The Present Tense of Stem-Changing Verbs: e ie, e i, o ue, u ue(El tiempo presente de los verbos de cambio

radical)

• Stem changing infinitives are named for what they do– change in the stem.

• There are some mixed verbs : “Go” verbs and “stem changing” in the same time

• We always change the vowel that is the closest to the ending

• The ending terminations depend on the ending or each verb : AR, ER or IR terminations

There is a fairly large group of verbs in Spanish that undergo changes in their stem when conjugated in the present tense.

These changes occur only in the first and second persons singular and third persons singular and plural.

When a line is drawn around the forms that change, the resulting shape vaguely resembles a boot or high-top shoe; thus, these verbs

are sometimes informally called “boot” or “shoe” verbs.

There are four types or classes of “boot” verbs.

entender

entiendoentiendesentiende

entendemosentendéisentienden

Type 1: e ieWe’ll use entender, to understand, as an example of this

type.

The stem undergoes the change only when stressed.

Here are some other common e ie verbs:

empezar, comenzar to begin

pensar to think

perder to lose

querer to want, to love

preferir to prefer

entender to understand

tengotienestiene

tenemostenéistienen

Tener (to have), venir (to come)The verbs tener and venir are what might be called partial stem-changing verbs; the yo forms do not have the stem

change, but they do have an irregularity.

vengovienesviene

venimosvenísvienen

Tengo exámenes mañana.

I have exams tomorrow.

Vengo de la biblioteca. I’m coming from the library.

servir

sirvosirvessirve

servimosservíssirven

Type 2: e iWe’ll use servir, to serve, as an example of this type.

Note: All e i verbs are -ir verbs.

Here are some other common e i verbs:

pedir To ask for, to orderrepetir To repeat

reir To laugh

sonreir To smile

decir

seguir

To say, to tell

To follow

almorzar

almuerzoalmuerzasalmuerza

almorzamosalmorzáisalmuerzan

Type 3: o ueWe’ll use almorzar, to have lunch, as an example of this

type.

Here are some other common o ue verbs:

devolver

to return (to a place)

almorzar To have lunch

dormir to sleep

encontrar to find

poder to be able; canrecordar to remembersoñar (con) to dream (about)

To return (something)

volver

jugar

juegojuegasjuega

jugamosjugáisjuegan

The verb jugar, to play (games or sports), follows the same pattern as o ue verbs, but the change is u

ue.

Type 4: u ue

FIN