Irregular, Spelling Changes, and Stem-Changing Preterite Verbs
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Explanation
Some Spanish preterite verbs undergo changes in the stem when conjugated. Others undergo more drastic spelling changes or are simply considered irregular. In this article, we'll take a look at some common verbs with tricky preterite conjugations, including the following:
- Stem-changing -ir verbs
- Verbs with stems ending in a vowel
- Verbs with j preterite stems
- Verbs with uv preterite stems
- Verbs with u preterite stems
- Verbs with i preterite stems
Looking for an introduction to the preterite in Spanish? Check out our article on Spanish preterite tense forms.
Stem-changing -ir Verbs
Verbs ending in -ir that undergo stem changes in the present tense also undergo stem changes in the preterite. These verbs have a stem change in the second person formal singular (usted), third person singular (él, ella) and third and second person plural (ellos, ellas and ustedes) forms.
These changes fall into two types:
- e to i, as in the verbs sentir(to feel) and pedir(to ask for)
- o to u, as in the verb dormir(to sleep)
Check out the conjugations for examples of these verb types below, paying careful attention the él, ella, usted and ellos, ellas, ustedes forms.
Preterite Conjugations of Sentir, Pedir, and Dormir
¡Ojo!(Careful!) Reírand sonreíralso have stem changes in the preterite. Check out the conjugations for these verbs below.
Preterite Conjugations of Reír and Sonreír
| Subject | reír(to laugh) | sonreír(to smile) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | reí | sonreí |
| tú | reíste | sonreíste |
| él, ella, usted | rio | sonrió |
| nosotros | reímos | sonreímos |
| vosotros | reísteis | sonreísteis |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | rieron | sonrieron |
Here are examples of other verbs with the spelling changes described above.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| conseguir | to get |
| despedirse | to say goodbye |
| divertirse | to have fun |
| morir | to die |
| repetir | to repeat |
| servir | to serve, to function |
| sugerir | to suggest |
| vestirse | to get dressed |
Verbs with j Preterite Stems
The majority of verbs ending in -ducir, as well as the verbs decir and traer, take a j in the preterite in all forms. In addition, the ellos, ellas, and ustedes forms of these verbs end in -eron instead of -ieron.
Check out the conjugations below for examples of these verb types.
Preterite Conjugations of Conducir and Traducir
Preterite Conjugations of Decir and Traer
| Subject | decir(to say) | traer(to bring) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | dije | traje |
| tú | dijiste | trajiste |
| él, ella, usted | dijo | trajo |
| nosotros | dijimos | trajimos |
| vosotros | dijisteis | trajisteis |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | dijeron | trajeron |
Verbs with Stems Ending in a Vowel
Verbs that have stems ending in a vowel + -er or -ir take a y in the él, ella, usted and ellos, ellas, ustedes forms.
Verbs ending in a silent vowel + -er or -ir (like seguir) do not undergo this change.
Check out the conjugations below for examples of these verb types.
Preterite Conjugations of Caer, Leer, Roer, Oír, and Concluir
Verbs that end in -uir, like concluir, construir, and incluir, do not have accents on their tú, nosotros or vosotros forms.
Verbs with uv Preterite Stems
Some common irregular verbs follow similar patterns in the preterite. For example, tener, andar, and estar all have preterite stems with uv.
Preterite Conjugations for Andar, Estar, and Tener
Verbs with u Preterite Stems
These common irregular verbs swap the first vowel in the infinitive form to make a new preterite stem with u.
Check out the conjugations below for examples of these verb types.
Preterite Conjugations of Caber, Haber, Poder, Poner, and Saber
Caber, poner, and saber have extra spelling changes in the preterite:
- caber: the b changes to a p.
- poner: the n changes to an s.
- saber: the b changes to a p.
Verbs with i Preterite Stems
These common irregular verbs swap the first (or, in the case of querer, the second) vowel in the infinitive form to make a new preterite stem with i.
Check out the conjugations below for examples of these verb types.
Preterite Conjugations of Hacer, Querer, and Venir
- In the él, ella and usted forms of hacer, the c changes to a z.
- All preterite forms of querer swap the first r for an s.
The Irregular Verbs Ser, Ir, Dar, and Ver
The following irregular preterite forms are ones you've just got to memorize.
Preterite Conjugations of Ser, Ir, Dar, and Ver
Looking for more on the preterite? Check out our articles on the preterite vs. the imperfect, verbs with meaning changes in the preterite, spelling changes in the preterite, and irregular verbs.
