Stem-Changing Verbs in Spanish: e to ie, o to ue
The boot verbs that change their vowel in most forms, with common examples and the pattern to remember.
Many Spanish verbs change the vowel in their stem when stressed. They are called stem-changing or boot verbs.
The pattern
The change happens in all forms except nosotros and vosotros. If you draw a line around the changing forms in a table, the shape looks like a boot.
e to ie
Querer (to want):
| Subject | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | quiero |
| tú | quieres |
| él / ella | quiere |
| nosotros | queremos |
| vosotros | queréis |
| ellos | quieren |
Other e → ie verbs:
- pensar, to think
- empezar, to begin
- entender, to understand
- preferir, to prefer
o to ue
Poder (can, to be able):
- puedo, puedes, puede, podemos, podéis, pueden
Other o → ue verbs:
- dormir, to sleep
- volver, to return
- encontrar, to find
- costar, to cost
e to i
Some -ir verbs change e → i:
- pedir (to ask for): pido, pides, pide, pedimos, pedís, piden
- servir, to serve
Examples
- Quiero un café. I want a coffee.
- ¿Puedes ayudarme? Can you help me?
- Duermo ocho horas. I sleep eight hours.
- Pienso que sí. I think so.
Special case: jugar
jugar (to play) changes u → ue: juego, juegas, juega, jugamos, jugáis, juegan.
Tips
- Remember the boot.
- Learn the infinitive and the change together.
- Use the dictionary to check whether a verb is stem-changing.
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