Stem Changing Verbs Present Tense

These verbs require a spelling change in  the stem of the verb.  Note the two parts of  a verb infinitive:  

Verb Stem

Verb Ending (Last 2 letters)

There are 4 basic stem changes that occur in the present tense in Spanish:

These symbols mean that the first letter changes to the second letter(s). Jugar is the only (u---ue) verb.

Some rules to keep in mind: ✦ The stem change never occurs in

the nosotros or vosotros forms. ✦ These verbs use regular -ar/-er/-ir endings.

One example verb: pensar (to think) Singular Subjects

Plural Subjects

Yo

pienso (I think)

Nosotros

pensamos (we think)

Tú

piensas (you think)

Vosotros(as)

pensáis (you all think)

Ud. Él Ella

piensa (you think) piensa (he thinks) piensa (she thinks)

Uds. Ellos Ellas

piensan (you all think) piensan (they think) piensan (they think)

These verbs are sometimes called “boot” or “shoe” verbs as the forms inside the “footwear-like” shape above have the stem change.

Some examples ✦ ¿Qué piensas del nuevo profesor?

What do you think of the new teacher? ✦ Yo no entiendo a esa señora. I don’t understand that lady. ✦ Miguel nunca merienda por la tarde. Miguel never has a snack in the afternoon. ✦ Nuestro equipo siempre pierde los partidos de ping-pong. Our team always loses the ping-pong games. ✦ Nosotros preferimos comer en Burger King. We prefer to eat at Burger King.