The full app path: levels, grammar, verbs, and recall rounds.

The present tense (Presente) of regular -AR verbs is used to express:

• Actions happening right now — "Yo hablo español." (I speak Spanish.)
• Habitual or repeated actions — "Ella estudia cada día." (She studies every day.)
• General truths or facts — "Nosotros trabajamos en Madrid." (We work in Madrid.)

Subject Pronouns

These pronouns are commonly used with Spanish verbs.

Note: In Spanish, the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb ending already shows who the subject is. Example: "Yo hablo" and "Hablo" both mean "I speak."

Verb Group Basics

Spanish verbs are classified by their last two letters. There are three main groups: -AR, -ER, and -IR. This level focuses only on regular -AR verbs.

A regular verb follows the standard conjugation pattern — no stem changes, no special endings.

Infinitive

The infinitive is the basic dictionary form of the verb. In English, the infinitive usually appears as "to + verb".

• hablar = to speak
• trabajar = to work
• estudiar = to study

Stem

The stem is the part that remains after removing the ending.

Conjugation

A conjugation is a verb form changed to match the subject.

• yo hablo = I speak
• tú trabajas = you work
• nosotros estudiamos = we study

Present Tense Endings

Full Conjugation: hablar (to speak)

Quick Pattern Check

All regular -AR verbs follow the same present tense pattern:

The present tense (Presente) of regular -ER verbs is used to express:

• Actions happening right now — "Yo como una manzana." (I eat an apple.)
• Habitual or repeated actions — "Ella lee cada noche." (She reads every night.)
• General truths or facts — "Los niños aprenden rápido." (Children learn fast.)

-ER Verbs vs -AR Verbs

-ER verbs are the second most common verb group in Spanish. They follow a similar pattern to -AR verbs, but with different endings. If you already know how to conjugate -AR verbs, you will notice that the endings change but the process stays the same: remove the infinitive ending and add the new endings.

Key Differences

Note: The "yo" ending (-o) and the "they" ending (-en/-an) look very similar between groups. The main changes are in the tú, nosotros, and vosotros forms.

The -ER Verb Group

Spanish verbs ending in -er form the second of three conjugation groups. This level focuses only on regular -ER verbs — verbs that follow the standard pattern without any stem changes or irregular forms.

Infinitive

The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb. In English, it appears as "to + verb".

• comer = to eat
• beber = to drink
• leer = to read
• correr = to run
• aprender = to learn

Stem

The stem is the part that remains after removing the -er ending.

Present Tense Endings for -ER Verbs

Full Conjugation: comer (to eat)

Comparing -AR and -ER Endings

Notice the pattern: where -AR verbs use the vowel "a", -ER verbs use "e". The "yo" form (-o) is the same for both groups.

Quick Pattern Check

All regular -ER verbs follow the same present tense pattern:

The present tense (Presente) of regular -IR verbs is used to express:

• Actions happening right now — "Yo escribo una carta." (I write a letter.)
• Habitual or repeated actions — "Ella vive en Barcelona." (She lives in Barcelona.)
• General truths or facts — "Los estudiantes comparten ideas." (The students share ideas.)

-IR Verbs vs -ER Verbs

-IR verbs are the third and smallest verb group in Spanish. Their conjugation is almost identical to -ER verbs — only two forms differ: nosotros and vosotros.

Key Differences

This means: if you already know -ER conjugation, you only need to memorize two new endings for -IR verbs.

The -IR Verb Group

Spanish verbs ending in -ir form the third and last conjugation group. This level focuses only on regular -IR verbs — verbs that follow the standard pattern without any stem changes or irregular forms.

Infinitive

The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb. In English, it appears as "to + verb".

• vivir = to live
• escribir = to write
• abrir = to open
• decidir = to decide
• recibir = to receive

Stem

The stem is the part that remains after removing the -ir ending.

Present Tense Endings for -IR Verbs

Full Conjugation: vivir (to live)

Comparing All Three Groups

Notice: -ER and -IR are identical except for nosotros (-emos vs -imos) and vosotros (-éis vs -ís). The "yo" form (-o) is always the same.

Quick Pattern Check

All regular -IR verbs follow the same present tense pattern:

Some Spanish verbs are called stem-changing verbs. They still use the normal present tense endings, but the stem changes in certain forms.

What is a stem?

The stem is the part of the verb that remains after removing -ar, -er, or -ir.

• pensar → pens-
• comenzar → comenz-
• entender → entend-

In some verbs, a vowel inside that stem changes when the verb is conjugated.

Where stem changes happen

In the present tense, these changes affect:

• yo
• tú
• él / ella / usted
• ellos / ellas / ustedes

They do not affect:

• nosotros / nosotras
• vosotros / vosotras

This is called the boot verb pattern (or shoe verb pattern) because the changed forms make a boot shape in the conjugation chart.

Why nosotros and vosotros stay different

These forms have stress in a different part of the word. Because of that, the stem remains unchanged.

Compare:

• pienso, piensas, piensa — stress falls on the stem
• pensamos, pensáis — stress falls after the stem

Why these verbs matter

These verbs are very common and useful. The endings stay regular — only the stem changes. That means:

• You still use regular present endings (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an for -AR)
• Only the stem vowel changes in the boot forms

Stem-Changing Verbs: Overview

In Stem Changes 1, you learn that some present tense verbs are semi-irregular. They still use regular endings, but the stem vowel changes in the boot forms.

Three Patterns in This Level

1. e → ie — the most common stem change 2. u → ú — accent addition in -UAR verbs 3. i → í — accent addition in -IAR verbs

Pattern 1: e → ie

The vowel e inside the stem changes to ie in yo, tú, él/ella/usted, and ellos/ellas/ustedes.

Full Conjugation: pensar (to think)

Common e → ie verbs

The e → ie pattern appears in all three verb groups (-AR, -ER, -IR).

Pattern 2: u → ú (accent addition)

In many verbs ending in -UAR, the u receives an accent in the boot forms.

Full Conjugation: continuar (to continue)

Common -UAR verbs: continuar, actuar, situar, graduar, evaluar, efectuar

Pattern 3: i → í (accent addition)

In many verbs ending in -IAR, the i receives an accent in the boot forms.

Full Conjugation: enviar (to send)

Common -IAR verbs: enviar, confiar, variar, ampliar, guiar, criar

Important: Not every verb ending in -iar or -uar takes an accent. These must be learned by pattern.

Compare: Regular vs Stem-Changing

The endings are identical! Only the stem changes.

Quick Rule Summary

e → ie: Change the e in the stem to ie in boot forms (yo, tú, él/ella, ellos/ellas).

u → ú: In many -UAR verbs, the u takes an accent in boot forms.

i → í: In many -IAR verbs, the i takes an accent in boot forms.

Learning Strategy

Do not treat every verb as an isolated case. Look for:

• Repeated vowel changes
• Families of similar verbs (empezar / comenzar, sentir / preferir / mentir)
• Shared patterns like -entir, -erir, -iar, -uar

Quick Pattern Check

In the present tense, some Spanish verbs change the vowel o in the stem to ue in certain forms. They still use the normal present tense endings — only the stem changes.

What is the stem?

The stem is the part of the verb that remains after removing -ar, -er, or -ir.

• volver → volv-
• dormir → dorm-
• probar → prob-

Where the change happens

The stem change affects the boot forms:

• yo
• tú
• él / ella / usted
• ellos / ellas / ustedes

It does not affect:

• nosotros / nosotras
• vosotros / vosotras

Why nosotros and vosotros do not change

The stress falls differently in these two forms. Because of that, the vowel remains unchanged.

Compare:

• duermo, duermes, duerme — stress on the stem
• dormimos, dormís — stress after the stem

Why these verbs matter

These verbs are very common. You will encounter volver, dormir, contar, encontrar, poder, and costar constantly. The endings stay regular — only the stem vowel changes.

Stem-Changing Verbs: o → ue

In Stem Changes 2, the main pattern is o → ue. The vowel o inside the stem changes to ue in the boot forms.

Full Conjugation: volver (to return)

Full Conjugation: dormir (to sleep)

Full Conjugation: contar (to count / to tell)

Common o → ue verbs

Compare: Regular vs o → ue

The endings are identical! Only the stem changes.

Families and Patterns

Many verbs become easier when you notice groups:

• probar, aprobar, comprobar — same pattern
• volver, devolver — closely related
• contar, encontrar — same vowel change
• dormir, morir — the two main -IR verbs with o → ue

Special Case: oler (to smell)

oler follows o → ue but also adds h at the beginning:

Important Distinction

Not every verb with an o in the stem changes to ue. This pattern belongs to specific verbs and must be learned as a group.

Quick Rule Summary

o → ue: Change the o in the stem to ue in:

• yo, tú, él/ella/usted, ellos/ellas/ustedes

Do not change it in:

• nosotros/nosotras, vosotros/vosotras

Quick Pattern Check

In this lesson, the focus is on the present tense stem-change pattern e → i. These verbs still take the normal present tense endings, but the vowel e in the stem becomes i in certain forms.

Where the change happens

The stem change appears in the boot forms:

• yo
• tú
• él / ella / usted
• ellos / ellas / ustedes

The stem stays unchanged in:

• nosotros / nosotras
• vosotros / vosotras

Important observation

The e → i pattern is especially common in -IR verbs. That is one of the easiest ways to recognize it.

Examples: pedir, servir, seguir, conseguir, elegir, corregir, competir, impedir

This does not mean every -ir verb changes this way — it only means this pattern appears very often in that group.

Compare e → ie and e → i

These two patterns are easy to confuse:

The structure is similar, but the actual vowel change is different. pensar inserts "ie", while pedir just changes "e" to "i".

Why these verbs matter

Verbs like pedir, seguir, servir, and competir are extremely common in everyday Spanish. Recognizing the e → i pattern lets you conjugate the whole group correctly.

Stem-Changing Verbs: e → i

In Stem Changes 3, the main pattern is e → i. The vowel e inside the stem changes to i in the boot forms. This pattern appears mostly in -IR verbs.

Full Conjugation: pedir (to ask for)

Full Conjugation: servir (to serve)

Full Conjugation: seguir (to follow)

Common e → i verbs

Pattern Recognition — Verb Families

Do not memorize these verbs as random exceptions. Look for repeated endings and families:

• -eguir: seguir, conseguir
• -edir: pedir, impedir
• -etir: competir
• -egir: elegir, corregir
• -ervir: servir

Compare All Three Stem Changes

All three patterns share the same boot-form logic: change in yo, tú, él/ella, ellos/ellas — no change in nosotros, vosotros.

Special Cases

seguir → sigo

The expected form "siguo" becomes sigo for pronunciation reasons.

elegir → elijo, corregir → corrijo

These verbs have e → i AND a spelling change g → j in the yo form.

Quick Rule Summary

e → i: Change the e in the stem to i in:

• yo, tú, él/ella/usted, ellos/ellas/ustedes

Do not change it in:

• nosotros/nosotras, vosotros/vosotras

This pattern is especially common in -IR verbs.

Quick Pattern Check

Some Spanish verbs are irregular only in the yo form of the present tense. The other forms follow the normal pattern.

The c → zc pattern

In these verbs, the final c in the stem changes to zc before the -o ending:

• conocer → conozco
• introducir → introduzco
• ofrecer → ofrezco

This change preserves the correct sound and spelling in Spanish.

Where the change happens

This pattern affects only the yo form. All other present tense forms stay completely regular.

Why these verbs are grouped together

Most of these verbs end in -cer or -cir. When you see a verb of this type, check whether its yo form uses zc.

Important observation

The full verb is not completely irregular — only one form changes. This is not a fully irregular verb like ser or ir. It is a yo-form irregularity.

This is useful because you only need to memorize one changed form, not the whole conjugation.

Meaning note: conocer vs saber

conocer means "to know a person" or "to be familiar with":

• Conozco a María. = I know María.
• Conozco Madrid. = I am familiar with Madrid.

It is different from saber, which is used for facts and information.

Special warning: hacer

hacer does NOT belong to this c → zc group, even though it has a c. The yo form is hago, not "hazco". So hacer belongs to another yo-irregular pattern.

Irregular Yo Forms: c → zc

In some -cer and -cir verbs, the yo form changes c → zc. Only the yo form is affected — all other forms are regular.

Full Conjugation: conocer (to know)

Full Conjugation: introducir (to introduce)

Full Conjugation: ofrecer (to offer)

Common c → zc verbs

Verb families

-cer verbs: conocer, crecer, ofrecer, establecer, parecer, nacer, merecer -cir verbs: introducir, conducir, producir

NOT in this group

• hacer → hago (not "hazco")
• decir → digo (different pattern)

These verbs belong to other yo-irregular groups.

Key learning points

1. The change affects only yo 2. The pattern appears in -cer and -cir verbs 3. The rest of the conjugation is completely regular 4. Many related verbs behave the same way

Quick Pattern Check (yo forms only)

In this lesson, the focus is on another present tense yo-form irregularity: g → j. These verbs change the g in the stem to j before the -o ending, but only in the yo form.

Where the change happens

This pattern affects only:

• yo

The rest of the conjugation follows the normal present tense pattern.

Main pattern

g → j in the yo form

This pattern often appears in verbs ending in:

• -ger (escoger, proteger, recoger)
• -gir (dirigir, exigir, surgir)

Why this change happens

This change preserves pronunciation. Without the change, the g before o would produce a different sound. Spanish changes it to j to keep the intended pronunciation.

That is why:

• proteger → protejo
• escoger → escojo
• exigir → exijo

look unusual in the yo form.

Important mixed cases: elegir and corregir

Some verbs do more than one thing at the same time. Verbs like elegir and corregir (covered in Level 7) have g → j in the yo form AND e → i stem changes in the boot forms. This makes them more irregular than a simple yo-form change.

Compare:

• dirigir → yo dirijo (g → j only)
• elegir → yo elijo (g → j + e → i stem change)

Learning strategy

When learning this pattern, focus on these points:

1. The change affects only yo 2. It is common in -ger and -gir verbs 3. The other present tense forms are usually regular 4. Some verbs, like elegir and corregir, also have additional stem changes

Yo-Form Irregularity: g → j

In this lesson, the pattern is g → j in the yo form only. This is the second yo-form irregularity pattern after c → zc (Level 8).

Full Conjugation: proteger (to protect)

Full Conjugation: dirigir (to direct)

Full Conjugation: exigir (to demand)

Common g → j verbs

Verb Families

• -ger verbs: escoger, proteger, recoger
• -gir verbs: dirigir, exigir, surgir

Compare regular and irregular yo forms

Quick Rule Summary

g → j: In -ger and -gir verbs, the yo form changes g to j:

• escoger → escojo
• proteger → protejo
• recoger → recojo
• dirigir → dirijo
• exigir → exijo
• surgir → surjo

Quick Pattern Check

In this lesson, the focus is on two common types of irregular yo forms in the present tense:

• verbs that add g before the -o ending
• verbs ending in -guir that drop the u in the yo form

These verbs are irregular only in the yo form. The other forms usually stay regular, unless the verb has another separate irregularity.

Type 1: Adding g in the yo form

Some very common verbs form the present tense yo by adding g before the final -o.

Examples:

• poner → pongo
• salir → salgo
• valer → valgo
• hacer → hago
• venir → vengo

This change appears only in yo.

Special case: stems ending in a vowel

When the stem ends in a vowel, Spanish often adds ig before the -o in the yo form.

Examples:

• oír → oigo
• caer → caigo
• traer → traigo

So instead of a simple added g, these verbs use ig + o.

Verb families

Some verbs are built from other verbs and keep the same yo pattern:

• poner → pongo → suponer → supongo
• venir → vengo

If you know the base verb, you can often predict related verbs.

Type 2: Verbs ending in -guir

In verbs ending in -guir, the yo form drops the u and the spelling adjusts:

• distinguir → distingo

Note: seguir → sigo and conseguir → consigo also follow this pattern, but they were already covered in Level 7 (e → i stem changes).

Important distinction

Not all verbs with g in the infinitive use the same yo pattern. Compare:

• add g: poner → pongo, salir → salgo
• g → j (Level 9): escoger → escojo, proteger → protejo
• -guir: distinguir → distingo

Irregular Yo Forms: Adding g and -guir

This lesson covers the third group of yo-form irregularities in the present tense.

Group 1: Adding g

Full Conjugation: poner (to put)

Full Conjugation: salir (to leave)

Full Conjugation: venir (to come)

Group 2: Adding ig (vowel stem)

Full Conjugation: oír (to hear)

Full Conjugation: traer (to bring)

Group 3: -guir verbs

Full Conjugation: distinguir (to distinguish)

Common verbs in this lesson

Verb Families

• poner family: poner → pongo, suponer → supongo
• vowel stem + ig: oír → oigo, caer → caigo, traer → traigo

Compare All Yo-Form Patterns (Levels 8-10)

Quick Pattern Check

Some very common Spanish verbs have a present tense yo form that does not follow any of the regular patterns studied so far.

These verbs do not fit neatly into:

• c → zc (Level 8)
• g → j (Level 9)
• adding g / ig / -guir (Level 10)

Their yo forms must be memorized individually.

Core verbs in this lesson

• saber → sé
• caber → quepo
• dar → doy
• ver → veo

What makes these verbs different

In these verbs, the yo form changes in a way that cannot be explained by the normal present tense endings alone. The rest of the conjugation usually stays regular or nearly regular.

Important: only yo-form irregularity

This lesson focuses on verbs that are mainly irregular only in the yo form. Fully irregular verbs like ser, estar, ir, and haber will be covered in later levels.

Meaning note: saber vs conocer

Both mean "to know" but are used differently:

• saber = to know facts, information, or how to do something
• conocer = to know people, places, or to be familiar with something

Examples:

• Sé la respuesta. = I know the answer.
• Sé nadar. = I know how to swim.
• Conozco a María. = I know María.

Meaning note: caber

caber means "to fit" physically:

• No quepo en el coche. = I do not fit in the car.
• Todo cabe en la caja. = Everything fits in the box.

Other Irregular Yo Forms

This lesson covers the final group of yo-form irregularities: verbs whose yo forms do not follow any predictable pattern.

Full Conjugation: saber (to know)

Full Conjugation: caber (to fit)

Full Conjugation: dar (to give)

Full Conjugation: ver (to see)

Summary of all irregular yo forms