Stem-changing verbs: e→ie, o→ue, e→i

A1

Grammar path · Lesson 14 of 86 · Stage A1 · The present tense

Stem-changing verbs are everyday verbs like querer, poder and pedir, so you need them from your very first conversations. Their endings are regular, but the stressed vowel of the stem changes: quiero, puedo, pido. The change happens in yo, tú, él/ella/usted and ellos/ustedes, but not in nosotros: queremos, podemos, pedimos. Don't confuse them with fully irregular verbs like ser or ir. A stem-changer keeps its normal endings and swaps only one vowel, so once you know the type of change, you can conjugate the whole verb.

Practise this lesson · 10 sentences

Form

Affirmativesujeto + raíz con ie/ue/i + terminación
Yo quiero un café.I want a coffee.
Negativesujeto + no + raíz con ie/ue/i + terminación
Ella no puede venir hoy.She can't come today.
Question¿(palabra interrogativa) + raíz con ie/ue/i + terminación + sujeto?
¿A qué hora empieza la clase?What time does the class start?
Nosotros form (no change)nosotros + raíz sin cambio + terminación
Nosotros pedimos pizza los viernes.We order pizza on Fridays.

When to use it

Talking about wants and preferences

Querer (e→ie) and preferir (e→ie) are the stem-changers you will use most to say what you want or prefer.

Quiero aprender a cocinar.I want to learn to cook.
¿Ustedes prefieren ir en autobús o en taxi?Do you prefer to go by bus or by taxi?

Daily routines and schedules

Many verbs for routines and opening times are stem-changers, such as dormir, volver (o→ue), empezar and cerrar (e→ie).

Vuelvo a casa a las seis.I go back home at six.
La tienda cierra a las ocho.The store closes at eight.

Requests, ordering and asking permission

Poder (o→ue) is used for requests and permission, while pedir and repetir (e→i) are used for ordering or asking for things.

¿Puede repetir, por favor?Can you repeat that, please?
Mis hijos siempre piden pizza.My kids always ask for pizza.

Stem changes (except nosotros and vosotros)

e → ie · quererquiero · quieres · quiere · queremos · queréis · quieren
o → ue · poderpuedo · puedes · puede · podemos · podéis · pueden
e → i · pedirpido · pides · pide · pedimos · pedís · piden
u → ue · jugarjuego · juegas · juega · jugamos · jugáis · juegan

Don't confuse it with

Present tense: irregular verbs

If the verb keeps its normal endings and changes just one stem vowel (except in nosotros), it is a stem-changer: quiero, queremos. If the whole form changes (soy, voy) or only the yo form is odd (hago, salgo), see the irregular verbs page. Some verbs like tener and venir are both: tengo but tienes.

Frequently asked questions

Why doesn't nosotros change the vowel?

In the nosotros form the stress falls on the ending, not the stem, so the stem vowel stays the same: queremos, podemos, pedimos.

How do I know if a verb is stem-changing?

You can't tell from the infinitive. Dictionaries usually mark the change in parentheses, like pensar (ie) or contar (ue), so learn each verb together with its change.

Is jugar a stem-changing verb?

Yes. Jugar is the only verb that changes u→ue: juego, juegas, but jugamos.

Do -ar verbs ever change e→i?

No. The e→i change only happens in -ir verbs such as pedir, servir and repetir.

Why is tener conjugated tengo but tienes?

Tener has an irregular yo form (tengo) and also changes e→ie in the other forms (tienes, tiene, tienen). Venir works the same way: vengo, vienes.

More in The present tense

Present tense: regular verbsA1Present tense: irregular verbsA1Reflexive verbsA1Gustar and similar verbsA1
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