In Spanish, there are many verbs with irregular conjugations that don’t follow the standard patterns. These verbs can be difficult to learn, but they are important to master if you want to speak and write Spanish correctly.
In this article, we’ll focus on present tense irregular verbs and provide some tips and tricks to help you remember their conjugations.
What are the Present Tense Irregular Verbs?
There are several categories of present tense irregular verbs in Spanish. Some of the most common categories include stem-changing verbs, verbs with irregular “yo” forms, and verbs with spelling changes.
Stem-Changing Verbs in Spanish
Stem-changing verbs are so named because the stem, or the part of the verb before the ending, changes in certain forms.
What are the 4 types of stem changing verbs?
There are 4 different types of stem changing verbs:
- e→ ie stem changers.
- e → i stem changers.
- o→ue stem changers.
- u → ue stem changers
e→ ie stem changers
| Subject | QUERER (to want) e→ ie stem changers. |
| yo | quiero |
| tú | quieres |
| él / ella / usted | quiere |
| nosotros/ -as | queremos |
| ellos-as / ustedes | quieren |
| vosotros/-as | queréis |
📝 List with other examples:
advertir – to warn
ascender – to go up
atravesar – to cross
cerrar – to close
comenzar – to begin
descender – to go down
despertarse – to wake up
divertirse – to have fun
empezar – to begin
entender – to understand
mentir – to lie
pensar – to think
perder – to lose
preferir – to prefer
quebrar – to break
recomendar – to recommend
sentarse – to sit down
sentir – to feel
e → i stem changers
| Subject | PEDIR (to ask for) |
| yo | pido |
| tú | pides |
| él / ella / usted | pide |
| nosotros/ -as | pedimos |
| ellos-as / ustedes | piden |
| vosotros/-as | pedís |
📝 List with other examples:
despedirse – to say goodbye
gemir – to moan, groan
impedir – to prevent
medir – to measure
reír – to laugh
seguir – to follow, continue
servir – to serve
vestirse – to dress
- o→ue stem changers
| Subject | DORMIR (to sleep) |
| yo | duermo |
| tú | duermes |
| él / ella / usted | duerme |
| nosotros/ -as | dormimos |
| ellos-as / ustedes | duermen |
| vosotros/-as | dormís |
📝 List with other examples:
acostarse – to go to bed
almorzar – to eat lunch
contar – to count / tell a story, anecdote
costar – to cost
doler – to hurt
encontrar – to find
morir – to die
mostrar – to show
poder – can
probar – to try
recordar – to remember
soler – to be used to
volar – to fly
volver – to return
- u → ue stem changers
| Subject | JUGAR – (to play) |
| yo | juego |
| tú | juegas |
| él / ella / usted | juega |
| nosotros/ -as | jugamos |
| ellos-as / ustedes | juegan |
| vosotros/-as | jugáis |
📝 oler – to smell (yo huelo)
As you can see, in these cases, the forms of the verbs for “nosotros/-as” and “vosotros/-as” do not change.
Verbs with Irregular “Yo” Forms
Some verbs have irregular yo forms in the present tense. This means that the first person singular (yo) conjugation doesn’t follow the standard pattern. Here are a few examples:
| Subject | HACER – (to do / make) | SALIR – (to go out / leave) |
| yo | hago | salgo |
| tú | haces | sales |
| él / ella / usted | hace | sale |
| nosotros/ -as | hacemos | salimos |
| ellos-as / ustedes | hacen | salen |
| vosotros/-as | hacéis | salís |
Verbs in Spanish with Spelling Changes
Some verbs have spelling changes in the present tense.
| Subject | SER – (to be) | IR – (to go) |
| yo | soy | voy |
| tú | eres | vas |
| él / ella / usted | son | va |
| nosotros/ -as | somos | vamos |
| ellos-as / ustedes | son | van |
| vosotros/-as | sois | vais |
How to learn Irregular Verbs in Spanish
Learning irregular verbs can be challenging, but there are some tips and tricks that can help you remember them more easily. Here are a few:
🔸 The more you practice using irregular verbs, the more natural they will become to you. Take lessons with a teacher, do online exercises or join a course to learn in context and practice!
🔸Group verbs by category. Practice all the stem-changing verbs together, or all the verbs with irregular “yo” forms together.
🔸Use flashcards. Write the infinitive form of the verb on one side of the card, and the conjugated forms on the other side. Practice flipping through the cards and testing yourself.
🔸Listen to Spanish speakers. Pay attention to how native Spanish speakers use irregular verbs in conversation. This will help you learn the correct pronunciation and usage of these verbs.
🔸Use online resources. There are many websites and apps that can help you learn irregular verbs, such as quizzes and conjugation charts.
In addition to these tips, it’s important to remember that irregular verbs are a normal part of the Spanish language. Even native speakers sometimes make mistakes when using these verbs. The most important thing is to keep practicing and learning from your mistakes.
Spanish Irregular Verbs Practise
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