Irregular Verbs In Spanish

IRREGULAR VERBS

A good number of high-frequency Spanish verbs are irregular. Irregular means that they follow no specific rules of conjugation, and you must memorize them. Some of these verbs are used in idiomatic expressions that can help you speak the language more colloquially.

An idiom is a particular word or expression whose meaning cannot be readily understood by either its grammar or the words used. Idiomatic expressions cannot be translated word for word without causing confusion. Imagine trying to grammatically explain to a non-native English speaker the meaning of:

It’s raining cats and dogs.

They fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

Verbs Only Irregular for Yo

The following high-frequency verbs have irregular yo forms only in the

present tense. You should commit them to memory because you will use

them often:

• conocer (koh-noh-sehr) to know: yo conozco. Other verbs like conocer are agradecer (ah-grah-deh-sehr) to thank, crecer (kreh-sehr) to  grow, merecer (meh-reh-sehr) to deserve, ofrecer (oh-freh-sehr) to offer, reconocer (rreh-koh-noh-sehr) to recognize.

• caer (kah-yehr) to fall: yo caigo

• dar (dahr) to give: yo doy. The following list gives the most common idiomatic expressions that use the verb dar.

EXPRESSION                                                           MEANING                                            EXAMPLE

dar a                                                     to face                               Mi casa da al mar.

(My house faces the sea.)

dar las gracias (a)                         to thank                            Me dan las gracias.

(They thank me.)

dar un paseo                                       to take a walk                .Quieres dar un paseo?

(Do you want to take a walk?)

dar una vuelta                                   to take a stroll            Vamos a dar una vuelta.

(We are going to take a stroll.)

darse cuenta de                                to realize                          Me doy cuenta de mi error.

(I realize my mistake.)

darse prisa                                         to hurry                            Tengo que darme prisa.

(I have to hurry.)

• hacer (ah-sehr) to make, do: yo hago. Below is a list of common idiomatic expressions that use the verb hacer.

EXPRESSION                                                           MEANING                                            EXAMPLE

hacer buen (mal)                               to be nice (bad)            Hace buen tiempo.

Tiempo                                                   weather                               (It’s nice weather.)

hacer frio (calor)                          to be cold (hot)               Hace calor. (It’s hot.)

weather

hacer una pregunta                          to ask a question             Hagame una pregunta.

(Ask me a question.)

hacer un viaje                                  to take a trip                  Hago un viaje a Roma.

(I’m taking a trip to Rome.)

hacerse +                                             noun to become                 Nos hacemos amigos.

(We’re becoming friends.)

• poner (poh-nehr) to put: yo pongo

• saber (sah-behr) to know a fact, to know how to: yo sé

• salir (sah-leer) to go out: yo salgo

• traducir (trah-doo-seer) to translate: yo traduzco. Other verbs like traducir are conducir (kohn-doo-seer) to drive, conduct, or lead,

*producir (proh-doo-seer), *reducir (rreh-doo-seer).

• traer (trah-yehr) to bring: yo traigo

• ver (behr) to see: yo veo

Other Irregular Verbs

The following verbs are irregular in all forms, and you should memorize them:

decir (deh-seer)—to say, tell

.........................................................................................................................................................................

yo digo (dee-goh)                                             nosotros decimos (deh-see-mohs)

tu dices (dee-sehs)                                        vosotros decis (deh-sees)

el, ella, Ud. dice (dee-seh)                       ellos, ellas, Uds. dicen (dee-sehn)

estar (eh-stahr)—to be

.........................................................................................................................................................................

yo estoy (eh-stoy)                          nosotros estamos (eh-stah-mohs)

tu estas (eh-stahs)                         vosotros estais (eh-stah-yees)

el, ella, Ud. esta (eh-stah)       ellos, ellas, Uds. estan (eh-stahn)

The following are the very common idiomatic expressions that use the verb estar:

EXPRESSION                                                           MEANING                                                                     EXAMPLE

estar a punto de                         to be just about to             Estoy a punto de salir.

(+ infinitive)                                                                                  (I’m just about to leave.)

estar por                                     to be inclined to                    Estoy por cocinar.

(+ infinitive)                                                                                 (I’m inclined to cook.)

estar de acuerdo                       to be in agreement                                Estoy de acuerdo con Ud.

(I agree with you.)

ir (eer)—to go

.........................................................................................................................................................................

yo voy (boy)                                       nosotros vamos (bah-mohs)

tu vas (bahs)                                    vosotros vais (bah-yees)

el, ella, Ud. va (bah)                  ellos, ellas, Uds. van (bahn)

oir (oh-eer)—to hear

.........................................................................................................................................................................

yo oigo (oy-goh)                               nosotros oimos (oh-ee-mohs)

tu oyes (oy-ehs)                              vosotros ois (oh-ees)

el, ella, Ud. oye (oy-eh)             ellos, ellas, Uds. oyen (oy-ehn)

ser (sehr)—to be

.........................................................................................................................................................................

yo soy (soy)                                       nosotros somos (soh-mohs)

tu eres (eh-rehs)                             vosotros sois (soh-yees)

el, ella, Ud. es (ehs)                   ellos, ellas, Uds. son (sohn)

tener (tehn-ehr)—to have

.........................................................................................................................................................................

yo tengo (tehn-goh)                         nosotros tenemos (teh-neh-mohs)

tu tienes (tee-yeh-nehs)              vosotros teneis (teh-neh-yees)

el, ella, Ud. Tiene                         ellos, ellas, Uds. tienen (tee-yeh-nehn)

(tee-yeh-neh)

In most instances, if a larger verb form contains an irregular verb you recognize, the chances are great that you may use the conjugation endings of the smaller verb. Tener is contained in contener (cohn-teh-nehr) to contain, detener (deh-teh-nehr) to detain, entretener (ehn-treh-teh-nehr) to entertain, mantener (mahn-teh-nehr) to maintain, obtener (ohb-tehnehr)

to obtain and sostener (soh-steh-nehr) to sustain. You conjugate these verbs as you would tener.

Although English speakers use the verb “to be” when speaking about certain physical conditions, Spanish speakers use the verb “to have” (tener) plus a noun to express the same thought. The following list gives the very common idiomatic expressions that

use the verb tener:

EXPRESSION                                                           MEANING                                                                    EXAMPLE

tener . . .                                        anos to be . . . years old           Yo tengo veinte anos.

(I’m twenty years old.)

tener calor (frio)                           to be hot (cold)                             Yo tengo calor. (I’m hot.)

tener cuidad                                       to be careful                                  Tenga cuidado. (Be careful.)

tener ganas de                                   to feel like                                     Tengo ganas de salir.

(I feel like going out.)

tener hambre                                      to be hungry                                      Tenemos hambre.

(We’re hungry.)

tener sed                                            to be thirsty                                    Tienen sed(They are thirsty.)

tener miedo de                                   to be afraid of                               Tengo miedo de eso.

(I’m afraid of that.)

tener prisa                                        to be in a hurry                              Ella tiene prisa.

(She’s in a hurry.)

tener que                                             to have to                                        Tengo que estudiar.

(I have to study.)

Tener razon                                        to be right Ud.                                 tiene razon. (Youre right.)

tener suerte                                       to be lucky                                      Tengo suerte. (I’m lucky.)

venir (beh-neer)—to come

.........................................................................................................................................................................

yo vengo (behn-goh)                                       nosotros venimos (beh-nee-mohs)

tu vienes (bee-yeh-nehs)                              vosotros venis (beh-nees)

el, ella, Ud. viene                                       ellos, ellas, Uds. vienen (bee-yeh-nehn)

(bee-yeh-neh)

USES OF THE PRESENT TENSE

The present tense is customarily used instead of the future tense to ask for instructions or to discuss an action that will take place in the immediate future:

Yo preparo la cena? Shall I prepare dinner?

Yo te veo pronto. I’ll see you soon.

To express an event that began in the past and is continuing in the present, use the following formulas for questions and answers. Questions containing hace + que must be answered with hace + que. Those questions containing desde must be answered with desde.

¿Cuanto tiempo hace + que + present tense?

¿.Cuanto tiempo hace que vives aqui?

How long have you been living here?

hace + an expression of time + que + present tense

Hace un ano que vivo aqui.

I’ve been living here for a year.

¿Desde cuلndo + present tense?

¿.Desde cuando vives aqui?

How long have you been living here?

present tense + desde

Vivo aqui desde hace un ano.

I’ve been living here a year.

NOTE

When it is necessary to use two verbs in succession, the first verb is conjugated and the second verb remains in the infinitive:

Yo quiero salir.                                                   I want to go out.

Ellos pueden bailar.                                          They can dance.

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