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### Two verbs together

To say what you want, can, prefer or know how to do, put a conjugated verb first and the second verb in the **infinitive** (the -ar / -er / -ir form). Only the first verb changes for the person.

{{item:1149154}}

{{item:1149158}}

| first verb | + infinitive | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| **querer** | *quiero comer* | I want to eat |
| **poder** | *puedes venir* | you can come |
| **preferir** | *prefiero estudiar* | I prefer to study |
| **saber** | *sé leer* | I know how to read |

Nothing goes between the two verbs — no *to*, no *que*: *quiero comer*, never *quiero a comer*.

### Saber: knowing how

**Saber** + infinitive is *to know how to* do something — a skill you have. **Poder** is whether you *can* right now. So you can know how to do something and still not be able to:

{{item:1149164}}

{{item:1149168}}

### Negatives and questions

**No** goes in front of the first verb, and a question just changes the tone:

{{item:1149159}}

{{item:1149165}}

Verb + infinitive (quiero comer, sé leer)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

contraction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Singular subjects and 'ser' (yo soy, esto es)

Plural nouns and definite articles (los, las)

Plural pronouns and 'ser' (somos, sois, son)

Adjective agreement (-o, -a, -os, -as)

Indefinite articles (un, una, unos, unas)

Simple negation (no)

Yes/no questions

Regular '-ar' verbs (-o, -as, -a...)

Regular '-er' verbs (-o, -es, -e...)

Regular '-ir' verbs (-o, -es, -e...)

Locative adverbs (aquí, allí)

Question words (quién, cómo)

The verb estar (estoy, estás)

The preposition en (en)

Ser vs. estar

The verb tener (tengo, tienes)

Possessive determiners (mi, tu, su)

Origin and possession (de, del)

The verb ir (voy, vas)

Destination (a, al)

The personal 'a' (a)

Stem-changing verbs: e to ie

Stem-changing verbs: o to ue

Irregular first-person verbs

Reflexive verbs (me, te, se)

Numbers 1 to 10 (uno, dos, tres)

Numbers 11 to 20 (once, doce, trece)

Counting by tens to 100 (treinta, cuarenta, cien)

Compound numbers up to 99 (veintiuno, treinta y uno)

Days of the week (el lunes, el martes)

The family and the personal 'a' (a mi tío, a mi prima)

Months of the year

Telling time (es la, son las)

Verbs of liking (me gusta)

Plural agreement with verbs of liking (gustan)

Degree modifiers (muy, mucho)

Formal address (usted, ustedes)

Direct object pronouns (lo, la, los, las)

The near future (ir a)

Obligation (tener que)

Present continuous (-ando, -iendo)

Affirmative commands (tú, vosotros)

Basic Food and Drink

The Human Body: Head and Arms

The Human Body: Legs and Health

Wardrobe Essentials

Fresh Produce

Meals and Proteins

Public Transport

Hello and goodbye (hola, ¿qué tal?)

Thank you, sorry, OK (gracias, vale)

There is, there are (hay)

My building (la escalera, el ascensor)

Describing people (moreno, rubio, tímido)

Land and sea (el mar, el río, el norte)

Sightseeing (la plaza, la catedral)

Asking the way (cerca, a la derecha, todo recto)

In class (¿puedes repetir?)

What's your name? (me llamo, encantado)

Phone, computer and email

Hundreds and thousands (doscientos, mil)

What do you do? (¿a qué te dedicas?)

Personal details (la edad, la fecha de nacimiento)

Me neither (también, tampoco, ni)

How much is it? (el precio, la vuelta)

What's the weather like? (hace sol, nieva)

Free time (el concierto, el tenis)

At the bar (¿qué vas a tomar?)

The Natural World

Demonstratives (este, ese, aquel)

Prepositions of place (encima de, debajo de)

Prepositional pronouns (para mí, contigo)

Ordinal numbers 1st to 10th (primero to décimo)

Adverbs of frequency (a veces, nunca)

Exclamations (¡qué...!)

Indefinite pronouns (algo, alguien)

Indefinite determiners (algún, ningún)

Indirect object pronouns (le, les)

Double object pronouns (me lo, te la)

Double object pronouns (se lo, se la)

Verbs of preference (encantar, interesar)

Impersonal obligation (hay que)

Starting and finishing actions (empezar a, terminar de)

Adjective comparatives (más que, menos que)

Comparatives of equality (tan como)

Noun comparatives (tanto como)

Irregular comparatives (mejor, peor, mayor, menor)

Question	Answer
I want to eat now.	Quiero comer ahora.
Do you want to drink a juice?	¿Quieres beber un zumo?
My brother wants to live in the city.	Mi hermano quiere vivir en la ciudad.
We don't want to work today.	No queremos trabajar hoy.
Can you come tomorrow?	¿Puedes venir mañana?
I can't sleep.	No puedo dormir.
Can we open the window?	¿Podemos abrir la ventana?
She can read the newspaper in English.	Ella puede leer el periódico en inglés.
I prefer to study at home.	Prefiero estudiar en casa.
Do you prefer to walk or to travel by train?	¿Prefieres caminar o viajar en tren?
I know how to speak English.	Sé hablar inglés.
Can you read in Spanish?	¿Sabes leer en español?
The child doesn't know how to write.	El niño no sabe escribir.
We know how to make dinner.	Sabemos hacer la cena.
I know how to read, but today I can't: I am tired.	Sé leer, pero hoy no puedo: estoy cansado.

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