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All of the following sentences have two things in common.
See if you can spot 'em.
"Can you help me, please?"

"How much does this cost?"

"Repeat that, please."

"I want to go home!"

First, they are all very useful phrases that frequently come up in casual conversation.

And second, they would all be impossible to say in Spanish without the use of stem-changing verbs!

Not quite regular but also not irregular, stem-changing verbs show up all the time in Spanish. They can be frustrating to memorize, but learning them can make all the difference in your spoken and written Spanish.

What Are Stem-changing Verbs?

Spanish infinitive verbs consist of two parts: a stem and an ending. For example, the regular verb hablar (to speak) consists of the stem habl-and the ending -ar. To conjugate hablar in the present tense, simply take the stem and add the correct ending (o, a, as, amos, áis, an).

Stem-changing verbs do not follow this pattern. As you may have guessed, the stems of these verbs undergo a change when conjugated.

There are three basic types of stem-changing verbs.

1. e-ie stem-changing verbs: verbs in which an in the stem changes to an .

3. o-ue stem-changing verbs: verbs in which an in the stem changes to a.

Why Are Some Verbs Stem-changing?

Good question! Unfortunately, there is no rhyme or reason as to why some verbs are stem-changing and others aren't. You just have to memorize them. As you continue speaking, listening and practicing, stem-changing verbs will become second nature.

One trick to increase your memory for stem-changing verbs is to pay attention to prefixes.

If a verb is stem-changing, any form of that verb with a prefix will also be stem-changing. Therefore, if you learn the stem change for tener (to have), you will also have learned the stem changes for the related verbs mantener (to maintain), entretener (to entertain), contener (to contain) and obtener (to obtain).

If you know the stem change for decir (to say), you also know the stem changes for contradecir (to contradict), predecir (to predict) and bendecir (to bless).

How Are Stem-changing Verbs Conjugated?

Stem changes affect verbs in three cases: the present simple, the past simple and the present continuous. In the other verb tenses, you don't even need to worry about stem changes.

As you might notice from the information below, memorizing Spanish verbs can be tricky for a variety of reasons.

For more help with these pesky irregulars, use these audio lessons and accompanying quizzes about stem-changing verbs from FluentU to really drive the concept home.

And if you find this helpful, you will love FluentU's other learning options! FluentU makes learning grammar, vocabulary and authentic Spanish as easy possible by showing the language in action.

FluentU takes real-world videos, like music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks, and turns them into Spanish learning experiences.

Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You'll learn Spanish as it's actually spoken by real people.

FluentU has a wide variety of videos-topics like soccer, TV shows, business, movies and even magical realism, as you can see here:

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Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store for iOS and Android devices.

Ready to dive in? Here is all you need to know about conjugating stem-changing verbs!

The Present Simple

Like all other verbs in Spanish, stem-changing verbs are conjugated by removing the - ar, -er or -ir ending from an infinitive and adding the appropriate ending. In the case of stem-changing verbs, there is just one intermediate step: You must also make the appropriate change to the stem.

In the present simple, the stem change applies to all forms of the verb except for the nosotros and vosotros forms. For nosotros and vosotros, keep the stem the same and treat it as you would any regular verb.

Let's look at the e-ie verb empezar (to begin), the e-i verb repetir (to repeat) and the o-ue verb poder (to be able to).

The Past Simple

In the past simple, only - ir verbs are stem-changing, and only in two persons: the é l/ella/usted form and the ellos/ellas/ustedes form.

In the past simple, the stem changes are also different than in the present simple.

For e-i stem-changing verbs, change the e to an i (like in the present tense).

For e-ie stem-changing verbs, change the e to an i.

For o-ue stem-changing verbs, change the o to a u.

Let's look at a chart using the e-i verb pedir (to ask), the e-ie verb sentir and the o-ue verb dormir (to sleep).

The Present Continuous

To review, the present continuous tense is composed of two parts: a conjugation of the verb estar (to be) and a gerund. English gerunds are verbs that end in -ing. In Spanish, they end in - ando or - iendo.

Only gerunds for - ir verbs undergo a stem change. The stem changes are the same as the past simple. Therefore,

For e-i stem-changing verbs, change the e to an i. The verb pedir becomes pidiendo.

For e-ie stem-changing verbs, change the e to an i. The verb sentir becomes sintiendo.

e-ie

Meaning: To begin.

Hoy empiezo mi nuevo trabajo. (Today I begin my new job.)

2. Sentirse

Meaning: To feel (an emotion)

Se sienten muy felices porque han ganado el partido. (They feel very happy because they have won the game.)

Meaning: To want

¿Quieres ir al cine? (Do you want to go to the movies?)

Tip: Use te quiero to express love to a romantic partner or a very close friend.

Meaning: To think

Ella piensa mucho en los demás. (She thinks a lot about others.)

Tip: To say "I think that," use the phrase pienso que.

Pienso que voy a llegar sobre las 8. (I think that I am going to arrive around 8:00.)

Meaning: To lose

Ella pierde su móvil muy a menudo. (She loses her phone frequently.)

Tip: The reflexive verb perderse means "to get lost." Siempre me pierdo en Lisboa porque las calles son muy estrechas. (I always get lost in Lisbon because the streets are very narrow.)

6. Preferir

Meaning: To prefer

Me gustan las fresas, pero prefiero las manzanas. (I like strawberries, but I prefer apples.)

Prefiero que no vayas al concierto con él. (I prefer that you don't go to the concert with him.)

Meaning: To have

¿Tienes un bolígrafo? (Do you have a pen?)

Tip: Tener que means "to have to (do something)."

Tienen que ir al gimnasio mañana. (They have to go to the gym tomorrow.)

o-ue

Meaning: To be able to

Ellos no pueden venir porque tienen que trabajar. (They can't come because they have to work.)

Tip: You can also use the verb poder to politely ask somebody to do something.

¿Puedes cerrar la puerta, por favor? (Can you close the door, please?)

Meaning: To tend to do something, to do something habitually.

Él suele llegar tarde. (He tends to arrive late.)

Tip: When using soler with another verb, remember that the second verb must always be in the infinitive.

Meaning: To return

¿Vuelves a los Estados Unidos después de tu viaje? (Do you return to the United States after your trip?)

Meaning: To move

Mueve los brazos cuando camina. (He moves his arms when he walks.)

Meaning: To sleep

Cada noche duermo 8 horas. (Every night, I sleep 8 hours.)

Tip: The reflexive verb dormirse means "to fall asleep."

Se durmió a las 10 de la noche. (She fell asleep at 10:00 PM.)

Meaning: To cost

La camisa cuesta diez dólares. (the shirt costs ten dollars.)

Tip: Costar can also me used to describe something that you find difficult.

Me cuesta entenderla porque habla muy rápido. (It's hard for me to understand her because she speaks very quickly.)

e-i

Meaning: To ask, to request, to order.

Cada vez que voy a ese restaurante, pido la sopa de pollo. (Every time I go to that restaurant, I order the chicken soup.)

Meaning: To follow, to continue

Mis gatos siempre me siguen. (My cats always follow me around.)

Le duele la pierna, pero sigue jugando al fútbol. (Her leg hurts, but she continues to play football.)

Tip: Like the English verb "to follow," you can use the verb seguir to mean "to understand."

¿De qué hablas? No te sigo. (What are you talking about? I'm not following you.)

Meaning: To repeat

La chica repite lo que dice su hermano. (The girl repeats what her brother says.)

Tip: The verb repetir also means "to have second helpings (of a food or drink)." This is very useful to know when having a meal at the home of a Spanish-speaking family!

Meaning: To say

Ella dice que a su padre no le gusta la película. (She says that her father doesn't like the movie.)

Tip: Decir is an irregular verb beyond also being stem-changing! The present-tense yo form of decir is digo.

18. Sonreír

Meaning: To smile.

Sonrío cuando te veo. (I smile when I see you.)

Tip: Sonreír resembles the verb reír (to laugh). Reír is also a stem-changing verb, and it follows the same conjugation pattern as sonreír.

With stem-changing verbs, you'll be able to speak about your thoughts, your abilities, your preferences, your wants and the things that make you smile. Clearly, this is a very useful class of verbs, so pull out those flashcards and start memorizing!

If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn Spanish with real-world videos.
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18 Commonly Used Spanish Stem-changing Verbs

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All of the following sentences have two things in common. See if you can spot 'em. "Can you help me, please?" "How much does this cost?" "Repeat that, please." "I want to go home!" First, they are all very useful phrases that frequently come up in casual conversation.

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Sales

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Silk

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Price

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Wool

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Cotton

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It is made of

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The latest style

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Stripped

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Plaid

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Yuck!

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Belt

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Last weeek

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Wallet

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Ago

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Yesterday

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T-shirt

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Last year

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Last night

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Shirt

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Socks

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To sell

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Boot

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To pay (for)

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Purse

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Blouse

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To look at

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Jeans

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Expensive

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Earrings

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Coat

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Inexpensive, cheap

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Girlfriend

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Swim suit

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Gloves

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Underwear

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Tie

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Skirt

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Earrings

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Sunglasses

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Shoe store

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