Must-Know Irregulars
Top 40 Spanish Irregular Verbs
Yo forms in 6 essential forms
Use this page as a compact comparison table. Start with the priority verbs, then filter by present irregulars, past irregulars, imperfect forms, gerunds, participles and future stems.
Start with patterns
Spanish irregular verbs are easier when you compare related forms side by side instead of memorizing a random list.
Red = irregular
The highlighted forms are the ones that deserve extra attention: soy, fui, tuve, hecho, tendré.
Perfect = he + participle
The perfect column shows he visto, he dicho, he puesto and other useful present-perfect forms.
The 6 forms compared here
This is not a full conjugation chart. It is a high-value yo-form reference for quick recognition.
Present
soy, tengo
Past
fui, hice
Imperfect
era, iba
Gerund
yendo
Perfect
he visto
Future
tendré
Top 40 comparison table
Showing all 40 verbs.
Tip: on mobile, scroll the table horizontally.
| Verb | Present yo | Past yo | Imperfect yo | Gerund | Perfect yo | Future yo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01ser to be | soy | fui | era | siendo | he sido | seré |
| 02ir to go | voy | fui | iba | yendo | he ido | iré |
| 03ver to see | veo | vi | veĂa | viendo | he visto | verĂ© |
| 04tener to have | tengo | tuve | tenĂa | teniendo | he tenido | tendrĂ© |
| 05venir to come | vengo | vine | venĂa | viniendo | he venido | vendrĂ© |
| 06poner to put / place | pongo | puse | ponĂa | poniendo | he puesto | pondrĂ© |
| 07hacer to do / make | hago | hice | hacĂa | haciendo | he hecho | harĂ© |
| 08decir to say / tell | digo | dije | decĂa | diciendo | he dicho | dirĂ© |
| 09salir to leave / go out | salgo | salĂ | salĂa | saliendo | he salido | saldrĂ© |
| 10valer to be worth | valgo | valĂ | valĂa | valiendo | he valido | valdrĂ© |
| 11poder to be able to | puedo | pude | podĂa | pudiendo | he podido | podrĂ© |
| 12querer to want / love | quiero | quise | querĂa | queriendo | he querido | querrĂ© |
| 13saber to know | sĂ© | supe | sabĂa | sabiendo | he sabido | sabrĂ© |
| 14caber to fit | quepo | cupe | cabĂa | cabiendo | he cabido | cabrĂ© |
| 15estar to be | estoy | estuve | estaba | estando | he estado | estaré |
| 16dar to give | doy | di | daba | dando | he dado | daré |
| 17oĂr to hear | oigo | oĂ | oĂa | oyendo | he oĂdo | oirĂ© |
| 18traer to bring | traigo | traje | traĂa | trayendo | he traĂdo | traerĂ© |
| 19caer to fall | caigo | caĂ | caĂa | cayendo | he caĂdo | caerĂ© |
| 20pedir to ask for / order | pido | pedĂ | pedĂa | pidiendo | he pedido | pedirĂ© |
| 21sentir to feel | siento | sentĂ | sentĂa | sintiendo | he sentido | sentirĂ© |
| 22dormir to sleep | duermo | dormĂ | dormĂa | durmiendo | he dormido | dormirĂ© |
| 23morir to die | muero | morĂ | morĂa | muriendo | he muerto | morirĂ© |
| 24volver to return | vuelvo | volvĂ | volvĂa | volviendo | he vuelto | volverĂ© |
| 25seguir to follow / continue | sigo | seguĂ | seguĂa | siguiendo | he seguido | seguirĂ© |
| 26pensar to think | pienso | pensé | pensaba | pensando | he pensado | pensaré |
| 27encontrar to find | encuentro | encontré | encontraba | encontrando | he encontrado | encontraré |
| 28conocer to know / meet | conozco | conocĂ | conocĂa | conociendo | he conocido | conocerĂ© |
| 29conducir to drive | conduzco | conduje | conducĂa | conduciendo | he conducido | conducirĂ© |
| 30traducir to translate | traduzco | traduje | traducĂa | traduciendo | he traducido | traducirĂ© |
| 31volar to fly | vuelo | volé | volaba | volando | he volado | volaré |
| 32construir to build | construyo | construĂ | construĂa | construyendo | he construido | construirĂ© |
| 33jugar to play | juego | jugué | jugaba | jugando | he jugado | jugaré |
| 34reĂr to laugh | rĂo | reĂ | reĂa | riendo | he reĂdo | reirĂ© |
| 35vestir to dress / wear | visto | vestĂ | vestĂa | vistiendo | he vestido | vestirĂ© |
| 36escribir to write | escribo | escribĂ | escribĂa | escribiendo | he escrito | escribirĂ© |
| 37abrir to open | abro | abrĂ | abrĂa | abriendo | he abierto | abrirĂ© |
| 38romper to break | rompo | rompĂ | rompĂa | rompiendo | he roto | romperĂ© |
| 39andar to walk | ando | anduve | andaba | andando | he andado | andaré |
| 40leer to read | leo | leĂ | leĂa | leyendo | he leĂdo | leerĂ© |
Red forms are the forms you should notice first. Some forms are regular but still included for comparison.
Smallest high-value group
ser → soy / fui
estar → estoy / estuve
ir → voy / fui
dar → doy / di
Notice: fui can mean “I was” or “I went”. Context decides.
Only 3 irregular imperfects
ser → era
ir → iba
ver → veĂa
This is one of the easiest irregular groups to master quickly.
Strong future stems
Learn these as chunks: tendré, vendré, pondré, haré, diré, podré, querré, sabré.
For a focused future-tense guide, use the page below.
Useful example sentences
No sé qué hacer.
I don’t know what to do.
Ayer tuve mucho trabajo.
Yesterday I had a lot of work.
Ya lo he visto.
I have already seen it.
Te diré la verdad.
I will tell you the truth.
Cuando era niño, iba mucho al parque.
When I was a child, I used to go to the park a lot.
¿Qué has hecho?
What have you done?