Common Irregular and Stem-Changing Verbs

Welcome to our lesson on some of the most important verbs in Spanish: irregular and stem-changing verbs.

So far, you have learned the patterns for regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. However, many of the most frequently used verbs in Spanish don't follow these rules perfectly. Do not worry, they are not difficult, they just have their own unique characteristics! ✨

➡️ What are Irregular Verbs?
An irregular verb is one that does not follow the standard conjugation patterns. The changes can be small, or the verb can change completely. Let's look at the most essential ones.

🔹 Completely Irregular Verbs
These verbs have unique forms that you will need to memorize. The good news is that you will use them all the time!

▪️ Ser (to be - permanent)

• yo soy (I am)
• tú eres (you are)
• él/ella/usted es (he/she/you is/are)
• nosotros/as somos (we are)
• vosotros/as sois (you all are)
• ellos/ellas/ustedes son (they/you all are)
  Example: Yo soy de Inglaterra. (I am from England.)

▪️ Ir (to go)

• yo voy (I go)
• tú vas (you go)
• él/ella/usted va (he/she/you goes/go)
• nosotros/as vamos (we go)
• vosotros/as vais (you all go)
• ellos/ellas/ustedes van (they/you all go)
  Example: Nosotros vamos al cine. (We go to the cinema.)

🔹 Verbs Irregular Only in the 'Yo' Form
Many verbs are only irregular in the first person singular ('yo') form. These are often called 'yo-go' verbs because many of them end in '-go'.

▪️ Hacer (to do/make) -> hago
▪️ Poner (to put) -> pongo
▪️ Salir (to leave/go out) -> salgo
▪️ Tener (to have) -> tengo (This verb is also a stem-changer!)
▪️ Estar (to be - temporary/location) -> estoy

For all other subjects, these verbs follow regular patterns (with the exception of tener, which we will discuss next).
Example: Yo hago la tarea, pero tú haces la cena. (I do the homework, but you make the dinner.)

➡️ What are Stem-Changing Verbs?
These are also known as "boot verbs" 👢. Why a boot? Because if you draw a line around the conjugated forms that change, it looks like a boot!

The vowel in the verb's stem (the part before -ar, -er, or -ir) changes for all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

There are three main types of stem changes in the present tense:

🔹 e → ie
Let's take querer (to want) as an example. The stem is 'quer-'. The 'e' changes to 'ie'.

• yo quiero
• tú quieres
• él/ella/usted quiere
• nosotros queremos (No change!)
• vosotros queréis (No change!)
• ellos/ellas/ustedes quieren
  Other common verbs: empezar (to start), pensar (to think), cerrar (to close).

🔹 o → ue
Let's use poder (to be able to/can). The stem is 'pod-'. The 'o' changes to 'ue'.

• yo puedo
• tú puedes
• él/ella/usted puede
• nosotros podemos (No change!)
• vosotros podéis (No change!)
• ellos/ellas/ustedes pueden
  Other common verbs: dormir (to sleep), volver (to return), encontrar (to find).

🔹 e → i
This change only happens with some '-ir' verbs. Let's look at pedir (to ask for/to order). The stem is 'ped-'. The 'e' changes to 'i'.

• yo pido
• tú pides
• él/ella/usted pide
• nosotros pedimos (No change!)
• vosotros pedís (No change!)
• ellos/ellas/ustedes piden
  Other common verbs: servir (to serve), repetir (to repeat).

✅ One special case: u → ue
The verb jugar (to play) is the only one with this change.

• Yo juego al fútbol. (I play football.)

Learning these verbs is a huge step toward fluency. They are used in everyday conversation constantly. The key is practice, not just memorization. Try creating your own sentences with them! ¡Buena suerte! (Good luck!)