Stem-changing verbs (e to ie)
In Spanish, some verbs change the vowel in their stem (the part of the verb before the -ar, -er, or -ir ending) in the present tense.
A very common pattern is the e to ie change. This happens in all forms except nosotros/nosotras (we) and vosotros/vosotras (you all).
For example, with the verb querer (to want), the e becomes ie in the "you" form, but stays an e in the "we" form.
| Do you want the book? | ¿Quieres el libro? |
| We want the red car. | Queremos el coche rojo. |
Here is the full present tense conjugation for querer:
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | quiero |
| tú | quieres |
| él, ella, usted | quiere |
| nosotros/as | queremos |
| vosotros/as | queréis |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | quieren |
Thinking and beginning
Several other common verbs follow this exact pattern. For example, the e in pensar (to think) changes to ie.
| I think about the problem. | Pienso en el problema. |
Use the word que (that) to connect your thoughts to the rest of the sentence.
| She thinks that it is easy. | Ella piensa que es fácil. |
The verb empezar (to begin) also has an e to ie stem change.
| The class begins early. | La clase empieza temprano. |
Understanding and preferring
Verbs ending in -er and -ir can also have this stem change, like entender (to understand) and preferir (to prefer).
| He does not understand the word. | Él no entiende la palabra. |
| I prefer the black cat. | Prefiero el gato negro. |
Remember, the nosotros and vosotros forms always keep the original e.
| Do you (plural) understand the problem? | ¿Entendéis el problema? |
