C HAPTER 8

Irregular Present
Indicative Forms

WHEN IT COMES TO CONJUGATING Spanish verbs, most will simply follow the basic rules: drop the infinitive ending and add the one appropriate to the verb’s subject, tense, and mood. However, there are some verbs that, for one reason or another, do not conform to this simple behavior. We call these verbs irregular verbs. Some verbs are only irregular in a few conjugations, while others reliably refuse to conform in any situation.

Quite a number of verbs are irregular in the present indicative tense, and they deserve a chapter of their own. Verb irregularities in other tenses will be covered in the chapters that introduce those particular tenses.

There Is an Explanation

Sure, there are a few irregular verbs that simply defy explanation. There’s no obvious reason to explain why it is that the infinitive form i r (to go), turns into voy (I go) in the first person singular of the present tense. But exceptions like this are rare among Spanish verbs. More often than not, there’s a logical explanation for why a verb cannot behave regularly. Often, this has to do with the verb’s pronunciation or spelling.

FACT

One explanation for irregular verbs that defy explanation is their Latin origin. Whereas most verbs evolved along with the Spanish language, a few retained their old forms that seem irregular to students of modern Spanish.

Retaining Correct Pronunciation

One common irregularity that is actually fairly regular is a change in spelling to make sure the pronunciation remains the same. If this sounds like a paradox, pay attention. Take the words “mice” and “cold” in English. The letter “c” changes its pronunciation depending on the letter that follows it. It’s pronounced like “s” before “e,” “i,” and “y,” and like “k” in all other instances. The same is true of “g”—it’s pronounced like “dzh” before “e,” “i,” and “y,” and like a hard “g” (the “g” in “go”) in all other instances.

Spanish has a very similar pattern. “C” follows the same rule before “e” and “i,” and so does “g,” except that before “e” and “i” it’s pronounced as a hard “h.” And “z” behaves strangely as well. It does not like to come before “e” or “i” at all. (If this is not obvious to you, it might be a good time to refer to the pronunciation guide in Chapter 3.)

This presents a problem when a verb’s stem ends with a letter like “c,” “g,” or “z,” and an ending that should be added changes the stem’s pronunciation. Let’s take coger (to grab) as an example. The “g” in coger is pronounced like a hard “h,” and for the verb to be understood, all its conjugations should begin with “cog–” where the “g” retains its pronunciation. However, to form the present indicative yo form, “I grab,” you need to add the –o ending. In speech, that’s easy: the form sounds like “KOH-hoh.” When you write it down, however, you encounter an obvious problem: cogo spells out “KOH-goh,” an entirely different word. Thus, to make the spelling fit with the pronunciation, the verb form undergoes a spelling change: cojo. Since “j” retains its pronunciation regardless of what letter follows it, we have to substitute it for the more fickle “g.”

ESSENTIAL

Many spelling changes in verb conjugations work along the same principle. Sometimes, though, the explanation might be too complicated, and so you might be told that it’s just something you’re going to have to memorize.

Making Pronunciation Easier

Another explanation for why some verbs have irregular forms has to do with speech patterns. If a certain verb form is difficult to pronounce, over time it will evolve into an irregular pronunciation. In English, “ain’t” might eventually overcome its slang status and become a “real” word. And other words that were formerly incorrect have already found their place in the English dictionary. The same is true in Spanish and most often occurs in the pronunciation of vowels.

One common change is the result of a syllable containing “e” or “o” taking on the accent. To understand what this means, take pensar (to think) as an example. In the infinitive form, pronounced pehn-SAHR, the first “e” is not accented. But when adding the endings, the accent does fall on it in four out of six conjugations. If pensar were regular, its present indicative conjugations would be as follows:

penso (PEHN-soh)	pensamos (pehn-SAH-mohs)
pensas (PEHN-sahs)	pensáis (pehn-SAis)
pensa (PEHN-sah)	pensan (PEHN-sahn)

However, because of a tendency in Spanish to modify an accented “e” to “ie” or “i,” the correct forms are:

pienso (PIEHN-soh)	pensamos (pehn-SAH-mohs)
piensas (PIEHN-sahs)	pensáis (pehn-SAis)
piensa (PEHN-sah)	piensan (PIEHN-sahn)

Unless you are a native speaker and these forms come naturally to you, you won’t necessarily know which verbs follow this pronunciation change. However, once you learn that a particular verb belongs to a group of “e > ie” verbs, you’ll know it’ll behave just as pensar in present indicative tense.

ALERT

Pronunciation change also works with consonants. For example, a group of verbs with a stem ending in “n” like tener (to have) and venir (to come) gain a “g” at the end of the stem in the yo form of the present indicative. This means that instead of yo teno and yo veno, the correct forms are yo tengo and yo vengo.

Spelling Change Verbs

A change in spelling to reflect correct pronunciation is one of the most common irregularities found in Spanish verbs, and the one that generally makes sense. Spelling changes happen to “tricky” letters like c and g, which have more than one pronunciation depending on the letter that follows, and vowel combinations like ui.

From “I” to “Y”

In verbs that end in –uir, the long “i” sound is retained in all six conjugations, which requires changing the spelling of some of the forms from “i” to “y.” Take a look at the conjugations of influir (to influence) and huir (to flee):

influyo	influimos
influyes	influís
influye	influyen
huyo	huimos
huyes	huís
huye	huyen

Other verbs that follow the same pattern are atribuir (to attribute), concluir (to conclude), destruir (to destroy), incluir (to include), and sustituir (to substitute).

ESSENTIAL

As you continue learning irregular verbs in present indicative tense, you’ll probably notice that many of them follow the same change in four out of six conjugations—nosotros and vosotros forms are the ones that remain regular. The explanation is simple: only these two forms have accented endings (AH-mohs, EH-mohs, EE-mohs and AH-is, EH-is, EES).

The Inconstant “C”

Many verbs undergo a spelling change because their stem ends with a “c,” which needs to maintain its pronunciation, either as “s” or “k”. For example, verbs that end in –ecer maintain the “s” sound at the end of the stem. This works just fine with most forms of the present indicative, but poses a problem in the yo form.

Take aparecer (to appear) as an example. If you simply add the –o ending, the result will be apareco, with the “c” pronounced as “k.” And apareso doesn’t work either (in Spain, the “c” in aparecer is pronounced “th,” so “s” wouldn’t serve as a substitution). Instead, both spelling and pronunciation change a bit, from “c” to “zc”: aparezco. Take a look at the conjugations of aparecer and establecer (to establish):

aparezco	aparecemos
apareces	aparecéis
aparece	aparecen
establezco	establecemos
estableces	establecéis
establece	establecen

Other –ecer verbs that undergo a “c > zc” change in the yo form are agradecer (to thank), conocer (to know), crecer (to grow), merecer (to deserve), obedecer (to obey), ofrecer (to offer), parecer (to seem), permanecer (to remain), and pertenecer (to belong).

Verbs that end in –ecer are not the only ones subject to the “c > zc” change; the same is true of verbs that end in –ucir, like conducir (to drive) and traducir (to translate). Note that these are –ir verbs, which means they have different endings:

conduzco	conducimos
conduces	conducís
conduce	conducen
traduzco	traducimos
traduces	traducís
traduce	traducen

Other –ucir verbs that work in the exactly the same way are lucir (to shine) and producir (to produce).

When the Verb Stem Ends in “G”

Verbs that need to retain the hard “h” sound of the “g” at the end of the stem undergo a “g > j” change in the yo form of the present indicative, to retain the correct pronunciation with the ending –o. This is true of all verbs ending in –ger or –gir, like proteger (to protect) and dirigir (to direct). Again, notice that the endings still reflect the differences between –er and –ir verbs.

protejo	protegemos
proteges	protegéis
protege	protegen
dirijo	dirigimos
diriges	dirigís
dirige	dirigen

Other –ger and –gir verbs that undergo the same change in the yo form are afligir (to afflict), coger (to grab), encoger (to shrink), exigir (to demand), fingir (to pretend), and recoger (to gather).

FACT

In verbs that end with –guir, the “g” remains in place, but another change takes place: In the yo form, the stem drops the “u” along with the “ir,” so extinguir (to extinguish) becomes extingo and seguir (to follow) becomes sigo . Seguir has another irregularity as well—the vowel change in the stem (e > i), described later in this chapter.

Use of Accent Marks

Some spelling irregularities are pretty simple: They involve a change in the use of accent marks. For example, many verbs that end in –iar require an accent mark over the “í” in four of the present indicative conjugations (these four are the usual suspects— all singular forms and third person plural). Take a look at confiar (to confide) and espiar (to spy), as two examples:

confío	confiamos
confías	confiáis
confía	confían
espío	espiamos
espías	espiáis
espía	espían

Other verbs that require an accent mark over the “í” are enviar (to send), guiar (to guide) and variar (to vary).

The same pattern also applies to –uar verbs, except it’s the “ú” that requires the accent mark. This change occurs with the verbs actuar (to act) and continuar (to continue):

actúo	actuamos
actúas	actuáis
actúa	actúan
continúo	continuamos
continúas	continuáis
continúa	continúan

Changes in Pronunciation

As you’ve seen so far, the need to retain regular pronunciation may result in a spelling change irregularity. However, some verb conjugations simply change in pronunciation. In the present indicative, verbs are most likely to undergo a pronunciation change in the yo form, which has to do with its –o ending.

One common change is the addition of “g” in verbs like hacer (to do) and salir (to leave):

hago	hacemos
haces	hacéis
hace	hacen
salgo	salimos
sales	salís
sale	salen

ALERT

Adding a prefix to a verb generally won’t change its behavior in terms of its endings. For example, distraigo (I distract) and atraigo (I attract) behave the same as traigo (I bring).

The following table includes other verbs that take on a “g” in the yo form:

caer	caigo	I fall
decir	digo	I say
oír	oigo	I hear
poner	pongo	I put
tener	tengo	I have
traer	traigo	I bring
valer	valgo	I cost
venir	vengo	I come

Not all of these verbs are regular in the other five conjugations of the present indicative. For example, tener and venir are also stem-change verbs (described in the next section).

In addition to the yo forms that need an extra “g,” a few verbs have yo conjugations that are irregular and don’t follow any particular pattern:

caber	quepo	I fit
dar	doy	I give
saber	sé	I know
ver	veo	I see

Stem Changing Verbs

Some groups of Spanish verbs undergo a stem change, that is, their stem or root changes spelling and pronunciation in four of the six conjugation forms (excluding nosotros and vosotros ). The most common changes occur in the stem’s vowel: “e” may change to “ie” or “i,” and “o” may change to “ue” or “u.”

The Unstable “E”

A number of –ar and –er verbs undergo an “e > ie” change in the stem when the “e” is in the accented syllable. Take a look at the conjugations of the verbs apretar (to grip) and defender (to defend):

aprieto	apretamos
aprietas	apretáis
aprieta	aprietan
defiendo	defendemos
defiendes	defendéis
defiende	defienden

Other verbs that follow the same pattern are worth memorizing:

atravesar	atravieso	I cross
cerrar	cierro	I close
comenzar	comienzo	I commence
empezar	empiezo	I begin
encender	enciendo	I light
gobernar	gobierno	I govern
pensar	pienso	I think
perder	pierdo	I lose
querer	quiero	I want
sentar	siento	I sit down

The verb tener (to have) is also an “e > ie” verb, with an additional irregularity in the yo form:

tengo	tenemos
tienes	tenéis
tiene	tienen

A similar modification occurs with –ir verbs as well. In the conjugations where the “e” is accented, it is replaced with “i.” Take a look at the verbs gemir (to moan) and repetir (to repeat) as examples:

gimo	gemimos
gimes	gemís
gime	gimen
repito	repetimos
repites	repetís
repite	repiten

Other verbs in this category are medir (to measure), pedir (to ask), seguir (to follow), servir (to serve), and vestir (to dress).

ESSENTIAL

The stem-change rule is generally different for –ar/–er and –ir verbs. The –ar and –er verbs undergo a “e > ie” change; –ir verbs undergo a “e > i” change. However, a few –ir verbs do have an “e > ie” stem change: mentir > miente (he lies), preferir > prefiere (he prefers), sentir > siente (he feels), and venir > viene (he comes).

When “O” Is under Stress

Just as stressed “e” may undergo a change to “i” or “ie,” a stressed “o” in some irregular verbs changes to “u” or “ue.” In the present indicative, the change is limited to “o > ue.” Take a look at two examples: almorzar (to have lunch) and dormir (to sleep):

almuerzo	almorzamos
almuerzan	almorzáis
almuerza	almuerzan
duermo	dormimos
duermes	dormís
duerme	duermen

Other verbs that follow the “o > ue” stem change include the following:

contar	cuento	I tell
costar	cuesto	I cost
doler	duelo	I hurt
jugar	juego	I play
morir	muero	I die
mostrar	muestro	I show
poder	puedo	I can
recordar	recuerdo	I remember
volar	vuelo	I fly
volver	vuelvo	I return

Just Plain Irregular

Irregular verbs reviewed so far share their irregularity with at least a few other verbs. But there are some verbs that have unique irregularities. All you can do with these verbs is memorize their conjugations. The following tables include conjugations of haber (to have), i r (to go), oler (to smell), and reír (to laugh). Note that haber and i r will be covered in greater detail in subsequent chapters. And we’ll take a look at two more irregular verbs, ser and estar, both translated as “to be,” in the next section.

he	hemos
has	habéis
ha	han
voy	vamos
vas	vais
va	van
huelo	olemos
hueles	oléis
huele	huelen
río	reímos
ríes	reís
ríe	ríen

Ser Versus Estar

Spanish has two verbs that may be translated as “to be”—ser and estar. Both have irregular conjugations; the verb ser is particularly unusual:

soy	somos
eres	sois
es	son
estoy	estamos
estás	estáis
está	están

Because both ser and estar have only one equivalent translation in English, many students of Spanish have difficulty understanding the difference between the two verbs. A good rule of thumb to get you started is that ser describes permanent state and estar refers to temporary condition or location.

Permanently Ser

Ser means “is” in the sense that something i s the way it is:

Soy rubia y tú eres morena.

I am blonde and you are a brunette.

Patrizio es de Italia. Es italiano.

Patrizio is from Italy. He is Italian.

Angelina y Alberto son estudiantes.

Angelina and Alberto are students.

Nationality, Religion, and So On

Ser is used to describe nationality; in combination with de, it may be used to say where someone is from:

¿Es usted de Chile? Sí, soy de Chile. Soy chilena.

Are you from Chile? Yes, I’m from Chile. I’m Chilean.

It is also used with other permanent characteristics that describe a person’s status, such as religion, profession, or family relationship:

Pepe Ortiz es mi abuelo.

Pepe Ortiz is my grandfather.

No todos los mexicanos son católicos.

Not all Mexicans are Catholic.

Somos médicos, pero no somos santos.

We are doctors, but we aren’t saints.

Personal Characteristics

Characteristics that don’t change from day to day are also described with ser. These might be physical features like eye color or height, or personality features, like intelligence or kindness. Features that don’t change over a short period of time, such as being young or old, are also described with ser:

Mariana es bonita y muy simpática.

Mariana is pretty and very nice.

Ellos son jóvenes.

They are young.

FACT

Ser and estar are also used in verbal constructions. Ser makes an appearance in the Spanish passive voice, and estar combines with a present participle to form the present progressive tense. Both of these constructions are described further in the next chapter.

Indication of Possession

Possessive constructions in Spanish rely on ser to establish the relationship between the possessor and the possessed.

La idea no es mía.

The idea isn’t mine.

La camiseta blanca es de María.

The white shirt is Maria’s.

Over Time

The one exception to the idea of ser being used to describe what is permanent is that this verb is employed in expressions of time—to say what day, week, month, and year it is, and also what time it is:

Son las dos de la tarde.

It’s two in the afternoon.

Hoy es lunes, ¿verdad?

Today is Monday, right?

On the Move with Estar

Estar is often translated as “to be located,” but its role is not limited to indicating physical location. Estar is also the verb “to be” used to describe temporary characteristics.

On Location

Whereas ser may be used to say where you are from, estar is the verb of choice when you need to explain where you are, geographically:

Estoy en la cocina.

I’m in the kitchen.

Federico y Ramona están en Perú.

Federico and Ramona are in Peru.

In the Mood

Estar is also used when describing a mood, such as boredom, tiredness, or happiness. It may also be used to describe a temporary condition—being open, closed, accessible, and so on.

Clara está enferma. Le duele la cabeza y tiene fiebre.

Clara is sick. Her head hurts and she has a fever.

Cuando voy a la clase de matemáticas, estoy muy aburrido.

When I go to math class, I am very bored.

¿Cómo están ustedes? Estamos bien.

How are you? We’re fine.

Choosing Wisely

One way to understand how ser and estar differ is by comparing pairs of phrases where the only difference is the verb:

Las chicas son bellas.

The girls are pretty (in general).

Las chicas están bellas.

The girls look pretty (today).

In the first sentence, prettiness is a permanent characteristic of the girls; in the second, it is their condition on a particular occasion. Here is another example:

Nosotros somos aburridos.

We are boring.

Nosotros estamos aburridos.

We are bored.

Again, in the first sentence the adjective reflects a characteristic of the subject, “us.” In the second sentence, the adjectives describes the mood or condition of the subject.

Practice Makes Perfect

Conjugate the following irregular verbs (in parentheses) in the present tense:

1. Los niños _____________________(jugar) en su cuarto.

2. Nosotras los _____________________(ver) a ellos desde la ventana.

3. ¿ _____________________(recordar) ustedes lo que deben hacer?

4. Tú _____________________(cerrar) el libro.

5. Vosotros _____________________(querer) salir a bailar.

6. Ella _____________________(contar) chismes todo el tiempo.

7. Nosotros _____________________(permanecer) aquí.

8. Yo les _____________________(exigir) a mis padres que me dejen salir.

9. Tú _____________________(mentir), ¿no es así?

10. Vosotros _____________________ (poder) descansar un rato.

Fill in ser or estar and conjugate correctly:

1. Ella _____________________una ladrona.
_____________________mala.

2. El Señor Órtiz _____________________abogado.

3. Mis hijos tienen el pelo negro.
_____________________morenos.

4. _____________________las once de la noche.

5. Tú tienes fiebre.
_____________________enfermo.

6. Ustedes _____________________muy simpáticos.

7. Cuando viajamos juntos, yo _____________________muy alegre.

8. Yo _____________________de México.
_____________________mexicana.

9. No _____________________bien. Me siento mal.

10. ¿_____________________ usted alegre hoy?

To check your answers, refer to the answer key in Appendix D.