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Spanish (Spain) • Level 1 • GRAMMAR

irregular present (3)

💡 Grammar Rule

High-Frequency Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense

In Spanish, some of the most essential verbs have irregular patterns in the present tense. Because these verbs are used constantly in daily conversation, it is important to memorize their specific forms rather than relying on standard endings.

1. Distinctive Conjugations: Decir, Ir, and Oír

These three verbs undergo significant changes in their stems or spelling.

Decir (to say/to tell)
This verb combines a "go" ending in the first person with a stem change (e to i) in other forms.

  • Yo digo (I say)
  • Tú dices (You say)
  • Él/Ella/Usted dice (He/She/You say)
  • Nosotros/as decimos (We say)
  • Vosotros/as decís (You all say)
  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes dicen (They/You all say)

Example: Siempre digo la verdad. (I always tell the truth.)

Ir (to go)
This verb is completely irregular. It does not follow the pattern of -ir verbs at all.

  • Yo voy (I go)
  • Tú vas (You go)
  • Él/Ella/Usted va (He/She/You go)
  • Nosotros/as vamos (We go)
  • Vosotros/as vais (You all go)
  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes van (They/You all go)

Example: ¿Vais al cine hoy? (Are you all going to the movies today?)

Oír (to hear)
Note the "go" in the first person, the added accent marks, and the change from i to y to avoid three vowels appearing together.

  • Yo oigo (I hear)
  • Tú oyes (You hear)
  • Él/Ella/Usted oye (He/She/You hear)
  • Nosotros/as oímos (We hear)
  • Vosotros/as oís (You all hear)
  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes oyen (They/You all hear)

2. Essential Irregular Verbs: Ser, Tener, and Venir

These are fundamental building blocks of the language.

Ser (to be)
Used for identity, origin, and characteristics. It is highly irregular.

  • Soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son.

Example: Vosotros sois de Madrid. (You all are from Madrid.)

Tener (to have) & Venir (to come)
These two share a similar pattern: they both have a "go" form in the first person singular (yo) and a stem change (e to ie) in the tú, él, and ellos forms.

  • Tener: Tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tenéis, tienen.
  • Venir: Vengo, vienes, viene, venimos, venís, vienen.

3. The Impersonal Usage of Haber

Although the verb haber technically translates as "to have" (in the sense of auxiliary verbs), in the simple present tense it is most commonly used as an impersonal verb to express existence.

  • Hay: There is / There are

Example: Hay mucha gente aquí. (There are many people here.)

4. Compounds of Tener

Verbs formed by adding a prefix to tener follow the exact same conjugation pattern as the base verb. This applies to the irregular "go" form in the first person as well.

  • Contener (to contain) → Yo contengo
  • Mantener (to maintain) → Yo mantengo
  • Obtener (to obtain) → Yo obtengo
  • Detener (to detain/stop) → Yo detengo

Example: No obtengo buenos resultados. (I am not obtaining good results.)

What are you saying?
¿Qué dices?
I say that it is very late.
Digo que es muy tarde.
Where are you going now?
¿Adónde vas ahora?
I am going to the supermarket.
Voy al supermercado.
Do you hear that strange noise?
¿Oyes ese ruido extraño?
No, I don’t hear anything.
No, yo no oigo nada.
Who is that girl?
¿Quién es esa chica?
She is my cousin Ana.
Es mi prima Ana.
Are you all hungry?
¿Tenéis hambre vosotros?
Yes, we have a huge appetite.
Sí, tenemos mucha hambre.
Are you coming to the party tonight?
¿Vienes a la fiesta esta noche?
No, I’m coming from work and I’m tired.
No, vengo de trabajar y estoy cansado.
What is in the fridge?
¿Qué hay en la nevera?
There is milk, cheese, and eggs.
Hay leche, queso y huevos.
This bottle contains sparkling water.
Esta botella contiene agua con gas.
Oh, I prefer still water.
Ah, yo prefiero agua sin gas.
I always keep my word.
Mantengo mi palabra siempre.
You are a very honest person.
Eres una persona muy honesta.
How do I obtain a passport?
¿Cómo obtengo el pasaporte?
You go to the police station.
Vas a la comisaría de policía.
My parents are going to Madrid tomorrow.
Mis padres van a Madrid mañana.
What a nice trip! By train?
¡Qué buen viaje! ¿En tren?
I am a Spanish teacher.
Soy profesor de español.
Really? That is very interesting.
¿De verdad? Eso es muy interesante.
Maria has a new dog.
María tiene un perro nuevo.
How cute! What is its name?
¡Qué mono! ¿Cómo se llama?
What do they say on the news?
¿Qué dicen en las noticias?
They say it is going to rain a lot.
Dicen que va a llover mucho.
We don’t hear the music well.
Nosotros no oímos bien la música.
I will turn up the volume right now.
Subo el volumen ahora mismo.
Where do you come from, sir?
¿De dónde viene usted?
I come from a small village in Galicia.
Vengo de un pueblo pequeño de Galicia.
Is there a problem with the car?
¿Hay algún problema con el coche?
No, there isn’t any problem.
No, no hay ningún problema.
I am holding the ladder, go up calmly.
Sostengo la escalera, sube tranquilo.
Okay, thank you for your help.
Vale, gracias por tu ayuda.
I don’t retain names easily.
No retengo los nombres fácilmente.
Me neither, I have a bad memory.
Yo tampoco, tengo mala memoria.
Shall we go to the cinema this afternoon?
¿Vamos al cine esta tarde?
Okay, it seems like a good plan.
Vale, me parece un buen plan.
Do you have the time?
¿Tienes hora?
Yes, it is half past five.
Sí, son las cinco y media.
Are those boys your friends?
¿Son esos chicos tus amigos?
Yes, they are my classmates.
Sí, son mis compañeros de clase.
I say the truth.
Digo la verdad.
I believe you.
Te creo.
Grandpa doesn’t hear very well.
El abuelo no oye muy bien.
Yes, he needs to see a doctor.
Sí, necesita ver a un médico.
The police are stopping the traffic.
La policía detiene el tráfico.
What is happening there?
¿Qué pasa allí?

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