saber
to know| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sé |
| tú | sabes |
| él | sabe |
| nosotros | sabemos |
| vosotros | sabéis |
| ellos | saben |
Yo sé cómo funciona este programa. — I know how this program works.
Level 11 of 60 · Tense System · Presente
Present Irregular Yo 4
Irregular yo forms: other patterns
When to use it
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.
How to form it
AR
Pattern: dar (-AR verb)
dar is the only -AR verb in this group with an unusual yo form.
Example: dar (to give)
| Pronoun | Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| yo | doy | irregular |
| tú | das | regular |
| él / ella / usted | da | regular |
| nosotros / nosotras | damos | regular |
| vosotros / vosotras | dais | regular |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | dan | regular |
The yo form is doy, not the expected "do". Only the yo form is unusual.
ER
Pattern: Other irregular yo (-ER verbs)
Example: saber (to know)
| Pronoun | Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| yo | sé | irregular |
| tú | sabes | regular |
| él / ella / usted | sabe | regular |
| nosotros / nosotras | sabemos | regular |
| vosotros / vosotras | sabéis | regular |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | saben | regular |
The yo form is sé, not the expected "sabo".
Example: caber (to fit)
| Pronoun | Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| yo | quepo | irregular |
| tú | cabes | regular |
| él / ella / usted | cabe | regular |
| nosotros / nosotras | cabemos | regular |
| vosotros / vosotras | cabéis | regular |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | caben | regular |
The yo form is quepo, not the expected "cabo".
Example: ver (to see)
| Pronoun | Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| yo | veo | irregular |
| tú | ves | regular |
| él / ella / usted | ve | regular |
| nosotros / nosotras | vemos | regular |
| vosotros / vosotras | veis | regular |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | ven | regular |
The yo form is veo. This verb has a short, special structure.
IR
Note on -IR verbs
There are no -IR verbs in this particular group. The irregular yo forms covered here are -ER verbs (saber, caber, ver) and one -AR verb (dar).
Grammar in detail
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)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sé |
| tú | sabes |
| él / ella / usted | sabe |
| nosotros / nosotras | sabemos |
| vosotros / vosotras | sabéis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | saben |
Full Conjugation: caber (to fit)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | quepo |
| tú | cabes |
| él / ella / usted | cabe |
| nosotros / nosotras | cabemos |
| vosotros / vosotras | cabéis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | caben |
Full Conjugation: dar (to give)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | doy |
| tú | das |
| él / ella / usted | da |
| nosotros / nosotras | damos |
| vosotros / vosotras | dais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | dan |
Full Conjugation: ver (to see)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | veo |
| tú | ves |
| él / ella / usted | ve |
| nosotros / nosotras | vemos |
| vosotros / vosotras | veis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | ven |
Summary of all irregular yo forms
| Verb | yo form | Expected | Why irregular |
|---|---|---|---|
| saber | sé | sabo | completely unique |
| caber | quepo | cabo | completely unique |
| dar | doy | do | adds -oy |
| ver | veo | — | special short form |
Compare All Yo-Form Patterns (Levels 8-11)
| Pattern | Example | yo form | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| c → zc | conocer | conozco | 8 |
| g → j | proteger | protejo | 9 |
| add g | poner | pongo | 10 |
| add ig | traer | traigo | 10 |
| -guir | distinguir | distingo | 10 |
| unique | saber | sé | 11 |
| unique | caber | quepo | 11 |
| unique | dar | doy | 11 |
| unique | ver | veo | 11 |
Quick Pattern Check
| Verb | yo | tú | él/ella | nosotros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| saber | sé | sabes | sabe | sabemos |
| caber | quepo | cabes | cabe | cabemos |
| dar | doy | das | da | damos |
| ver | veo | ves | ve | vemos |
The 4 verbs in this level
caber
to fit| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | quepo |
| tú | cabes |
| él | cabe |
| nosotros | cabemos |
| vosotros | cabéis |
| ellos | caben |
Yo no quepo en ese asiento tan pequeño. — I do not fit in that very small seat.
dar
to give| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | doy |
| tú | das |
| él | da |
| nosotros | damos |
| vosotros | dais |
| ellos | dan |
Yo doy clases por la tarde. — I give classes in the afternoon.
ver
to see| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | veo |
| tú | ves |
| él | ve |
| nosotros | vemos |
| vosotros | veis |
| ellos | ven |
Yo veo el mar desde mi ventana. — I see the sea from my window.