Stem-changing Verbs (e-i)

Stem-changing verbs are verbs where there is the a spelling change in some of the forms of the verb.

The four types of stem changers are (u-ue), (e-ie), (o-ue) and (e-i)

In this chapter we are concentrating on (e-i)

Servir (e-i) – to serve

Yo sirvoI serve

Nosotros servimosWe serve

Tú sirvesYou (fam.) serve

Vosotros(as) servísYou all (fam) serve

Él/Ella/Ud. sirveHe/She serves, You (for.) serve

Ellos(as)/Uds. sirvenThey/You all(for.) serve

Remember: When you combine two verbs together, the first verb in conjugated and the second verb is in the infinitive. Ex. Yo pienso jugar tenis. I plan to play tenis.

Here are some verbs that change (e-i):

Decir– to say, to tell (also a –go verb)

Medir – to measure

Pedir – to ask for, to order (food)

Repetir – to repeat

Seguir – to continue, to follow (sigo,

sigues, sigue, segimos, siguen)

Notice that seguir is irregular and must be

memorized

Servir – to serve

Remember how we changed verbs into the -ing form by taking off –ar, -er/-ir and adding –ando, -iendo(-yendo)?

Ex: cantar – cantando, comer –comiendo, abrir – abriendo, leer –leyendo

A similar thing happens to verbs to create the –ed ending. You take off –ar, -er/-ir and add –ado, -ido.

Ex: cantar – cantado, comer –comido, vivir – vivido.

Past Participle – how to say -ed

There are several irregulars. Some of

the most common are: abrir – abierto,

escribir – escrito, decir – dicho, hacer –

hecho, leer – leído, morir – muerto,

poner – puesto, romper – roto

Also, the past participle must agree with

the noun it describes.

Ex. Las cartas están escritas. The

letters are written.

Los carros están vendidos. The

cars are sold.

Gustar – with nouns and verbs

In the past we learned how to use gustarwith verbs.

Ex. I like to swim.

(A mí) Me gusta nadar.

Ex. They like to work.

A ellos les gusta trabajar. (a ellos is needed because les can mean multiple people.)

GUSTAR – TO LIKE/ TO BE PLEASING TO

Me gusta(n) Nos gusta(n)

Te gusta(n) Os gusta(n)

Le gusta(n) Les gusta(n)

Gusta is used when followed by a verb or a

singular noun.

Gustan is used when followed by a plural noun.

Remember that gustar technically means “to be pleasing to.”

Ex. Nos gusta viajar.

To travel is pleasing to us. (nos is the indiret object pronoun.)

Ex. Me gusta el libro.

The book is pleasing to me. (me is the indirect object pronoun.)

Ex. A ella le gustan las casas.

The houses are pleasing to her. (le is the indirect object pronoun. A ella is necessary to show what le means.)

algo - something

alguien - someone

algún/alguno(a) -

some

siempre - always

también – also/too

o - or

nada – nothing

nadie – no one

ningún/ninguno(a) –

none, not any

nunca – never

tampoco –

neither/either

ni ...ni – neither...nor

Affirmative Words: Negative Words:

When you answer a question negatively that had an affirmative word in it, you must change the affirmative word to a negative.

¿Algo de tomar? - Anything to drink?

Por ahora, nada más. – For now nothing more.

AFFIRMATIVE AND NEGATIVE WORDS

With alguno(a) and ninguno(a), the forms change when describing a masculine singular noun. They become algún and ningún.

Las chicas quieren algún postre – The girls want some dessert.

Carlos no quiere ningún postre. - Carlos doesn’t want any (not any) dessert.

Affirmative and Negative Words

• When a verb is preceded by <<no>>, the words that follow it must also be negative.

• Ex. No quiero nada. – I don’t want anything (nothing).

• Ex. Carlos no quiere ninguno (de los postres). –Carlos doesn’t want any. (Carlos doesn’t want not any of the desserts.)

• But if a negative word, such as nunca or nadie is in front of the verb, a second negative is not needed.

• Ex. Nadie quiere postre. – No one wants dessert.

• Ex. Las chicas nunca comen en casa. – The girls never eat at home.

Extreme Words

To express extremes with most adjectives,

drop the final vowel and add the ending

–ísimo(a) with an accent on the first i.

The adjective must agree in number and

gender to the noun it describes.

Ex. La idea de Rosa es interesantísima.

Rosa’s idea is extremely interesting.

Ex. Los libros son cortísimos.

The books are extremely short.

Extreme Words

When the last consonant (after removing the

last vowel) is c, g, or z, spelling changes are

required.

c changes to qu – rico(a) – riquísimo(a)

g changes to gu – largo(a) – larguísimo(a)

z changes to c – feliz – felicísimo(a)

¡Gracias por su atención!

El fin