Master Spanish Verb Stem-Changing Patterns & Irregulars in Present Tense – learn easy Spanish

 

In this video, learn the essential patterns of Spanish verbs with stem changes and unique first-person irregulars in the present tense. This guide is crafted for English-speaking students who want to master commonly used Spanish verbs like pensar, cerrar, poder, dormir, jugar, and many more. We explain how these stem changes (e.g., e → ie, o → ue, e → i, u → ue) work and detail unique first-person forms, giving plenty of examples for clear understanding. From beginners to intermediate learners (A1, A2, B1, B2, DELE students), this tutorial will help you boost your Spanish conjugation skills.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION

Welcome today we’re diving into one of the unique aspects of Spanish conjugation, the irregularities in present tense verbs. These are essential for speaking accurately and while they may seem tricky at first understanding them is key to mastering Spanish. Let’s explore these verb changes together! First let’s look at verbs that have stem changes. These stem changing verbs adjust a vowel in their root in several specific ways depending on the subject. Let’s break it down! In this first type of change, the vowel e in the root changes to ie when conjugated for yo – tú – el – ella and ellos – ellas, for example the verb pensar, meaning to think, conjugates as follows: yo pienso, tu piensas, él piensa , but nosotros pensamos, where there’s no change. Similarly cerrar meaning to close follows the same pattern: yo cierro, tu cierras, el cierra. Other common verbs in this category include empezar: to start empiezo, empiezas. And querer, to want, quiero quieres…

Next we have verbs with the O to U change. Here the O in the root changes to UA in similar forms Take the verb poder meaning to be able to Yo puedo, tu puedes, el puede but nosotros podemos. Another example is dormir: Yo duermo, tu duermes, él duerme but again nosotros dormimos. Other examples include volver to return, and morir to die. In this group, the E in the root changes to I for example pedir meaning to ask for is conjugated as: yo pido, tu pides, él pide but nosotros pedimos. Another example repetir yo repito, to serve and seguir to follow.

This change is less common but it does appear notably with the verb jugar meaning to play: Yo juego, tu juegas, él juega, but nosotros jugamos.

Some verbs only show irregularity in the first person’s singular form. These don’t involve stem changes but rather changes in the verb’s ending. Verbs that end in CER or CIR typically add a -ZCO or -ZCO ending in the first person for example conoCER becomes yo conoZCO and traduCIR becomes yo tradUZCO. Other examples include conducir to drive, yo conduzco and agradecer to thank, yo agradezco. Other verbs add a G in the first person. For example: hacer to do, Yo hago, poner to put, yo pongo and salir to leave, yo salgo. Finally let’s cover verbs that end in UIR which add a Y before the ending in some forms but not in nosotros or vosotros. Take huir to flee. It becomes yo huyo, tu huyes and el huye but nosotros huímos. Other verbs in this group are construir, to build and destruir, to destroy. Learning these irregularities can feel challenging but it’s worth the effort as they make your Spanish sound natural and correct. Keep practicing with examples and you’ll find these patterns start to feel familiar. If you enjoyed this breakdown and want to dive deeper into Spanish grammar, don’t forget to subscribe to our channel. ¡Gracias y hasta pronto!