Spanish Super Verbs at A1: ser, estar, tener, ir, hacer (with clear rules and practice)

These five Spanish verbs—ser, estar, tener, ir, hacer—are your survival toolkit. With them, you can say who you are, where you are, what you have, where you’re going, and what you do. In this A1 lesson, you’ll learn when to use each verb, see super-common phrases, and practice with quick interactive drills.

The big picture

  • ser = “to be” for identity, origin, professions, and permanent characteristics
  • estar = “to be” for location and temporary states/feelings
  • tener = “to have” for possessions, age, and fixed expressions (tener hambre)
  • ir = “to go” (often ir + a + place or ir + a + infinitive for future plans)
  • hacer = “to do/make” (activities and some weather expressions)

ser: identity, origin, professions, descriptions

Use ser for things that define or identify: name, nationality, origin, profession, and basic descriptions.

ser
to be (identity/description)
verb
Soy estudiante.
I am a student.
ser present Irregular
Pronoun Conjugation
yo soy
tú eres
él/ella/usted es
nosotros/nosotras somos
ustedes son
ellos/ellas son
Spanish
Yo soy de México.
Lit: I am from Mexico.
I am from Mexico.
Spanish
Ella es profesora.
Lit: She is professor.
She is a teacher.

Try it: fill the blank with the correct form of ser.

Yo de México.

Estoy profesor. → Soy profesor. Use ser for professions (identity), not estar.

estar: location and temporary states

Use estar to say where something/someone is and how you feel (temporary).

estar
to be (location/temporary state)
verb
Estoy cansado.
I am tired.
Spanish
Estamos en casa.
Lit: We are in house.
We are at home.

Quick practice: choose the right verb (ser or estar).

🧠 Ser vs Estar Basics

Ella en casa.

tener: possessions, age, common expressions

Use tener to say what you have and—important—your age is expressed with tener in Spanish.

tener
to have
verb
Tengo un perro.
I have a dog.
Spanish
Tengo 20 años.
Lit: I have 20 years.
I am 20 years old.
Spanish
Tenemos hambre.
Lit: We have hunger.
We are hungry.

Try it: fill the blank with the correct form of tener.

Nosotros hambre.

Soy 20 años. → Tengo 20 años. Age uses tener, not ser.

ir: going to places and making simple plans

Use ir to say where you go. The common pattern is ir + a + place. For masculine singular “el” + “a”, Spanish contracts to “al”. You can also say ir + a + infinitive for near-future plans (I’m going to do something).

ir
to go
verb
Vamos al parque.
We are going to the park.
al contraction a preposition el article
Spanish
Voy a estudiar.
Lit: I go to study.
I am going to study.
ir present Irregular
Pronoun Conjugation
yo voy
tú vas
él/ella/usted va
nosotros/nosotras vamos
ustedes van
ellos/ellas van

Reorder the words to make a correct sentence with ir + a + place.

🔠 Put the words in order

Start with the verb, then the contraction al, then the place.

¿Tú al trabajo?

Put the conversation in order.

💬 Weekend plan (using ir)

Translations:

  • "Hola, ¿adónde vas?" = "Hi, where are you going?"
  • "Voy al cine." = "I am going to the cinema."
  • "¡Qué bien! ¿Con quién?" = "Great! With whom?"
  • "Voy con Ana." = "I am going with Ana."

hacer: daily actions and weather

Use hacer for activities (homework, exercise, cooking) and some weather expressions.

hacer
to do; to make
verb
Hago la tarea.
I do my homework.
Spanish
Él hace ejercicio.
Lit: He does exercise.
He exercises.
Spanish
Hace frío.
Lit: It makes cold.
It is cold.

Él la tarea.

Es en Madrid. → Está en Madrid. Use estar for location.

Quick check: all five verbs

Choose the correct verb for each sentence.

🧠 Five-Verb Mini Quiz

Cheat sheet (phrase bank)

  • ser de + place: identity/origin
Spanish
Soy de Perú.
Lit: I am from Peru.
I am from Peru.
  • ser + profession
Spanish
Soy estudiante.
Lit: I am student.
I am a student.
  • estar en + place: location
Spanish
Estoy en casa.
Lit: I am in house.
I am at home.
  • estar + feeling: temporary state
Spanish
Estoy feliz.
Lit: I am happy.
I am happy.
  • tener + años: age
Spanish
Tengo 30 años.
Lit: I have 30 years.
I am 30 years old.
  • ir a + place: movement
Spanish
Voy al trabajo.
Lit: I go to the work.
I am going to work.
  • ir a + infinitive: near future
Spanish
Voy a comer.
Lit: I go to eat.
I am going to eat.
  • hacer + activity
Spanish
Hago la tarea.
Lit: I do the homework.
I do my homework.
  • weather with hacer
Spanish
Hace calor.
Lit: It makes heat.
It is hot.

Final tip and encouragement

Keep these patterns on a mini card. Speak them out loud several times a day: "Soy…", "Estoy…", "Tengo…", "Voy a…", "Hago…". The more you use them, the faster they become automatic.

Small daily practice wins big in Spanish—¡vamos!