Hablar means 'to speak' or 'to talk', and it is the model regular -ar verb — learn its endings and you have effectively learned the pattern for hundreds of others. Hablo español (I speak Spanish) is one of the first full sentences most learners produce. Because it is perfectly regular across the present, preterite and future, hablar is the verb teachers use to demonstrate how Spanish conjugation works. That makes it doubly valuable: it is useful in its own right — talking about languages, conversations and communication — and it is the template you map onto every other regular -ar verb. The main thing to watch is the preterite accents (hablé, habló), which carry meaning and marks.
Quick facts
Hablar (to speak) is a regular -ar verb.
Real sentences across different tenses — the kind of thing you'd actually say or write.
Hablo español e inglés (I speak Spanish and English).
Hablar con: hablé con mi profesor (I spoke with my teacher).
Hablar de: hablamos del examen (we talked about the exam).
The textbook regular -ar verb — learn it and you know the pattern.
Fixed expressions worth knowing — they come up in listening, reading and writing tasks.
Hablar is fully regular — it's the model -AR verb. If you know the endings for hablar in every tense, you have the template for the majority of Spanish verbs. Make sure the accents are correct: hablé, habló.
hablar is a regular -ar verb — it follows the standard -ar pattern in every tense. That makes it a good one to drill: if you know hablar, you know the template for all regular -ar verbs.
Type conjugations from memory and get instant feedback. That's how you actually build the automatic recall the exam needs — not from reading tables.
Practice hablar now →Three questions, no account needed. Type the form, then press Enter or tap Check.
yo: hablo, tú: hablas, él: habla, nosotros: hablamos, vosotros: habláis, ellos: hablan
The past participle is hablado (he hablado) and the gerund is hablando (estoy hablando).
Hablar is on the AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas GCSE Spanish vocabulary lists. Compare the exam boards.
Written by Daniel Holmes for GCSE & A-Level Spanish students.