Routine Verbs - Verbos de rutina
Spanish verbs · Infinitives and present forms
From Infinitive to Verb Form
This lesson looks at how Spanish verbs change shape inside a sentence. Start with the infinitive, compare it with a present-tense form, and notice where the reflexive pronoun goes. Routine sentences provide examples, but the goal is to recognize and build verb forms.
Your next small win: distinguish an infinitive from a conjugated verb, match a subject with a present form, and place a reflexive pronoun correctly.
Verb dictionary form
Infinitives and Conjugated Verbs
An infinitive names the action. In a sentence, the verb form changes to match who does it.
To wake up
To get up
To take a shower
To brush your teeth
To get dressed
To eat breakfast
I wake up at seven.
I get up early.
I shower in the morning.
I eat breakfast with my family.
Spot the difference: desayunar is the infinitive (“to eat breakfast”); desayuno is a present form (“I eat breakfast”). Likewise, despertarse is the infinitive, while me despierto is a complete “I wake up” form.
Find the infinitives
In Quiero estudiar y necesito trabajar, identify the two infinitives after the conjugated verbs.
Estudiar y trabajar.
Who does the action?
The Subject Shapes the Verb
To work
To study
To eat lunch
To cook
To shop / buy
To clean
I work from Monday to Friday.
I study Spanish in the afternoon.
I eat lunch at noon.
Compare two subjects
Change Yo trabajo to say “She works.”
Ella trabaja.
Reflexive verbs
Pronoun + Conjugated Verb
To eat dinner
To watch television
To read
To rest / relax
To go to bed
To sleep
I eat dinner with my family every night.
I go to bed early.
I sleep more on weekends.
I always brush my teeth before going to sleep.
Build a reflexive form
Use the infinitive lavarse to say “I wash myself.”
Me lavo.
Notice, compare, create
Verb Forms in Useful Sentences
Infinitive after another verb
I want to study.
I need to rest.
I prefer to read.
She wants to cook.
Same action, different subject
I work. / She works.
You study. / He studies.
I wake up. / She wakes up.
Useful pattern: after many conjugated verbs such as querer (to want) and necesitar (to need), the next action stays in the infinitive: Quiero estudiar, Necesito descansar.
Ask about an action and answer with a form
What time do you wake up?
I wake up at seven.
What do you do afterward?
I shower, eat breakfast, and go to work.
More subject and verb examples
Where do you work?
What do you study?
Choose the correct form
Ask what someone studies, then answer “I study Spanish.”
¿Qué estudias?
Estudio español.
Your turn · 8 quick questions
Practice: Build the Verb Form
Choose the form that matches the subject and sentence pattern. Watch for infinitives, present-tense endings, and reflexive pronouns.
Practice complete
You can recognize and use Spanish verb forms.
A few verb forms to revisit
One last step: make your own verb examples.
Write one infinitive, use a present form with yo, change it to ella, and make one reflexive example.
despertarse → me despierto → ella se despierta.
estudiar → estudio → ella estudia.
lavarse → me lavo.
Which option is the infinitive form, meaning “to wake up”?
- despertarse
- me despierto
- se despierta
- despiertan
The infinitive names the action and ends in -se here. Me despierto is already conjugated for yo.
despertarse → me despierto
Complete the sentence with the yo form: Yo ___ español.
- estudio
- estudias
- estudia
- estudiar
With yo, the -ar verb estudiar takes the -o ending: Yo estudio español.
Yo estudio español.
Choose the form that matches ella: Ella ___ en casa.
- trabaja
- trabajo
- trabajas
- trabajar
Ella uses the third-person singular form trabaja. Trabajo matches yo; trabajar is the infinitive.
Ella trabaja en casa.
Which sentence correctly says “I go to bed early”?
- Me acuesto temprano.
- Me despierto temprano.
- Me levanto temprano.
- Desayuno temprano.
The reflexive infinitive acostarse becomes me acuesto for yo: the pronoun me comes before the conjugated verb.
Me acuesto temprano.
How do you say “She showers” using ducharse?
- Ella se ducha.
- Ella me ducha.
- Ella te ducha.
- Ella ducharse.
With ella, the reflexive pronoun is se and the verb form is ducha: Ella se ducha.
Ella se ducha.
Complete the pattern: Quiero ___ (to study).
- estudiar
- estudio
- estudias
- estudia
After quiero, the next action stays in the infinitive: Quiero estudiar.
Quiero estudiar.
Choose the correct reflexive form for yo: Yo ___ temprano. (acostarse)
- me acuesto
- se acuesta
- te acuestas
- acostarse
For yo, use me with the first-person form acuesto: Yo me acuesto temprano.
Yo me acuesto temprano.
Which form correctly completes the comparison: Yo me despierto; ella ___?
- se despierta
- me despierto
- te despiertas
- despertarse
The subject changed from yo to ella, so the pronoun changes from me to se and despierto changes to despierta.
Yo me despierto; ella se despierta.