In Spanish, the conjugation of regular -ir and -er verbs shares similarities, particularly in the present tense, but they have distinct endings. Here’s a breakdown of how they differ in their endings when conjugated in the present tense:
Present Tense Conjugation
-er Verbs (e.g., comer)
- Yo como (I eat)
- Tú comes (You eat)
- Él/Ella/Usted come (He/She/You eat)
- Nosotros/Nosotras comemos (We eat)
- Vosotros/Vosotras coméis (You all eat)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes comen (They/You all eat)
-ir Verbs (e.g., vivir)
- Yo vivo (I live)
- Tú vives (You live)
- Él/Ella/Usted vive (He/She/You live)
- Nosotros/Nosotras vivimos (We live)
- Vosotros/Vosotras vivís (You all live)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes viven (They/You all live)
Summary of Differences
-
Yo Form:
- -er: "como" vs. -ir: "vivo"
-
Tú Form:
- -er: "comes" vs. -ir: "vives"
-
Él/Ella/Usted Form:
- -er: "come" vs. -ir: "vive"
-
Nosotros/Nosotras Form:
- -er: "comemos" vs. -ir: "vivimos"
-
Vosotros/Vosotras Form:
- -er: "coméis" vs. -ir: "vivís"
-
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes Form:
- -er: "comen" vs. -ir: "viven"
Conclusion
While both -er and -ir verbs have similar structures, their endings change at each conjugation. It's important to learn these differences to conjugate Spanish verbs correctly!