🌟 Why Super 7?
ser
estar
ser vs estar
ir
hacer
tener
poder
venir
⚠️ Meaning Shifts
🎲 Quiz
📋 All 7 Together
These 7 verbs appear in over 80% of all Spanish sentences. Before you can talk about anything else, you need these cold. They are the skeleton of the language. Every other verb you learn plugs into patterns these 7 establish.
The 7 Verbs
ser
to be (permanent)
identity, characteristics, origin, time
estar
to be (temporary)
states, conditions, location, feelings
ir
to go
movement, future plans (ir + a + infinitive)
hacer
to do / to make
actions, weather, time expressions
tener
to have
possession, age, expressions (tener miedo, tener que)
poder
to be able to / can
ability, permission, possibility
venir
to come
movement toward speaker, arrival
Important: All 7 are irregular. None of them follow the normal conjugation patterns. That is exactly why they need their own study guide.
Why They Matter for Preterite
Several of these verbs change meaning in the preterite vs imperfect. This is one of the trickiest areas of Spanish:
saber — sabía = I knew | supe = I found out
querer — quería = I wanted | quise = I tried
poder — podía = I was able to | pude = I managed to / failed to
tener — tenía = I had (possession) | tuve = I got / received
Full details on the Meaning Shifts tab.
Ser is used for things that define who or what something fundamentally is — identity, characteristics, origin, material, time, and events.
Conjugation Chart
| Pronoun | Preterite | Imperfect | Subjunctive |
|---|
| yo | fui | era | sea |
| tú | fuiste | eras | seas |
| él/ella | fue | era | sea |
| nosotros | fuimos | éramos | seamos |
| ellos/ustedes | fueron | eran | sean |
Ser and ir share the same preterite forms. Fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fueron — these are identical for both verbs. Context tells you which one: Fui a la tienda (I went to the store) vs Fui maestro (I was a teacher).
When to Use Ser
Identity & description
What something IS — profession, nationality, religion
Soy mexicana. Él es médico. Somos amigos.
Origin & material
Where something is from, what it’s made of
Es de Guadalajara. La mesa es de madera.
Time & dates
Telling time, days, dates
Son las tres. Hoy es lunes. Es el 5 de junio.
Events & location of events
Where an event takes place
La fiesta es en mi casa. El partido es a las ocho.
Possession
Whose something is
Este carro es mío. ¿De quién es?
Mexican Expressions with Ser
¿Cómo eres?
What are you like? (character/personality)
Es lo que es.
It is what it is.
Eso no es cierto.
That’s not true.
Seré honesto/a.
I’ll be honest.
O sea...
I mean... / In other words... (very Mexican filler)
Estar is used for temporary states, conditions, feelings, and location. If something can change, if it’s how something feels or where something is right now — that’s estar.
Conjugation Chart
| Pronoun | Preterite | Imperfect | Subjunctive |
|---|
| yo | estuve | estaba | esté |
| tú | estuviste | estabas | estés |
| él/ella | estuvo | estaba | esté |
| nosotros | estuvimos | estábamos | estemos |
| ellos/ustedes | estuvieron | estaban | estén |
When to Use Estar
Location
Where something physically is right now
Estoy en casa. El libro está en la mesa.
Temporary states & conditions
How something is right now (can change)
Estoy cansado. La sopa está fría. Está roto.
Emotions & feelings
How someone feels
Estoy feliz. Está enojado. Estamos nerviosos.
Progressive tenses
estar + -ando/-iendo = is doing
Estoy comiendo. Estaba hablando.
Result of an action
The end state after something happened
La puerta está abierta. El trabajo está hecho.
Mexican Expressions with Estar
Está chido / Está padre
It’s cool / It’s great
¿Cómo estás? / ¿Cómo está?
How are you? (the most common greeting)
Estoy hasta la madre.
I’m fed up / I’ve had enough. (vulgar but very common)
Está de lujo.
It’s luxurious / It’s awesome.
Estamos.
We’re good / Agreed / Got it. (Mexican confirmation)
This is one of the most discussed topics in Spanish learning — and most explanations overcomplicate it. The core rule is simple: ser = what it IS, estar = how it IS right now. But there are tricky cases.
The Main Rule
SER — Identity
- Profession
Es médico.
- Nationality
Soy mexicana.
- Personality
Es muy amable.
- Physical features
Es alto y moreno.
- Material / origin
Es de plata.
- Time & dates
Son las dos.
- Ownership
Es mío.
- Event location
La boda es en Oaxaca.
ESTAR — State
- Location (things/people)
Está en México.
- Feelings
Estoy feliz hoy.
- Temporary conditions
Está enfermo.
- Result of action
Está abierto.
- Progressive
Está comiendo.
- Appearance (right now)
¡Estás muy guapo!
Words That Change Meaning
Some adjectives mean completely different things with ser vs estar:
| Adjective | With SER | With ESTAR |
|---|
| listo | clever, smart | ready |
| malo | bad (character) | sick, ill |
| bueno | good (character) | tasty, feeling good |
| aburrido | boring (inherently) | bored (right now) |
| seguro | safe (inherently safe) | sure, certain |
| rico | wealthy | delicious |
| muerto | dead (as identity) | dead (result of dying) |
| vivo | lively, sharp | alive |
Quick test: Ask yourself — is this how it was BORN or how it IS RIGHT NOW? Born that way = ser. Right now = estar. “La sopa es rica” (soup is inherently a good recipe) vs “La sopa está rica” (this bowl of soup tastes good right now).
Ir means “to go.” It is also one of the most useful structures in the language: ir + a + infinitive = going to do something (the future). Its preterite forms are identical to ser’s.
Conjugation Chart
| Pronoun | Preterite | Imperfect | Subjunctive |
|---|
| yo | fui | iba | vaya |
| tú | fuiste | ibas | vayas |
| él/ella | fue | iba | vaya |
| nosotros | fuimos | íbamos | vayamos |
| ellos/ustedes | fueron | iban | vayan |
Ir + a + Infinitive
This is the most natural way to express the future in spoken Mexican Spanish. More common than the future tense in everyday conversation.
Voy a comer.
I’m going to eat.
¿Qué vas a hacer?
What are you going to do?
Va a llover.
It’s going to rain.
Vamos a ver.
We’ll see. / Let’s see.
Mexican Expressions with Ir
¡Vámonos!
Let’s go! (the reflexive nos makes it more emphatic)
¿Cómo te fue?
How did it go for you? How was it?
Se fue.
She/he left. They’re gone.
¡Ahí va!
There it goes! / Here we go!
No va.
It doesn’t work. / Not happening. (Mexican slang)
Hacer means “to do” or “to make” — but in Spanish it also handles weather, time ago, and a handful of other fixed expressions that English handles completely differently.
Conjugation Chart
| Pronoun | Preterite | Imperfect | Subjunctive |
|---|
| yo | hice | hacía | haga |
| tú | hiciste | hacías | hagas |
| él/ella | hizo | hacía | haga |
| nosotros | hicimos | hacíamos | hagamos |
| ellos/ustedes | hicieron | hacían | hagan |
Spelling trap: yo = hice (c), but él/ella = hizo (z). The z prevents a hard “k” sound.
Hacer for Weather
Hace calor / frío.
It’s hot / cold.
Hacía mucho sol.
It was very sunny.
Hizo mucho calor ayer.
It was very hot yesterday.
Hacer for Time Ago
Hace + time + que = something has been happening for / it’s been X time since
Hace dos años que vivo aquí.
I have been living here for two years.
Hace mucho que no te veo.
I haven’t seen you in a long time.
Hace un rato llegó.
He arrived a little while ago.
Mexican Expressions with Hacer
Hice de comer.
I made food / I cooked. (very Mexican)
¿Qué haces?
What are you doing? / What do you do?
La hiciste.
You did it! / You nailed it!
La regaron.
They messed it up. (hacer la regada = Mexican slang)
Tener means “to have” but it appears in dozens of fixed expressions where English uses “to be” — especially for physical and emotional states. Tener also forms one of the most essential structures: tener que + infinitive.
Conjugation Chart
| Pronoun | Preterite | Imperfect | Subjunctive |
|---|
| yo | tuve | tenía | tenga |
| tú | tuviste | tenías | tengas |
| él/ella | tuvo | tenía | tenga |
| nosotros | tuvimos | teníamos | tengamos |
| ellos/ustedes | tuvieron | tenían | tengan |
Tener + que = Have to
Tener que + infinitive = to have to do something. One of the most used structures in Spanish.
Tengo que irme.
I have to leave.
Tienes que verlo.
You have to see it.
Tuvimos que esperar.
We had to wait.
Tener Expressions — Where English Uses “To Be”
tener hambre / sed
to be hungry / thirsty
Tengo mucha hambre. — I’m very hungry.
tener frío / calor
to be cold / hot (person)
¿Tienes frío? — Are you cold?
tener miedo
to be afraid
Le tiene miedo a los perros.
tener sueño
to be sleepy
Tengo mucho sueño.
tener prisa
to be in a hurry
Tengo prisa, no puedo quedarme.
tener razón
to be right
Tienes razón. — You’re right.
tener ganas de
to feel like doing something
Tengo ganas de salir. — I feel like going out.
tener X años
to be X years old
Tengo treinta años.
Poder means “to be able to / can.” It’s a modal verb — it always appears with another verb in the infinitive. Its preterite and imperfect forms have subtly different meanings.
Conjugation Chart
| Pronoun | Preterite | Imperfect | Subjunctive |
|---|
| yo | pude | podía | pueda |
| tú | pudiste | podías | puedas |
| él/ella | pudo | podía | pueda |
| nosotros | pudimos | podíamos | podamos |
| ellos/ustedes | pudieron | podían | puedan |
Preterite vs Imperfect shift:
Podía hacerlo = I was able to do it (ongoing ability, background state)
Pude hacerlo = I managed to do it (completed — I tried and succeeded)
No pude hacerlo = I failed to do it (I tried and didn’t succeed)
Mexican Expressions with Poder
¿Se puede?
Is it okay? / May I? (asking permission)
No puedo más.
I can’t take it anymore. / I’m exhausted.
Puede ser.
It could be. / Maybe.
¿Puedes creerlo?
Can you believe it?
No se pudo.
It couldn’t be done. It didn’t work out.
Venir means “to come.” The key distinction from English: Spanish distinguishes between ir (going away from speaker) and venir (coming toward speaker). Use venir when movement is toward the place where you are.
Conjugation Chart
| Pronoun | Preterite | Imperfect | Subjunctive |
|---|
| yo | vine | venía | venga |
| tú | viniste | venías | vengas |
| él/ella | vino | venía | venga |
| nosotros | vinimos | veníamos | vengamos |
| ellos/ustedes | vinieron | venían | vengan |
Ir vs Venir:
You’re at home. Your friend calls: “¿Vienes a la fiesta?” (Are you coming to the party?) — your friend is there already.
You call your friend: “¿Vas a la fiesta?” (Are you going to the party?) — neither of you is there yet.
Mexican Expressions with Venir
¿De dónde vienes?
Where are you coming from?
Ya viene.
He’s on his way / He’s coming.
¿A qué vienes?
What did you come for? What brings you here?
¡Que venga!
Let him come! Bring it on!
Several Super 7 verbs (and their close relatives) change meaning depending on whether you use preterite or imperfect. This is advanced but critical — getting it wrong changes what you’re saying, not just how you say it.
The Meaning Shift Table
| Verb |
Imperfect = ongoing state |
Preterite = completed event |
| saber |
sabía = I knew (already knew it) Sabía la respuesta. |
supe = I found out (just learned it) Supe la verdad ayer. |
| querer |
quería = I wanted (ongoing desire) Quería salir. |
quise = I tried (made an attempt) Quise hablarle pero no pude. |
| no querer |
no quería = I didn’t want to No quería ir. |
no quiso = refused to (flat refusal) No quiso contestar. |
| poder |
podía = was able to (general ability) Podía correr rápido. |
pude = managed to (succeeded at that moment) Por fin pude terminar. |
| no poder |
no podía = was unable to (ongoing) No podía dormir. |
no pude = failed to (tried and failed) No pude encontrarlo. |
| tener |
tenía = had (was in possession) Tenía las llaves. |
tuve = got / received (at that moment) Tuve un mensaje raro. |
| conocer |
conocía = knew / was acquainted with Conocía a su familia. |
conocí = met for the first time La conocí en una fiesta. |
The pattern: Imperfect = it was already true, ongoing background. Preterite = it happened at a specific moment, with a result. For poder and querer, the preterite implies an attempt was made.
Translate each sentence. Focus on choosing the right verb AND the right tense.
All 7 verbs, all 3 tenses. Rotate your phone to landscape for the best view — everything fits on one screen.
📱
Rotate to landscape for the best view. All 7 verbs will fit on screen without scrolling.
Preterite
Completed past actions
|
ser/ir |
estar |
hacer |
tener |
poder |
venir |
| yo | fui | estuve | hice | tuve | pude | vine |
| tú | fuiste | estuviste | hiciste | tuviste | pudiste | viniste |
| él/ella | fue | estuvo | hizo | tuvo | pudo | vino |
| nosotros | fuimos | estuvimos | hicimos | tuvimos | pudimos | vinimos |
| ellos/uds | fueron | estuvieron | hicieron | tuvieron | pudieron | vinieron |
estar, tener, poder share the -uv- stem. venir uses -in-. hacer uses -ic- (hizo for él/ella).
Imperfect
Habitual past, background states, descriptions
|
ser |
ir |
estar |
hacer |
tener |
poder |
venir |
| yo | era | iba | estaba | hacía | tenía | podía | venía |
| tú | eras | ibas | estabas | hacías | tenías | podías | venías |
| él/ella | era | iba | estaba | hacía | tenía | podía | venía |
| nosotros | éramos | íbamos | estábamos | hacíamos | teníamos | podíamos | veníamos |
| ellos/uds | eran | iban | estaban | hacían | tenían | podían | venían |
Only ser and ir are truly irregular in the imperfect. estar, hacer, tener, poder, venir all use normal -ía endings.
Subjunctive
After querer que, esperar que, es importante que, ojalá...
|
ser |
ir |
estar |
hacer |
tener |
poder |
venir |
| yo | sea | vaya | esté | haga | tenga | pueda | venga |
| tú | seas | vayas | estés | hagas | tengas | puedas | vengas |
| él/ella | sea | vaya | esté | haga | tenga | pueda | venga |
| nosotros | seamos | vayamos | estemos | hagamos | tengamos | podamos | vengamos |
| ellos/uds | sean | vayan | estén | hagan | tengan | puedan | vengan |
Yo trick: take yo present (hago, tengo, vengo, puedo), drop the -o, add subjunctive endings. Sea and vaya are the exceptions.