 'Escribir un correo' = to write an email |
| el jefe | /el ˈxe.fe/ | the boss | Common workplace vocabulary |
| el compañero | /el kom.paˈɲe.ɾo/ | the colleague, coworker | 'Mi compañero de trabajo' = my coworker |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| a veces | sometimes |
| después del almuerzo | after lunch |
Grammar: Combining regular -ar, -er, -ir verbs; adverbs of frequency
| Adverb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| siempre | always | Siempre como a las doce. |
| a veces | sometimes | A veces estudio por la noche. |
| nunca | never | Nunca trabajo el domingo. |
| Verb Type | yo | tú | él/ella |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ar (trabajar) | trabajo | trabajas | trabaja |
| -er (comer) | como | comes | come |
| -ir (vivir) | vivo | vives | vive |
Now you know all three regular verb types! Let's compare them side by side:
-ar (trabajar): trabajo, trabajas, trabaja, trabajamos, trabajan
-er (comer): como, comes, come, comemos, comen
-ir (vivir): vivo, vives, vive, vivimos, viven
Notice the pattern: the 'yo' form always ends in -o. For tú, él/ella, and ellos, -er and -ir verbs share the same endings (-es, -e, -en). Only 'nosotros' differs (-emos vs. -imos).
Adverbs of frequency tell how often something happens:
- siempre (always): Siempre como a las doce.
- a veces (sometimes): A veces estudio por la noche.
- nunca (never): Nunca trabajo el domingo.
These adverbs can go before or after the verb. When 'nunca' comes before the verb, you don't need 'no': 'Nunca trabajo' = 'No trabajo nunca' (I never work).
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence by conjugating the verb in parentheses.
- Yo en una oficina. (trabajar)(yo form of trabajar, -ar verb)
- Ella un libro. (leer)(ella form of leer, -er verb)
- Nosotros en Bogotá. (vivir)(nosotros form of vivir, -ir verb)
- Tú correos a veces. (escribir)(tú form of escribir, -ir verb)
- Ellos a las doce. (comer)(ellos form of comer, -er verb)
Grammar Application
Conjugate the verb for the given pronoun.
- yo + escribir → (remove -ir, add -o)
- tú + leer → (remove -er, add -es)
- nosotros + trabajar → (remove -ar, add -amos)
- ella + estudiar → (remove -ar, add -a)
- ustedes + vivir → (remove -ir, add -en)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- I work and study.
- She eats at twelve.
- We live in Bogotá.
- Sometimes I read at night.
- He writes emails at work.
Creative Construction
Describe a typical workday or school day using verbs from all three groups (-ar, -er, -ir) and at least one frequency adverb.
Takeaway
You now know all three regular verb patterns: -ar (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -an), -er (-o, -es, -e, -emos, -en), -ir (-o, -es, -e, -imos, -en). Use siempre (always), a veces (sometimes), and nunca (never) to say how often you do things.