Stem Changing Verbs Spanish

What are the types of stem changing verbs?

Remember, there are three types of infinitives: -ar, -er, -ir. Infinitives are made up of two parts: the ending and the stem. 

hablar – habl (stem) + ar (ending) comer – com (stem) + er (ending) vivir – viv (stem) + ir (ending)

With regular verbs, the stem stays the same, and the ending changes as they are conjugated.

Subject – hablar (to speak) – comer (to eat) – vivir (to live)

Yo (I)-hablo-como-vivo

Tú (You)(Informal)-hablas-comes-vives

Usted (You)(Formal)-habla-come-vive

Él/Ella(He/She)-habla-come-vive

Nosotros(as)(We)-hablamos-comemos-vivimos

Vosotros(as)(You)(Informal)-habláis-coméis-vivís

Ustedes(You)(Formal)-hablan-comen-viven

Ellos(as)(They)-hablan-comen-viven

With some verbs, the stem also changes when you conjugate them. In the Present Tense, there are three groups of stem-changing verbs:

“o:ue” “e:ie” “e:i”

Note: With the first group of stem-changing verbs, the letter “o” in the stem changes to “ue” in all forms except the “nosotros” and “vosotros”.

Subject – contar (to count)

Yo (I)-cuento

Tú (You)(Informal)-cuentas

Usted (You)(Formal)-cuenta

Él/Ella(He/She)-cuenta

Nosotros(as)(We)-contamos (exception)

Vosotros(as)(You)(Informal)-contáis(exception)

Ustedes(You)(Formal)-cuentan

Ellos(as)(They)-cuentan

Here’s another “o:ue” stem changing verb. 

Subject – mover (to move)

Yo (I)-muevo

Tú (You)(Informal)-mueves

Usted (You)(Formal)-mueve

Él/Ella(He/She)-mueve

Nosotros(as)(We)-movemos(exception)

Vosotros(as)(You)(Informal)-movéis(exception)

Ustedes(You)(Formal)-mueven

Ellos(as)(They)-mueven

Here is a list of common “o:ue” verbs.

almorzar – to eat lunch morir – to die aprobar – to approve mostrar – to show colgar – to hang mover – to move (an object) contar – to count, to tell probar – to prove, test, sample, taste costar – to cost recordar – to remember devolver – to return (an object) resolver – to solve volver – to return (from someplace) rogar – to beg, pray dormir – to sleep sonar – to sound, ring encontrar – to find soñar (con) – to dream (about) envolver – to wrap tostar – to toast morder – to bite volar – to fly

• Stem Changing Verbs: E:IE

Note: With some verbs, the stem also changes when you conjugate them. In the Present Tense, there are three groups of stem-changing verbs:

“o:ue” “e:ie” “e:i”

Note: With the second group of stem-changing verbs, the letter “e” in the stem changes to “ie” in all forms except the “nosotros” and “vosotros”.

Subject – cerrar (to close)

Yo (I)-cierro

Tú (You)(Informal)-cierras

Usted (You)(Formal)-cierra

Él/Ella(He/She)-cierra

Nosotros(as)(We)-cerramos (exception)

Vosotros(as)(You)(Informal)-cerráis(exception)

Ustedes(You)(Formal)-cierran

Ellos(as)(They)-cierran

Here’s another “e:ie” stem changing verb. 

Subject – entender (to understand)

Yo (I)-entiendo

Tú (You)(Informal)-entiendes

Usted (You)(Formal)-entiende

Él/Ella(He/She)-entiende

Nosotros(as)(We)-entendemos(exception)

Vosotros(as)(You)(Informal)-entendéis(exception)

Ustedes(You)(Formal)-entienden

Ellos(as)(They)-entienden

Here is a list of common “e:ie” verbs.

acertar – to guess, get right encender – to light, kindle advertir – to advise, warn entender – to understand cerrar – to close, shut fregar – to scrub, wash dishes comenzar – to begin hervir – to boil confesar – to confess mentir – to lie consentir – to consent negar – to deny convertir – to convert pensar (en) – to think about defender – to defend perder – to lose empezar – to begin preferir – to prefer

• Stem changing verbs: E:I

The stem also changes when you conjugate them. In the Present Tense, there are three groups of stem-changing verbs:

“o:ue”

“e:ie”               

“e:i”

Note: With the third group of stem-changing verbs, the letter “e” in the stem changes to “i” in all forms except the “nosotros” and “vosotros”.

Subject – repetir (to repeat)

Yo (I)-repito

Tú (You)(Informal)-repites

Usted (You)(Formal)-repite

Él/Ella(He/She)-repite

Nosotros(as)(We)-repetimos(exception)

Vosotros(as)(You)(Informal)-repetís(exception)

Ustedes(You)(Formal)-repiten

Ellos(as)(They)-repiten

Subject – competir (to compete)

Yo (I)-compito

Tú (You)(Informal)-compites

Usted (You)(Formal)-compite

Él/Ella(He/She)-compite

Nosotros(as)(We)-competimos(exception)

Vosotros(as)(You)(Informal)-competís(exception)

Ustedes(You)(Formal)-compiten

Ellos(as)(They)-compiten

Here is a list of common “e:i” verbs.

bendecir (*) – to bless impedir – to impede colegir – to deduce maldecir (*) – to curse competir – to compete medir – to measure conseguir – to get, obtain pedir – to ask for, to order corregir – to correct perseguir – to pursue, to persecute decir (*) – to say, tell reír – to laugh despedir – to dismiss, fire repetir – to repeat elegir – to elect seguir – to follow, continue freír – to fry servir – to serve gemir – to groan, moan sonreír – to smile

Tip: The verb “decir” and its derivative forms are irregular in the first person: “yo digo”, etc.

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