Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense in Spanish

This section explains Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense in Spanish. In Spanish, while most verbs follow regular patterns in the present tense, there are some verbs that do not follow these patterns. These are called irregular verbs. In the present tense, irregular verbs change their stem (the main part of the verb) or their endings in unpredictable ways.

Common Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense

Ser (to be)

Ser is an essential irregular verb used to describe permanent characteristics, identity, and origin. It is an extremely common verb in Spanish.

• yo soy (I am)
• tú eres (you are – informal)
• él/ella/usted es (he/she/you are – formal)
• nosotros/nosotras somos (we are)
• vosotros/vosotras sois (you all are – informal in Spain)
• ellos/ellas/ustedes son (they/you all are)

Example:

• Yo soy estudiante (I am a student)
• Nosotros somos españoles (We are Spanish)

Estar (to be)

Estar is used for temporary states or locations, such as feelings, places, and temporary conditions.

• yo estoy (I am)
• tú estás (you are – informal)
• él/ella/usted está (he/she/you are – formal)
• nosotros/nosotras estamos (we are)
• vosotros/vosotras estáis (you all are – informal in Spain)
• ellos/ellas/ustedes están (they/you all are)

Example:

• Yo estoy cansado (I am tired)
• Ella está en casa (She is at home)

Tener (to have)

Tener is another commonly used irregular verb. It is used to express possession, age, and various other expressions.

• yo tengo (I have)
• tú tienes (you have – informal)
• él/ella/usted tiene (he/she/you have – formal)
• nosotros/nosotras tenemos (we have)
• vosotros/vosotras tenéis (you all have – informal in Spain)
• ellos/ellas/ustedes tienen (they/you all have)

Example:

• Yo tengo un perro (I have a dog)
• Nosotros tenemos 20 años (We are 20 years old)

Hacer (to do/make)

Hacer is an irregular verb used to talk about actions, making things, and general activities.

• yo hago (I do/make)
• tú haces (you do/make – informal)
• él/ella/usted hace (he/she/you do/make – formal)
• nosotros/nosotras hacemos (we do/make)
• vosotros/vosotras hacéis (you all do/make – informal in Spain)
• ellos/ellas/ustedes hacen (they/you all do/make)

Example:

• Yo hago la tarea (I do the homework)
• Ellos hacen una fiesta (They are having a party)

Ir (to go)

Ir is an essential verb to express movement or direction.

• yo voy (I go)
• tú vas (you go – informal)
• él/ella/usted va (he/she/you go – formal)
• nosotros/nosotras vamos (we go)
• vosotros/vosotras vais (you all go – informal in Spain)
• ellos/ellas/ustedes van (they/you all go)

Example:

• Yo voy al cine (I go to the cinema)
• Nosotros vamos de vacaciones (We are going on holiday)

Stem-Changing Verbs (e:ie, o:ue, e:i)

Some irregular verbs in Spanish change their stem vowels in the present tense. These are called stem-changing verbs. Here are the most common patterns:

2.1 e:ie Stem-Changers

Verbs that change e to ie in certain forms.

• Pensar (to think)
  • yo pienso (I think)
  • tú piensas (you think – informal)
  • él/ella/usted piensa (he/she/you think – formal)
  • nosotros/nosotras pensamos (we think)
  • vosotros/vosotras pensáis (you all think – informal in Spain)
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes piensan (they/you all think)

Example:

• Yo pienso que es una buena idea (I think it’s a good idea)

o:ue Stem-Changers

Verbs that change o to ue in certain forms.

• Dormir (to sleep)
  • yo duermo (I sleep)
  • tú duermes (you sleep – informal)
  • él/ella/usted duerme (he/she/you sleep – formal)
  • nosotros/nosotras dormimos (we sleep)
  • vosotros/vosotras dormís (you all sleep – informal in Spain)
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes duermen (they/you all sleep)

Example:

• Nosotros dormimos ocho horas (We sleep for eight hours)

e:i Stem-Changers

Verbs that change e to i in certain forms.

• Pedir (to ask for)
  • yo pido (I ask for)
  • tú pides (you ask for – informal)
  • él/ella/usted pide (he/she/you ask for – formal)
  • nosotros/nosotras pedimos (we ask for)
  • vosotros/vosotras pedís (you all ask for – informal in Spain)
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes piden (they/you all ask for)

Example:

• Yo pido una bebida (I ask for a drink)

Summary of Common Irregular Verbs

Conclusion

Irregular verbs in the present tense are essential for everyday communication in Spanish. It is crucial to memorise their conjugations, as they do not follow the regular patterns of conjugation. Practice using these verbs with sentences to become more familiar with their forms.