Valer in the Spanish present tense
Valer means to be worth or to cost. It also appears in expressions such as valer la pena and valer para a role or purpose.
Its yo form is valgo. The other present forms are regular: vales, vale, valemos, valéis and valen.
Valgo for yo; regular val- forms elsewhere
Use valgo, vales, vale, valemos, valéis and valen. Match the form to the thing or person being evaluated, not to the nearby price or indirect object.
1. Meaning and form in context
Only yo uses valgo. For prices and value, the thing being valued is the grammatical subject: La entrada vale veinte euros and Las entradas valen veinte euros.
2. A contrast worth noticing
Use costar for the price someone pays and valer for what something is worth; they overlap in many price questions. Vale also works conversationally as okay in Spain, but this lesson focuses on the verb's value and suitability meanings.
3. Let the subject guide the form
Spanish often omits a subject pronoun, but each exercise provides enough context to identify the person. Choose the form from meaning and agreement, not from the nearest noun.
4. Common mistakes
The infinitive valer must change to valgo for this subject and context.
The infinitive valer must change to vales for this subject and context.
The infinitive valer must change to vale for this subject and context.
5. A reliable method
- Identify what or who has the value.
- Use valgo only for yo.
- Use val- plus the regular -ER ending elsewhere.
- Check whether the sentence means worth, cost, be worthwhile or be suited for.