26 Topic 3 Present Tense of Stem-Changing Verbs
Los verbos con cambios en la raiz
The anatomy of a Spanish verb.
The verb in its infinitive form indicates the action or state of being with no reference to who or what performs the action or when it is done (past, present or future tense).
- The verb two parts
- The stem
- The ending
Stem
PENS
Ending
AR
PENSAR
To think
- Change in
- The stem form -e to -ie, except for nosotros.
- The ending of an -ar ending in the present tense remains the same.
PENSAR
To think
Stem
PIENS
Ending
o
as
a
*pensamos
an
Practícalo…
Practice outloud similar stem changing from -e to -ie verbs that ends in -ar.
| Cerrar (to close) | Empezar (to begin) | |
| (yo) | Cierro el libro | Empiezo la clase |
| (tú) | Cierras el libro | Empiezas la clase |
| (Ud./él/ella) | Cierra el libro | Empieza la clase |
| (nosotros) | Cerramos el libro | Empezamos la clase |
| (Uds./ellos/as) | Cierran el libro | Empiezan la clase |
Some common stem-changing verbs
- -AR endings with stem-changing from o to ue, except for NOSOTROS form are:
- almorzar (to lunch)
- recordar (to remember)
- encontrar (to find)
- -ER endings with stem-changing from e to ie, except for NOSOTROS form are:
- querer (to want)
- tener (to have) *tengo in the yo form
- entender (to understand)
- -ER endings with stem-changing from o to ue, except for NOSOTROS form are:
- poder (to be able)
- volver (to return)
- -IR endings with stem-changing from e to i, except for NOSOTROS form are:
- servir (to serve)
- repetir (to repeat)
- pedir (to ask for, to request)
- seguir (to follow, to continue)
- -IR endings with stem-changing from e to ie, except for NOSOTROS form are:
- preferir (to prefer)
- mentir (to lie)
- -IR endings with stem-changing from o to ue, except for NOSOTROS form are:
- dormir (to sleep)
- morir (to die)
