 Home
Grammar index
Spanish dictionary
Basic Spanish phrases
Translate
|
|
Verbs with irregular first person singular forms (ctd):
verbs with additional irregularities
On the previous page we saw some common Spanish verbs with irregular yo forms. We also mentioned that some verbs (namely tener, venir, decir and oír have some minor irregularities. We'll look at and practise these additional irregularities on this page.
The irregularities aren't too difficult, as they're similar to ones found in other verbs. The stem of these verbs changes before unstressed endings, as we'll see below.
First, a reminder of the yo forms of these verbs:
|
|
Vowel change in tener, venir and decir
The present tense of tener and venir is also radical-changing. In other words, the e changes to ie when this vowel is stressed. (Recall that the vowel is stressed except in the nosotros and vosotros forms, which have the stressed syllable on the ending: tenemos, venís.) So that gives tú forms tienes and vienes.
The verb decir follows a similar pattern, but the e changes to i: dices, dice, decimos decís, dicen.
Forms of oír
As well as the irregular yo form, this verb adds y before an ending that doesn't begin with í: oyes, oye, oímos, oís, oyen. Notice that the nosotros form (oímos) also has a written accent on the í vowel, to mark the fact that it is a separate vowel to o. The word is thus pronounced as three syllables: o-í-mos (contrast with oigo, which is pronounced as two syllables: oi-go).
Practise the present tense of these irregular verbs (including tener, venir, decir, oír)
To practise the present tense of the verbs above, fill in the grid below. Remember:
- If it's the I form, then you use the form from the grid above;
- If it's one of the other forms, you need to add the regular verb endings depending on the infinitive (e.g. singular you give > das);
- Before an unstressed ending, tener and venir change e to ei; decir channges e to i.
Español-Inglés home
Introduction to Spanish verbs
Spanish-English dictionary