Transcript Spanish Stem-Changing Verbs

Spanish Stem-Changing
Verbs
e→ie
o→ue
e→i
Take notes on stem changing verbs
and copy all the vocabulary
There is a fairly large group of verbs in Spanish that undergo
changes in their stem when conjugated in the present tense.
These changes occur only in the first and second persons
singular and third persons singular and plural.
When a line is drawn around the forms that change, the resulting shape vaguely resembles a
boot or high-top shoe; thus, these verbs are sometimes informally called “boot” or “shoe”
verbs.
There are three types or classes of “boot” verbs.
Los verbos que cambian e→ie
Write the verbs in your notebook

Tener

To have

Querer

To want

Pensar

To think

Empezar

To begin (start)

Comenzar

To begin (start)

Perder

To lose

Preferir

To prefer

Cerrar

To close

Entender

To understand

Merendar

To have a snack

Mentir

To lie

Recomendar

To recommend

*Nevar

To snow
*nevar is only conjugated in the third person singular “it” (same
conjugation as the “he/she” form: nieva
Stem-changing verbs give
their stems the boot!
Querer
Querer

First, let’s just add all the correct endings.
Verb endings
If
a verb ends in
–ar, you add:
o
as
a
amos
an
Verb endings
 If
a verb ends
in –er, you
add:
o
 es
e
 emos
 en
 if
a verb ends
in –ir, you
add:
o
 es
e
 imos
 en
So,
since “querer” ends en “er”
(querer), which endings will we
add?

The “er” endings:

o

es

e

emos

en
Querer - endings
quer o
quer emos
quer es
quer e
quer en
Now, let’s add our stem
change.

Remember, only the e in the stem can change.

querer

perder

If there are two e’s in the stem, the second one always changes.

preferir

empezar

Now let’s change the stems.

Remember, e can change to ie only within
the boot. This means the nosotros form
never changes!
Querer
quier o
quer emos
quier es
quier e
quier en
The u→ue and o→ue verbs work the same way.
Write the words in your notebook

Poder

to be able to (can)

Jugar

to play

Dormir

to sleep

Soñar

to dream

Volver

to return (to a place)

Devolver

to return (a thing)

Almorzar

To have lunch

Contar

To count/ To tell stories

Costar

To cost

Encontrar

To find

Recordar

To remember /To recall

Probar

To try / to taste

colgar

To hang something

*llover

To rain
*costar is only conjugated in the “he” and “they forms” cuesta, cuestan
**llover is only conjugated in the “it-he” form: llueve
First, find the o or u in the
stem
that
is
going
to
change
Poder


Jugar

Dormir

Soñar

Volver

Devolver

Almorzar

Contar

Costar

Encontrar

Recordar

probar
Then, decide which verb
endings you will use.

For jugar:

For poder:

o

o

as

es

a

e

amos

emos

an

en
Then change it in the boot
juego
jugamos
juegas
juega
juegan
Poder
p__d
ue o
pod emos
ue es
p__d
ue e
p__d
ue en
p__d
Stop here,
now conjugate
the verbs
in the handout
The e→i verbs work the same
way.
Servir
to serve



Pedir

To ask for (service, request, favor)

Sonreir

To smile

Reirse

To laugh

Repetir

To repeat

Seguir

To continue / to follow (with directions)

Competir

To compete
First, find the e in the stem
that is going to change

Servir

Pedir

Sonreir

Reir

Repetir

seguir
Now, let’s add our stem
change.

Remember, only the e in the stem can change.

servir

seguir

If there are two e’s in the stem, the second one always changes.

repetir
Servir - endings
serv o
serv imos
serv es
serv e
serv en

Now let’s change the stems.

Remember, e can change to i only within
the boot. This means the nosotros form
never changes!
Servir
sirv o
serv imos
sirv es
sirv e
sirv en