Working with Stem-Changing

VerbsHow verbs change

What is a stem-changing verb?

• Stem-changing verbs are like other verbs in Spanish, except they are a little irregular when you go to conjugate them, meaning they don’t keep the same pattern that you are used to when conjugating normal verbs.• For example, hablar, comer, and salir are

all examples of normal –ar, -er, and –ir verbs. This means that when we go to conjugate them, they follow a simple, regular pattern of conjugation.

Regular Verbs vs. Stem-changing Verbs

• For example, HABLAR:

Hablar

yo nosotros

tú

él/ella/usted

ellos, ellas, ustedes

hablo

hablas

habla

hablamos

hablan

Regular Verbs vs. Stem-changing Verbs

• However, stem-changing verbs also make an additional change in the spelling of the word before adding the conjugated endings, except in the nosotros y vosotros forms.

empezar (eie)

yo nosotros

tú

él/ella/usted

ellos, ellas, ustedes

empiezo

empiezas

empieza

empezamos

empiezan

How to I recognize stem-changing verbs?

• There is good news and bad news.

• The bad news is that there is no fast and easy way to identify if a new verb is a stem-changing verb without seeing some examples of conjugations or looking it up in the dictionary.

• The good news is that there are only really three main classes of stem-changing verbs:

oue eie ei (uue)

How to I recognize stem-changing verbs?

• A few more helpful hints:1. The only verbs that change

from ei are all –ir verbs.

2. If you know a verb is a stem-changing verb and it has an o, it most likely is an oue stem-changing verb.

3. Learn stem-changing verbs by ear (what sounds right) and memorization.

4. Practice makes perfect!

Let’s practice conjugating a stem-changing verb.

Carlos ir al cine.Carlos (to want) to go to the movie theatre.

querer

First, we need to ask ourselves, Are we conjugating for nosotros or vosotros? If so, we can just conjugate normally since there is no spelling change for nosotros or vosotros.

The answer is no. We are conjugating for CARLOS or in other words, él.

Let’s practice conjugating a stem-changing verb.

Carlos ir al cine.Carlos (to want) to go to the movie theatre.

querer

Second, we need to find the stem. We do this by taking off the –ar, -er, or –ir.

In this case, we take the –er off of querer.

✗quer

This leaves us with the stem that we need to change based upon the type of

stem-changer it is.

Let’s practice conjugating a stem-changing verb.

Carlos ir al cine.Carlos (to want) to go to the movie theatre.

Now we need to change the spelling of our stem, based upon the type of stem-changer that the verb is.We need to ask ourselves, what kind of stem-changer is QUERER?

The answer is eie. How do I know this? I memorized it.

quer

Let’s practice conjugating a stem-changing verb.

Carlos ir al cine.Carlos (to want) to go to the movie theatre.

Now that we know that it is an eie stem-changing verb, we need to locate the vowel that must be changed.

Look for the last “e” in the stem. Many times this is the only “e” in the stem.

querquer

Let’s practice conjugating a stem-changing verb.

Carlos ir al cine.Carlos (to want) to go to the movie theatre.

Now that we know that it is an eie stem-changing verb and we have found the correct vowel to change, now we change the vowel to the other vowel(s) we need to make the stem-change.

Because querer is an eie stem-changing verb, we will change it to ie.

querquier

Let’s practice conjugating a stem-changing verb.

Carlos ir al cine.Carlos (to want) to go to the movie theatre.

Now we have our stem changed, we just need to conjugate the verb as we would normally for the type of verb it is. In this case, an –er verb since QUERER ends in “er”.Since Carlos is our subject, we want to conjugate for él by adding the normal –e ending.

quiere

empezar (eie)

yo nosotros

tú

él/ella/usted

ellos, ellas, ustedes

There is a fairly large group of verbs in Spanish that undergo

changes in their stem when conjugated in the present tense. When a line is drawn around the forms that change, the resulting shape vaguely resembles a boot, and so sometimes these verbs are called

“boot”/“shoe” verbs.

There are three types or classes of “boot” verbs. There is also jugar which

changes from uue.

empiezo

empiezas

empieza

empezamos

empiezan

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.

Yo

Tú

Él, EllaUsted

Nosotros

Vosotros

Ellos, EllasUstedes

Here are some other common e ie verbs:

empezar to begin

pensar [en] (+infinitive) to think; to plan (to do something)

perder to lose

querer to want, to love

preferir to prefer

tengotienestiene

tenemostenéistienen

tener, venirThe 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 change their stems.

vengovienesviene

venimosvenísvienen

Tengo exámenes mañana.

I have exams tomorrow.

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

Yo

TúÉl, EllaUsted

Nosotros

VosotrosEllos, EllasUstedes

Yo

TúÉl, EllaUsted

Nosotros

VosotrosEllos, EllasUstedes

• 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.

Yo

Tú

Él, EllaUsted

Nosotros

Vosotros

Ellos, EllasUstedes

Here are some other common e i verbs:

repetir

to repeat, to have a second helping

pedir to ask for, to request

conseguir

to get, to obtain

seguir to follow

digodicesdice

decimosdecísdicen

decirThe verb decir is another partial stem-changing verb; the

yo form does not have the stem change, but they do change their stems.

Digo la verdad.

I am telling the truth.

Yo

TúÉl, EllaUsted

Nosotros

VosotrosEllos, EllasUstedes

• almorzar

almuerzoalmuerzasalmuerza

almorzamosalmorzáisalmuerzan

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

type.

Yo

Tú

Él, EllaUsted

Nosotros

Vosotros

Ellos, Ellas Ustedes

• 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.

Yo

Tú

Él, EllaUsted

Nosotros

Vosotros

Ellos, EllasUstedes

Here are some other common o ue verbs:

volver to go back, to return to a place

costar*

to cost

dormir to sleep

encontrar

to find

poder to be able; canrecordar to remembersoñar

(con)to dream (about)

*Costar is normally used only in the third persons.

Let’s practice conjugating a stem-changing verb.

Carlos ir al cine.Carlos (to want) to go to the movie theatre.

So this is how you conjugate a stem-changing verb. It really isn’t that hard, is it? Remember the steps:1. If it is for nosotros, conjugate

normally.2. Find the stem.3. Find the correct vowel.4. Change the vowel to the new

vowel(es).5. Add the correct conjugated

ending.

quiere

A couple of things to remember…

• Remember that TENER, DECIR, and VENIR are irregular verbs as well and not only stem-changing verbs. They all take an –go in the yo form instead of the regular spelling change

• This only happens in the yo form.

Verbo Tenereie

Venir eie

Decirei

Yo tengo vengo

digo

Now, why don’t you try?

1. El libro (costar) mucho dinero.2. Los estudiantes (devolver) los

papeles de Sr. Bowerman.3. Yo (dormir) mucho los fines de

semana.4. Nosotros (encontrar) a la abuela

en la cocina.5. El maestro (mostrar) cómo hacer

la tarea.

cuesta

devuelven

duermo

encontramos

muestra

Now, why don’t you try?

1. El gato (morir) porque no tiene comida.

2. Tú (poder) hacer la tarea muy bien.3. Mis hermanos (probar) la comida

mexicana.4. Mi padre (recordar) mi cumpleaños

cada año.5. Jesus (volver) muy pronto.

muere

puedes

prueban

recuerda

vuelve

Now, you try…

1.Yo (cerrar) la puerta de la casa.2.Nosotros (despertar) a las seis

para ir a la escuela.3. David (empezar) la tarea antes de

ver la televisión.4. Los estudiantes (entender) el

español.5. ¿Tú y Marcos (pensar) en venir a

Shiloh?

cierro

despertamos

empieza

entienden

piensan

Now, you try…

1.Las chicas (perder) el juego.2.Tú (preferir) tomar soda.3.Yo (querer) comer pizza.4.Los niños (sentar) en la

alfombra.5.Nosotros lo (sentir) mucho.6.Sr. Jones (venir) a la clase.

pierden

prefieres

quiero

sentimos

sientan

viene

Now, you try…

1. Tú quieres (conseguir) un libro de francés.

2. Yo (decir) la verdad.3. Nosotros (despedir) a Carlos hoy

a las tres.4. David (pedir) ayuda con la tarea.5. Ellos (reír) mucho.6. Tú (repetir) la pregunta.

conseguir

digo

despedimos

ríen

pide

repites

Now, you try…

1.Todos los niños (seguir) a la maestra.

2.Yo (servir) a Cristo.3.Nosotros (sonreír) mucho.4.Tú (vestir) en tu mejor vestido

para la fiesta.

siguen

sirvo

sonreímos

vistes