The "Yo" Rebels
In Spanish, some verbs follow all the regular conjugation rules except for one: the yo (I) form. For all other subjects (tú, él, nosotros, etc.), they behave exactly like normal regular verbs.
Let's look at salir (to go out). Notice how the yo form gets an unexpected -go ending, while the rest are regular:
| Subject | Salir (to go out) |
|---|
| yo | salgo |
| tú | sales |
| él, ella, usted | sale |
| nosotros | salimos |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | salen |
Other common verbs in this "-go" club include hacer (to make / to do), poner (to put), and traer (to bring).
Conocer vs. Saber
Spanish has two different verbs that mean "to know," and both have irregular yo forms.
Conocer is used when you are familiar with a person, place, or thing. Its yo form ends in -zco: yo conozco.
Saber is used for knowing facts, information, or knowing how to do something. Its yo form is very short and requires an accent mark: yo sé.
A Few More Exceptions
Two more very common verbs with unique yo forms are ver (to see / to watch) and dar (to give).
- ver becomes yo veo
- dar becomes yo doy