Why learn them first
The verbs you need every day do not follow the regular pattern. There are three groups:
- verbs that are irregular almost everywhere: ir (voy, vas, va…);
- verbs with an irregular yo form and a stem change: tener, venir, decir;
- verbs that are irregular only in the yo form: hacer, poner, salir, saber, conocer, ver, dar.
Except for ir (vamos), the nosotros form is regular in all of them: tenemos, venimos, decimos, hacemos.
Tener, venir, decir, ir
| Person | tener | venir | decir | ir |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | tengo | vengo | digo | voy |
| tú | tienes | vienes | dices | vas |
| él / ella / usted | tiene | viene | dice | va |
| nosotros / nosotras | tenemos | venimos | decimos | vamos |
| vosotros / vosotrasSpain | tenéis | venís | decís | vais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | tienen | vienen | dicen | van |
Irregular only in the yo form
| Infinitive | Meaning | yo | tú |
|---|---|---|---|
| hacer | to do, to make | hago | haces |
| poner | to put | pongo | pones |
| salir | to go out, to leave | salgo | sales |
| saber | to know (facts) | sé | sabes |
| conocer | to know (people, places) | conozco | conoces |
| ver | to see, to watch | veo | ves |
| dar | to give | doy | das |
Examples
- Tengo dos hermanos.I have two brothers.
- ¿Qué haces los domingos?What do you do on Sundays?
- Hoy no salgo de casa.I'm not leaving the house today.
- No sé dónde está la estación.I don't know where the station is.
- Conozco a tu hermana.I know your sister.A person after conocer takes a.
- Mis padres vienen el sábado.My parents are coming on Saturday.
- Esta noche vamos al cine.Tonight we're going to the cinema.
Common mistakes
- Wrong:
Yo teno un perro.Right: ✓ Yo tengo un perro.The yo form of tener ends in -go. - Wrong:
No sabo.Right: ✓ No sé.Saber has a short, accented yo form: sé. - Wrong:
Nosotros tienemos tiempo.Right: ✓ Nosotros tenemos tiempo.No stem change in nosotros. - Wrong:
Soy veinte años.Right: ✓ Tengo veinte años.Age is expressed with tener: literally “I have twenty years.”