Most Frequently Used Irregular Verbs
Present Tense (Presente de Indicativo)
Spanish has a set of irregular verbs that do not follow the standard conjugation rules. These irregularities usually occur in the first person singular (yo) and in stem changes for other persons.
🔹 Totally Irregular Forms
These verbs have unique forms that must be memorized entirely.
| Verb | Yo | Tú | Él/Ella | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ser to be | soy | eres | es | somos |
| estar to be | estoy | estás | está | estamos |
| dar to give | doy | das | da | damos |
| ir to go | voy | vas | va | vamos |
🔹 Yo-form Irregulars
These verbs have a highly irregular "yo" form, often ending in -go or having a unique spelling.
| Verb | Yo | Tú | Él/Ella | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tener to have | tengo | tienes | tiene | tenemos |
| hacer to do/make | hago | haces | hace | hacemos |
| decir to say/tell | digo | dices | dice | decimos |
| salir to leave/go out | salgo | sales | sale | salimos |
| venir to come | vengo | vienes | viene | venimos |
| poner to put/place | pongo | pones | pone | ponemos |
| traer to bring | traigo | traes | trae | traemos |
| oÃr to hear | oigo | oyes | oye | oÃmos |
🔹 Stem-changing Verbs (Boot Verbs)
The stem vowel changes in most forms except "nosotros". These are often called "boot verbs" because of the shape the irregularities make in a traditional conjugation chart.
o → ue
| Verb | Yo | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|
| morir | muero | morimos |
| dormir | duermo | dormimos |
| poder | puedo | podemos |
| volver | vuelvo | volvemos |
e → ie
| Verb | Yo | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|
| querer | quiero | queremos |
| pensar | pienso | pensamos |
| entender | entiendo | entendemos |
| perder | pierdo | perdemos |
| empezar | empiezo | empezamos |
e → i
| Verb | Yo | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|
| pedir | pido | pedimos |
| servir | sirvo | servimos |
| repetir | repito | repetimos |
| seguir | sigo | seguimos |
🔹 Other Irregulars
Some verbs combine stem changes with unique "yo" forms, or have minor spelling tweaks.
| Verb | Yo | Tú | Él/Ella | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ver to see | veo | ves | ve | vemos |
| saber to know (facts) | sé | sabes | sabe | sabemos |
| caber to fit | quepo | cabes | cabe | cabemos |
✨ Summary Cheat Sheet
Totally Irregular & Yo-Form
- Totally irregular: ser, estar, dar, ir
- Yo-form irregulars: tengo, hago, digo, salgo, vengo, pongo, traigo, oigo
- Other unique forms: veo, sé, quepo
Stem-Changing
- o → ue: muero, duermo, puedo, vuelvo
- e → ie: quiero, pienso, entiendo, pierdo, empiezo
- e → i: pido, sirvo, repito, sigo