Spanish Words: Basic Verbs — with Pronunciation and Memory Hooks

ser [sehr] — to be

Sounds like: “sear”. A chef SEARS meat on a hot pan, saying 'this will always BE delicious no matter what'.

estar [ehs-TAHR] — to be (state)

Sounds like: “a star”. A star is spinning temporarily in the sky, showing a passing state, not permanent, just like estar describes.

Estoy cansado — I am tired

tener [teh-NEHR] — to have

Sounds like: “tenner”. You have a ten-dollar bill, a tenner, clutched tightly in your fist to have money.

Tengo dinero — I have money.

hacer [ah-SEHR] — to do / make

Sounds like: “hah-ser”. A chef laughs 'hah!' as he makes a giant cake, proud of what he just did.

¿Qué vas a hacer? — What are you going to do?

ir [eer] — to go

Sounds like: “eer”. A deer runs and you go chasing after it through the forest trail.

Ella va a ir contigo. — She is going to go with you.

venir [beh-NEER] — to come

Sounds like: “veneer”. A thin wood veneer arrives at the door, sliding in as guests come to see the new furniture.

Ven aquí — Come here

comer [koh-MEHR] — to eat

Sounds like: “comb her”. She sits at the table with a comb, but instead she grabs a fork and eats her soup loudly.

Voy a comer ahora — I am going to eat now

beber [beh-BER] — to drink

Sounds like: “beaver”. A beaver tips a cup with its paws and slurps water noisily by the riverbank.

El castor bebe en el río. — The beaver drinks in the river.

dormir [dohr-MEER] — to sleep

Sounds like: “dormer”. You climb into a cozy dormer window nook under the roof and fall asleep instantly.

hablar [ah-BLAR] — to speak

Sounds like: “hubba-la”. A guy shouts hubba-la excitedly, speaking fast because he's thrilled to share the news.

Vamos a hablar mañana. — We will speak tomorrow.

leer [leh-ER] — to read

Sounds like: “leer”. He gives a creepy leer while reading a secret note, eyes scanning every word closely.

leer un libro — to read a book

escribir [ehs-kree-BEER] — to write

Sounds like: “scribble”. You scribble fast notes in a notebook, pen dragging across the page as you write down ideas.

Ella quiere escribir un libro. — She wants to write a book.

trabajar [trah-bah-HAR] — to work

Sounds like: “tribal hard”. A tribal chief tells his people they must work hard building huts before sunset.

Vamos a trabajar juntos. — Let's work together.

querer [keh-REHR] — to want / love

Sounds like: “kerry air”. You picture Kerry sniffing the air, wanting the smell of fresh bread so badly she loves it

poder [poh-DEHR] — can

Sounds like: “powder”. A wizard sprinkles magic powder and suddenly CAN fly across the room like a bird.

ver [behr] — to see

Sounds like: “veer”. You veer your car sharply to see around a truck blocking your view of the road.

No puedo ver nada — I can't see anything

abrir [ah-BREER] — to open

Sounds like: “a brie”. You slice open a wheel of brie cheese, prying the lid off its wooden box to open it.

Voy a abrir la puerta. — I am going to open the door.

cerrar [seh-RRAHR] — to close

Sounds like: “serrate”. You saw a serrated blade slicing through a door edge, forcing it to slam close tightly.

cerrar la puerta — to close the door

esperar [es-peh-RAR] — to wait

Sounds like: “esper (ESP)”. A psychic with ESP sits quietly waiting, sensing the future arrival before anyone else notices it.

Ella espera una carta — She is waiting for a letter

buscar [boos-KAHR] — to look for

Sounds like: “bus car”. You run around the parking lot desperately looking for your bus car among hundreds of vehicles.

Busco mi coche — I look for my car