Regular -IR Verbs in Spanish

Overview

Regular -ir verbs are the third and smallest conjugation class in Spanish, but they include many useful everyday verbs like vivir (to live), escribir (to write), abrir (to open), and subir (to go up). At the A1 level, learning this pattern completes your set of regular verb conjugations and means you can handle any regular verb you encounter.

The -ir conjugation is very similar to -er verbs. In fact, the two patterns differ in only two forms: the nosotros and vosotros endings. This makes learning -ir verbs quick and painless if you already know -er verbs.

How It Works

Present tense endings

Remove -ir from the infinitive to get the stem, then add:

Subject	Ending	vivir (to live)	escribir (to write)
yo	-o	vivo	escribo
tú	-es	vives	escribes
él / ella / usted	-e	vive	escribe
nosotros/as	-imos	vivimos	escribimos
vosotros/as	-ís	vivís	escribís
ellos / ellas / ustedes	-en	viven	escriben

Comparing -er and -ir endings

Subject	-ER ending	-IR ending	Different?
yo	-o	-o	No
tú	-es	-es	No
él/ella/usted	-e	-e	No
nosotros/as	-emos	-imos	Yes
vosotros/as	-éis	-ís	Yes
ellos/ellas/ustedes	-en	-en	No

Only the nosotros (-imos vs. -emos) and vosotros (-ís vs. -éis) forms are different.

Common regular -ir verbs

Verb	Meaning
vivir	to live
escribir	to write
abrir	to open
subir	to go up / to upload
recibir	to receive
decidir	to decide
existir	to exist
compartir	to share
permitir	to allow
describir	to describe

Examples in Context

Spanish	English	Note
Yo vivo en Barcelona.	I live in Barcelona.	1st person singular
Tú escribes cartas.	You write letters.	2nd person singular
Él abre la puerta.	He opens the door.	3rd person singular
Nosotros subimos la escalera.	We go up the stairs.	1st person plural
Recibo muchos correos electrónicos.	I receive a lot of emails.	Modern context
¿Compartís el apartamento?	Do you all share the apartment?	Vosotros form
Deciden ir a la playa.	They decide to go to the beach.	3rd person plural
Vivimos cerca del centro.	We live near the center.	Location
No permiten mascotas aquí.	They don't allow pets here.	Negation
Escribo en mi diario cada noche.	I write in my diary every night.	Habitual action

Common Mistakes

Using -emos instead of -imos for nosotros

• Wrong: Nosotros vivemos en Madrid.
• Right: Nosotros vivimos en Madrid.
• Why: The nosotros ending for -ir verbs is -imos, not -emos. This is one of the two forms where -ir and -er verbs differ.

Confusing -éis and -ís for vosotros

• Wrong: Vosotros vivéis aquí.
• Right: Vosotros vivís aquí.
• Why: The vosotros ending for -ir verbs is -ís, not -éis. Remember: -éis is for -er verbs.

Treating irregular -ir verbs as regular

• Wrong: Yo salo temprano. (from salir)
• Right: Yo salgo temprano.
• Why: Not all -ir verbs are regular. Verbs like salir, decir, venir, and dormir have irregular forms. The patterns here only apply to regular -ir verbs.

Practice Tips

• Focus on the two different forms. Since -ir and -er verbs share four of six endings, concentrate your practice on nosotros (-imos) and vosotros (-ís).
• Write about where you live. Use vivir and related verbs to describe your neighborhood: Vivo en una ciudad grande, abro las ventanas por la mañana, subo tres pisos.
• Mix all three verb classes. Conjugate one -ar, one -er, and one -ir verb together to see the patterns side by side and strengthen your ability to switch between them.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Subject Pronouns