👉 How to use Irregular Verbs in Spanish?
– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –
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Spanish irregular verbs: what are they?
In Spanish, verbs are considered irregular if the stem is modified in one or more persons, in any or all tenses.
However, the ending remains unchanged. Irregular verbs can be classified into three categories:
- diphthong verbs;
- weakening verbs;
- alternating verbs.
Diphthong verbs
The diphthong is a modification of the verb stem. It applies a modification of the vowels when the final “-e” or “-o” of the verb root carries the tonic accent.
It applies to the three persons of the singular (“yo”; “tú”; “él”, “ella”, “usted”) as well as to the third person of the plural (“ellos”, “ellas”, “ustedes”), in the present tense (indicative, subjunctive and imperative).
There are three types of diphthongs:
- the final “-e” becomes “-ie” ;
- the final “-o” becomes “-ue”;
- the “-u” becomes “-ue”.
Verbs with an “-ie” diphthong
When the final “-e” of the verb stem has a tonic accent, the diphthong in “-ie” is applied.
The root of verbs in this category change like the verb “pensar” (to think).
Present tense | Present subjunctive | Imperative | |
Yo | pienso | piense | – |
Tú | piensas | pienses | piensa |
Él, ella, Usted | piensa | piense | piense |
Nosotros, nosotras | pensamos | pensemos | pensemos |
Vosotros, vosotras | pensáis | penséis | pensad |
Ellos, ellas, Ustedes | piensan | piensen | piensen |
Verbs with a diphthong in “-ue”
When the final “-o” of the verb stem has a tonic accent, the diphthong in “-ue” is applied.
The radical of verbs in this category changes like the verb “contar” (to count).
Present tense | Present subjunctive | Imperative | |
Yo | cuento | cuente | – |
Tú | cuentas | cuentes | cuente |
Él, ella, Usted | cuenta | cuente | cuente |
Nosotros, nosotras | contamos | contemos | contemos |
Vosotros, vosotras | contáis | contéis | contad |
Ellos, ellas, Ustedes | cuentan | cuenten | cuenten |
Be careful, a verb can never start with a diphthong.
Verbs that diphthong at the first vowel change their spelling. They take an “h-” as the first letter.
Example:
- Oler (to smell) → Yo huelo
The verb “jugar” (to play) is the only verb where the “-u” in the stem changes to “-ue”.
It follows the conjugation pattern of the verb “contar” (to count).
Weakening verbs
Like the diphthong, weakening is a modification that applies to the root of certain verbs.
The “-e” of the verb root is transformed into “-ie”:
- in the third person singular (“yo”; “tú”; “él”, “ella”, “usted”) and the third person plural (“ellos”, “ellas”, “ustedes”) in the present tense ;
- in the third person singular (“él”, “ella”, “usted”) and in the third person plural (“ellos”, “ellas”, “ustedes”) in the past simple;
- in all persons of the present subjunctive tense ;
- in all persons of the imperfect subjunctive tense;
- in all persons of the future subjunctive tense
- in all persons of the imperative ;
- in the gerund.
Verbs with a weakening in « -i »
The radical of the verbs in this category change like the verb “pedir” (to ask).
Present tense | Simple past tense | Present subjunctive | Imperfect subjunctive | Future subjunctive | Imperative | |
Yo | pido | pedí | pida | pidiera / pidiese | pidiere | – |
Tú | pides | pediste | pidas | pidieras / pidieses | pidieres | pide |
Él, ella, Usted | pide | pidió | pida | pidiera / pidiese | pidiere | pida |
Nosotros, nosotras | pedimos | pedimos | pidamos | pidiéramos / pidiésemos | pidiéremos | pidamos |
Vosotros, vosotras | pedís | pedisteis | pidáis | pidierais / pidieseis | pidiereis | pedid |
Ellos, ellas, Ustedes | piden | pidieron | pidan | pidieran / pidiesen | pidieren | pidan |
Gerund |
pidiendo |
Verbs that weaken in “-y
Verbs that end in “-uir” become weaker. This means that the “-i” of their root changes to “-y”.
The stem of verbs in this category changes like the one of the verb “construir” (to build).
Present tense | Simple past tense | Present subjunctive | Imperfect subjunctive | Future subjunctive | Imperative | |
Yo | construyo | construí | construya | construyera / construyese | construyere | – |
Tú | construyes | construiste | construyas | construyeras / construyeses | construyeres | construye |
Él, ella, Usted | construye | construyó | construya | construyera / construyese | construyere | construya |
Nosotros, nosotras | construimos | construimos | construyamos | construyéramos / construyésemos | construyéremos | construyamos |
Vosotros, vosotras | construís | construisteis | construyáis | construyerais / construyeseis | construyereis | construyid |
Ellos, ellas, Ustedes | construyen | construyeron | construyan | construyeran / construyesen | construyeren | construyan |
Gerund |
construyendo |
Verbs that weaken in « -i »
The “-e” in the root of verbs ending in “-eír” or “eñir” weaken to “-i”.
The radical of the verbs in this category change like the verb “teñir” (to dye).
Present tense | Simple past tense | Present subjunctive | Imperfect subjunctive | Future subjunctive | Imperative | |
Yo | tiño | teñí | tiña | tiñera / tiñese | tiñere | – |
Tú | tiñes | teñiste | tiñas | tiñeras / tiñeses | tiñeres | tiñe |
Él, ella, Usted | tiñe | tiñó | tiña | tiñera / tiñese | tiñere | tiña |
Nosotros, nosotras | teñimos | teñimos | tiñamos | tiñéramos / tiñésemos | tiñéremos | tiñamos |
Vosotros, vosotras | teñís | teñisteis | tiñáis | tiñerais / tiñeseis | tiñereis | teñid |
Ellos, ellas, Ustedes | tiñen | tiñeron | tiñan | tiñeran / tiñesen | tiñeren | tiñan |
Gerund |
tiñendo |
Alternating verbs
These are verbs that alternate between diphthong and weakening.
They diphthong in the three persons singular (“yo”; “tú”; “él”, “ella”, “usted”) as well as in the third person plural (“ellos”, “ellas”, “ustedes”) in the present tense modes (indicative, subjunctive, imperative)
They weaken :
- in the first two persons plural (“nosotros”, “nosotras”; “vosotros”, “vosotras”) in the Present subjunctive ;
- in the third person singular and plural (“él”, “ella”, “usted”; “ellos”, “ellas”, “ustedes”) in the Simple past tense;
- in the first person plural (“nosotros”, “nosotras”) in the Imperative ;
- in Gerund.
There are two forms of alternation:
- the final “-e” becomes “-ie” and “-i”;
- the final “-o” becomes “-ue” and “-u”.
The alternation in “-ie” and “-e
The radical of the verbs in this category change like the verb “preferir” (to prefer).
Present tense | Simple past tense | Present subjunctive | Imperfect subjunctive | Future subjunctive | Imperative | |
Yo | prefiero | preferí | prefiera | prefiriera / prefiriese | prefiriere | – |
Tú | prefieres | preferiste | prefieras | prefirieras / prefirieses | prefirieres | prefiere |
Él, ella, Usted | prefiere | prefirió | prefiera | prefiriera / prefiriese | prefiriere | prefiera |
Nosotros, nosotras | preferimos | preferimos | prefiramos | prefiriéramos / prefiriésemos | prefiriéremos | prefiramos |
Vosotros, vosotras | preferís | preferisteis | prefiráis | prefirierais / prefirieseis | prefiriereis | preferid |
Ellos, ellas, Ustedes | prefieren | prefirieron | prefieran | prefirieran / prefiriesen | prefirieren | prefieran |
Gerund |
prefiriendo |
The alternation in « -ue » and « -u »
The radical of the verbs in this category change like the verb “dormir” (to sleep).
Present tense | Simple past tense | Present subjunctive | Imperfect subjunctive | Future subjunctive | Imperative | |
Yo | duermo | dormí | durmiera / durmiese | durmiere | – | |
Tú | duermes | dormiste | durmieras / durmieses | durmieres | duerme | |
Él, ella, Usted | duerme | durmió | duerme | durmiera / durmiese | durmiere | duerma |
Nosotros, nosotras | dormimos | dormimos | durmamos | durmiéramos / durmiésemos | durmiéremos | duermamos |
Vosotros, vosotras | dormís | dormisteis | durmáis | durmierais / durmieseis | durmiereis | dormid |
Ellos, ellas, Ustedes | duermen | durmieron | duerman | durmieran / durmiesen | durmieren | duerman |
Gerund |
durmiendo |
Verbs in “-acer”, “-ecer”, “-ocer” and “-ucir
The root of verbs in “-acer”, “-ecer”, “-ocer” and “-ucir” are transformed. Their “-c” becomes “-zc”:
- in the first person singular (“yo”) in the Present tense ;
- in all persons of the Present subjunctive ;
- in the third person singular (“él”, “ella”, “Usted”); in the first and third person plural (“nosotros”, “nosotras”; “ellos”, “ellas”, “Ustedes”) in the Imperative.
The radical of the verbs in this category change like the verb “nacer” (to be born).
Present tense | Present subjunctive | Imperative | |
Yo | nazco | nazca | – |
Tú | naces | nazcas | nace |
Él, ella, Usted | nace | nazca | nazcamos |
Nosotros, nosotras | nacemos | nazcamos | nazcamos |
Vosotros, vosotras | nacéis | nazcáis | naced |
Ellos, ellas, Ustedes | nacieron | nazcan | nazcan |
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