Level 12 of 60 · Tense System · Presente

Present Irregulars 1

Ser, estar, hacer, tener, haber, ir

When to use it

This lesson covers six of the most important fully irregular verbs in the Spanish present tense. Unlike the yo-form irregularities in Levels 8–11, these verbs are irregular across multiple or all forms.

Why these verbs matter

These are among the most frequently used verbs in the entire Spanish language. They appear in almost every conversation.

ser vs estar

Both mean "to be" but are used differently:

ser = identity, characteristics, origin, time, profession
estar = location, temporary states, conditions, feelings

Examples:

Soy profesor. = I am a teacher. (identity — ser)
Estoy cansado. = I am tired. (temporary state — estar)
Es alto. = He is tall. (characteristic — ser)
Está en casa. = He is at home. (location — estar)

hacer

hacer means "to do" or "to make". It is also used in weather expressions:

Hago la tarea. = I do the homework.
Hace frío. = It is cold. (weather)

tener

tener means "to have" but is also used in many idiomatic expressions:

Tengo hambre. = I am hungry. (literally: I have hunger)
Tengo 20 años. = I am 20 years old. (literally: I have 20 years)
Tengo que estudiar. = I have to study.

haber

haber is mainly used as an auxiliary verb for compound tenses:

He comido. = I have eaten.
Has terminado. = You have finished.

It is also used impersonally: hay = there is / there are.

ir

ir means "to go". It is one of the most irregular verbs in Spanish:

Voy al cine. = I go to the cinema.
ir + a + infinitive = going to (future): Voy a comer. = I am going to eat.

How to form it

Irregular -AR verbs: estar, dar (Level 11)

In this group, estar is the key -AR verb.

estar (to be — state/location)

Pronoun	Form
yo	estoy
tú	estás
él / ella / usted	está
nosotros / nosotras	estamos
vosotros / vosotras	estáis
ellos / ellas / ustedes	están

estar is irregular in multiple forms: the yo form adds -oy, and all forms except nosotros have accent marks on the final syllable.

Irregular -ER verbs: ser, hacer, tener, haber

ser (to be — identity/characteristics)

Pronoun	Form
yo	soy
tú	eres
él / ella / usted	es
nosotros / nosotras	somos
vosotros / vosotras	sois
ellos / ellas / ustedes	son

Every form is irregular. This verb must be memorized completely.

hacer (to do / to make)

Pronoun	Form
yo	hago
tú	haces
él / ella / usted	hace
nosotros / nosotras	hacemos
vosotros / vosotras	hacéis
ellos / ellas / ustedes	hacen

Only the yo form (hago) is irregular in the present. The rest follow -ER patterns.

tener (to have)

Pronoun	Form
yo	tengo
tú	tienes
él / ella / usted	tiene
nosotros / nosotras	tenemos
vosotros / vosotras	tenéis
ellos / ellas / ustedes	tienen

tener has two irregularities: yo adds g (tengo), and the boot forms have e → ie (tienes, tiene, tienen).

haber (to have — auxiliary)

Pronoun	Form
yo	he
tú	has
él / ella / usted	ha
nosotros / nosotras	hemos
vosotros / vosotras	habéis
ellos / ellas / ustedes	han

haber is irregular throughout. It is used primarily as an auxiliary verb (he comido, has dicho, etc.).

Irregular -IR verb: ir

ir (to go)

Pronoun	Form
yo	voy
tú	vas
él / ella / usted	va
nosotros / nosotras	vamos
vosotros / vosotras	vais
ellos / ellas / ustedes	van

Every form is irregular. The verb looks nothing like its infinitive. This must be memorized completely.

ir + a + infinitive

ir is commonly used to express the near future:

Voy a comer. = I am going to eat.
Vamos a salir. = We are going to leave.

Grammar in detail