Stem Changing Verbs

Stem Changing Verbs

By Roma Stutts

​Regular verbs

​The stem never changes no matter what the subject or tense is.

​

lavar - to wash me lavo - I was myself

lavé - I washed lavaré - I will wash

he lavado - I have washed​

Multiple Choice

El hombre (correr)

• corro

• corre

• corra

• corren

Multiple Choice

Las mujeres (cantar)

• cantan

• cantamos

• cantos

• canten

​Stem-changing verbs

​Every verb has a stem - what the verb means

and an ending - infinitive or subject + tense

(and maybe a reflexive pronoun ​ we´ll come back to that)​

jugar​ - to play

jug is the stem, but when you conjugate the verb, the stem changes in most forms​

jugar u →ue

Stem changing verbs follow patterns. Often they will be marked to show how the stem changes.

The verb ending will be conjugated normally. ​

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Multiple Choice

Mentir (e → ie)

YO

• Yo mentamos

• Yo mientes

• Yo miento

• Yo mento

Multiple Choice

Entender (e → ie)

TÚ

note - if there are 2 Es in the stem, change the second one

• ientendes

• entiendo

• entiendes

• entendes

Multiple Choice

Dormir (o → ue)

El gato

• dorma

• duerma

• duerme

• duermir

Multiple Choice

Perder ( e → ie)

NOSOTROS

• perdemos

• pierdemos

• perdamos

• pierden

Stem-changing reflexive verbs

Lots of reflexive verbs are also stem-changers. Just conjugate the verb normally and pay attention to whether or not you have to change the stem.

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Multiple Choice

acostarse ( o → ue)

YO

• me acosto

• me acuesto

• me acostamos

• te acuestas

Multiple Choice

vestirse ( e → i )

El niño

• te viste

• se vesto

• se viste

• me visto

Multiple Choice

divertirse ( e → ie)

ellos

• me divierto

• se diviertes

• se divierten

• se divertir