Mastering 58 Top Irregular Spanish Verbs Conjugation

If you want to speak Spanish fluently, you need to get a handle on irregular verbs. They don’t follow the usual rules, which makes them tricky but very important. You’ll find these verbs everywhere – in every tense and mood. So, what’s the best way to tackle them? Dive into different situations where Spanish is used. This helps you remember and understand how these verbs work in everyday language.

What are Irregular Verbs in Spanish?

Irregular verbs in Spanish can trip you up as you learn the language. They don’t follow the usual rules of verb endings like -ar, -er, or -ir. Instead, they change in unexpected ways. You might see different stems or endings; sometimes, the whole verb looks different. These changes show up across various tenses and moods. So, it’s essential to practice them a lot. Getting a handle on these verbs is crucial.

Mastering 58 Irregular Spanish Verbs

Irregular Spanish Verbs

To get a grip on the 58 most irregular Spanish verbs, you need to start by figuring out how these verbs like to break the rules. Some change their stem, and others have odd spelling changes. Dive into verbs like ‘ser,’ ‘tener,’ and ‘ir.’ Learn how they twist and turn through different tenses. Knowing these will help you speak Spanish more fluently and accurately.

#	Spanish Verb	English Translation
1	Ser	to be (essential)
2	Estar	to be (conditional)
3	Tener	to have
4	Hacer	to do, to make
5	Poder	to be able to, can
6	Decir	to say, to tell
7	Ir	to go
8	Ver	to see
9	Dar	to give
10	Saber	to know
11	Querer	to want, to love
12	Llegar	to arrive
13	Pasar	to pass, to spend time
14	Deber	must, to owe
15	Poner	to put, to place
16	Parecer	to seem, to appear
17	Quedar	to stay, to remain
18	Creer	to believe
19	Hablar	to speak
20	Llevar	to carry, to wear
21	Dejar	to leave, to let
22	Seguir	to follow, to continue
23	Encontrar	to find
24	Llamar	to call
25	Venir	to come
26	Pensar	to think
27	Salir	to leave, to go out
28	Volver	to return
29	Tomar	to take, to drink
30	Conocer	to know, to meet
31	Vivir	to live
32	Sentir	to feel
33	Tratar	to try, to treat
34	Mirar	to look, to watch
35	Contar	to count, to tell
36	Empezar	to begin
37	Esperar	to wait, to hope
38	Buscar	to search, to look for
39	Existir	to exist
40	Entrar	to enter
41	Trabajar	to work
42	Escribir	to write
43	Perder	to lose
44	Producir	to produce
45	Ocurrir	to occur
46	Entender	to understand
47	Pedir	to ask for, to request
48	Recibir	to receive
49	Recordar	to remember
50	Terminar	to end, to finish
51	Permitir	to permit, to allow
52	Aparecer	to appear
53	Conducir	to drive
54	Ofrecer	to offer
55	Imaginar	to imagine
56	Realizar	to carry out, to realize
57	Descubrir	to discover
58	Escribir	to write (duplicate)

Types of Irregular Verbs

Let’s talk about stem-changing verbs first. These verbs change their stem vowels when you conjugate them. For example, ‘ pensar’ switches from ‘e’ to ‘ie’ in most present tense forms. Then there are orthographic-changing verbs. These verbs change their spelling to keep the sound consistent. For example, ‘proteger’ becomes ‘protejo’ in the first person singular present indicative. Lastly, we have radically irregular verbs. These verbs don’t follow normal patterns at all. Their stems can change a lot or use completely different forms. ‘Ser’ and ‘ir’ are good examples; they’re very irregular across different tenses.

Type	Description	Examples
Stem-Changing Verbs	Vowel changes in the stem in certain forms.	pensar → pienso, dormir → duermo
Orthographic Changes	Changes in spelling to maintain pronunciation.	proteger → protejo, tocar → toque
Irregular Yo Forms	Regular in most forms but irregular in the first person singular present indicative.	salir → salgo, hacer → hago
Completely Irregular Verbs	Do not follow regular patterns in multiple forms and tenses.	ser, ir, tener, estar
Verbs with Irregular Preterite Forms	Unique preterite forms that do not fit regular patterns.	ser/ir → fui, tener → tuve
Irregular Participles	Irregular past participles, used in perfect tenses and as adjectives.	escribir → escrito, romper → roto
Verbs with Irregular Subjunctive Forms	Irregularities in the subjunctive mood.	saber → sepa, tener → tenga

Common Irregular Verbs and their Conjugations

Mastering common irregular Spanish verbs is key to speaking the language well. Some of the most important ones are ‘ser,’ ‘tener,’ and ‘ir.’ Each has its own way of changing. For ‘ser,’ you say ‘soy,’ ‘eres,’ ‘es,’ ‘somos,’ ‘sois,’ ‘son.’ For ‘tener,’ it goes ‘tengo,’ ‘tienes,’ ‘tiene,’ ‘tenemos,’ ‘tenéis,’ ‘tienen.’ And for ‘ir,’ it’s ‘voy,’ ‘vas,’ ‘va,’ ‘vamos,’ ‘vais,’ ‘van.’

These verbs are tricky because they don’t follow the usual rules. But knowing them well is crucial. It might seem tough at first, but with practice, it gets easier. Remember, it’s all about getting used to these unusual patterns. Keep at it; soon, it’ll feel natural when you use them in conversation.

Verb	Present (yo)	Preterite (yo)	Imperfect (yo)	Future (yo)	Subjunctive (yo)
Ser	soy	fui	era	seré	sea
Ir	voy	fui	iba	iré	vaya
Estar	estoy	estuve	estaba	estaré	esté
Tener	tengo	tuve	tenía	tendré	tenga
Hacer	hago	hice	hacía	haré	haga
Poder	puedo	pude	podía	podré	pueda
Poner	pongo	puse	ponía	pondré	ponga
Saber	sé	supe	sabía	sabré	sepa
Venir	vengo	vine	venía	vendré	venga
Decir	digo	dije	decía	diré	diga
Ver	veo	vi	veía	veré	vea
Dar	doy	di	daba	daré	dé
Salir	salgo	salí	salía	saldré	salga
Quedar	quedo	quedé	quedaba	quedaré	quede
Sentir	siento	sentí	sentía	sentiré	sienta
Traer	traigo	traje	traía	traeré	traiga
Conducir	conduzco	conduje	conducía	conduciré	conduzca

Conclusion

Simply put, if you want to speak Spanish well, you need to get a handle on the 58 most important irregular verbs. These verbs don’t follow the usual rules, making them tricky and important for everyday conversation. If you practice these regularly, you’ll get the hang of their patterns and your Spanish will improve a lot. So, it’s worth the effort to master these verbs if you’re serious about learning Spanish.