Spanish Stem-Changing Verbs (Boot Verbs) in the Present
Short answer
In e→ie, o→ue and e→i verbs the stressed stem vowel changes in every form except nosotros and vosotros — which is why the pattern is drawn as a boot. Quiero, quieres, quiere, queremos, queréis, quieren.
Level A1 · verbs, present, irregular
The rule in full
The vowel in the stem changes in every form except nosotros and vosotros — draw a boot around the forms that change.
| e → ie (querer) | o → ue (poder) | e → i (pedir) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | quiero | puedo | pido |
| tú | quieres | puedes | pides |
| él/ella | quiere | puede | pide |
| nosotros | queremos | podemos | pedimos |
| vosotros | queréis | podéis | pedís |
| ellos | quieren | pueden | piden |
Also in this family
| e → ie | o → ue | e → i |
|---|---|---|
| pensar, empezar, entender, preferir | dormir, volver, encontrar, contar | servir, repetir, seguir |
jugar is the only u → ue verb: juego, juegas, juega…
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