Present of -ar Verbs
Present Tense of -ar Verbs
Most Galician verbs end in -ar. For the present, remove -ar and add -o, -as, -a, -amos, -ades, -an: falo, falas, fala, falamos, falades, falan.
How It Works
The endings, with falar (to speak)
- eu falo
- ti falas
- el, ela, vostede fala
- nós falamos
- vós falades
- eles, elas, vostedes falan
Other regular -ar verbs follow the same pattern: traballar (to work), estudar (to study), cantar (to sing), mercar (to buy), chegar (to arrive), escoitar (to listen).
The vós form. Galician keeps a separate form for "you all", ending in -ades: Vós falades moi rápido. See vós and vostedes.
Pronunciation. The final -n of falan is pronounced like the ng in English "sing". See velar n.
Uses of the present.
- Habits: Traballo todos os días. (I work every day.)
- Right now: Que miras? (What are you looking at?) To stress that something is in progress, see estar a + infinitive.
- Fixed plans: Mañá chegamos ás oito. (We arrive at eight tomorrow.)
Watch the spelling. Some -ar verbs change a letter to keep the sound in other tenses (chegar, chegue). See spelling changes in verbs.
Examples (6)
- Falo galego e inglés.
I speak Galician and English.
Word by Word: I-speak Galician and English.
- Traballas hoxe?
Are you working today?
Word by Word: You-work today?
- A miña irmá canta moi ben.
My sister sings very well.
Word by Word: The my sister sings very well.
- Mercamos o pan nesta panadaría.
We buy our bread at this bakery.
Word by Word: We-buy the bread in-this bakery.
- Vós falades moi rápido.
You all speak very fast.
Word by Word: You-all speak very fast.
- Os nenos chegan ás cinco.
The children arrive at five.
Word by Word: The children arrive at-the five.
Common Mistakes
Using the Spanish ending -áis for vós.
Vós faláis moi ben.Vós falades moi ben.The Galician vós ending for -ar verbs is -ades.
Forgetting the plural ending -an.
Os meus pais traballa en Lugo.Os meus pais traballan en Lugo.A plural subject needs the plural form, which ends in -an.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Regular -ar verbs change their ending to identify the subject.
Related Patterns
- Present of -er VerbsPresent Tense of -er Verbs
The second regular group, with endings in -e-.
Level 1 - Present of -ir VerbsPresent Tense of -ir Verbs
The third regular group, with endings in -i- for nós and vós.
Level 1 - Dropping Subject Pronouns
The endings show the person, so pronouns are often dropped.
Level 1 - vós / vostedesPlural You: Vós and Vostedes
Explains the -ades form and the formal vostedes.
Level 1 - Preterite of -ar Verbs
The past forms of the same verbs.
Level 2 - estar a + InfinitiveAction in Progress: Estar a + Infinitive
A way to stress that an action is happening right now.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Present of -ar Verbs in Bubblegum
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