How To Use the 50 Most Common Spanish Irregular Verbs

Every student who learns this language has to deal with the Spanish irregular verbs and it’s likely you already agree that these verbs are one of the hardest grammar concepts to master in Spanish.

Yes, they are not as straightforward as regular verbs. And yes, they require a little bit more effort to learn how to use them, but it’s nothing to be afraid of! All you need to do is understand how they work, memorize some of them, and most importantly, start using them. 

In order to help you with that, we are going to explore the 50 most common Spanish irregular verbs with definitions, conjugations, and exercises. But first, let’s talk about what is exactly an irregular verb?

Spanish Irregular Verbs: The Concept

Most verbs in Spanish, as in English, follow some basic patterns when conjugated. Those verbs are known as regulars, and they all follow the same rules. 

Then you have the outsiders. We all know them, these are the verbs that only follow their own rules or the rules that apply only to a small group of verbs that behave like them. They are the Spanish irregular verbs. 

For instance, let’s see the conjugations of the verb ir or “to go” in Spanish. None of the present tense conjugations of the indicative mood have any relation to the structure of the word to the infinitive verb.

• Yo voy
• Tú vas
• Él va
• Nosotros vamos
• Ustedes van
• Ellos van

The first time you hear about the verb ir, you wouldn’t imagine that its conjugations start with the letter v. That’s why it’s an irregular verb. It doesn’t behave in a regular way. 

The 50 Most Common Spanish Irregular Verbs

Each verb includes its English translation, present and simple past tenses conjugations, and an exercise after every group of 10 verbs. To start, I’m putting the ten most common together, and then you’ll find them in groups according to the kind of irregular verbs they are. 

The Top 10

1. Ser – to be

2. Estar – to be

3. Tener – to have (possession)

4. Haber – to have (to do something, auxiliary verb)

5. Hacer – to do, make

6. Ir – to go

7. Ver – to see

8. Decir – to say

9. Poder – to be able, can

10. Dar – to give

Exercise 1

Fill in the blank using the right Spanish irregular verb conjugation: 

1. Ayer _______ al mercado. (I went to the market yesterday.)
2. Ella me ______ tu regalo. (She gave me your present.)
3. _____ dos hijas. (I have two daughters.)
4. Nosotros ______ mexicanos. (We are Mexians.)
5. ¡Nos _____ robado! (We have been robbed!)

Check the answer key here!

Irregular yo form

11. Conocer – to know

12. Saber – to know

13. Poner – to put

14. Salir – to exit

15. Traer – to bring

16. Venir – to come

17. Oír – to hear

18. Caer – to fall

19. Caber – to fit

Stem-Changing from u to ue

20. Jugar – to play

Exercise 2

Fill in the blank using the right Spanish irregular verb conjugation: 

1. Ella _____ conmigo. (She comes with me.)
2. No _____ en esta silla. (I don’t fit in this chair.)
3. ____ fútbol por las mañanas. (I play soccer in the mornings.)
4. José ____ los tacos. (José bought the tacos.)
5. Me _____ de caballo. (I fell off the horse.)

Check the answer key here!

Stepm-Changing from e to ie

21. Cerrar – to close

22. Comenzar – to begin

23. Empezar – to begin

24. Entender – to understand

25. Mentir – to lie

26. Negar – to deny

27. Pensar – to think

28. Perder – to lose

29. Recomendar – to recommend

30. Sentir – to feel

Exercise 3

Fill in the blank using the right Spanish irregular verb conjugation: 

1. ¿ _____ la pregunta? (did you understand the question?)
2. Me ______ otra vez. (He lied to me once again.)
3. No ______ en las consecuencias. (I didn’t think about the consequences.)
4. María ______ su tienda. (María closed her shop.)
5. Me _____ muy triste. (I feel very sad.)

Check the answer key here!

Stem-Changing from o to ue and hue

31. Colgar – to hang

32. Contar – to count, to tell

33. Costar – to cost

34. Doler – to hurt

35. Encontrar – to find

36. Morder – to bite

37. Morir – to die

38. Oler – to smell

39. Recordar – to remember

40. Volver – to return (from somewhere) 

Exercise 4:

Fill in the blank using the right Spanish irregular verb conjugation: 

1. Tu perro me _____. (Your dog bit me.)
2. Me ______ $10 dólares. (It cost me $10 dollars.)
3. No _____ mi libro. (I can’t find my book.)
4. Jorge ______ su saco en el armario. (Jorge hung up his coat in the closet.)
5. Tu perfume _____ muy bien. (Your perfume smells really nice.)

Check the answer key here!

Stem-changing from e to i

41. Competir – to compete

42. Conseguir – to get, obtain

43. Corregir – to correct

44. Despedir – to say goodbye, dismiss, fire

45. Elegir – to choose

46. Medir – to measure

47. Pedir – to ask for

48. Repetir – to repeat

49. Seguir – to follow

50. Servir – to serve

Exercise 5

Fill in the blank using the right Spanish irregular verb conjugation: 

1. ¿ _____ boletos para el partido? (did you get tickets for the game?)
2. Yo ______ tu tarea. (I corrected your homework.)
3. ¿Tú _____ esa caja? (Did you measure that box?)
4. Karla ______ ese vestido. (Karla chose that dress.)
5. Ese chico me _____ ayer. (That kid followed me yesterday.)

Check the answer key here!

The Irregular End

Congrats, now you know the 50 most common Spanish irregular verbs and how to conjugate them! Your duty now is to practice them as often as possible. For best results, practice what you’re learning in conversation with a native Spanish speaker. At Homeschool Spanish Academy, we offer flexible Spanish lessons with friendly, certified, professional teachers from Guatemala who are eager to help you improve your Spanish fluency. Sign up for a free trial today and put those 50 Spanish irregular verbs to good use! 

Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these

“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”

– Sharon K, Parent of 3

“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”

– Cindy D, Parent of 3

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

Want more in-depth Spanish grammar lessons? Check these out!

• All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish
• Top 20 Guatemalan Words and Slang Expressions You Should Know
• The Ultimate Guide to the Differences Between ‘Pero’ and ‘Sino’ in Spanish
• A Guide to Double Negatives in Spanish
• Ver Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Exercises, and PDF
• Common Irregular Informal Commands in Spanish
• Dialect vs Accent: Is It a Language, Dialect, or Accent?
• Bien vs Bueno: How Good is Your Spanish?

Answer Key

Exercise 1:

1) fui 2) dio 3) tengo 4) somos 5) han

Exercise 2:

1) viene 2) quepo 3) juego 4) trajo 5) caí

Exercise 3:

1) entendiste 2) mintió 3) pensé 4) cerró 5) siento

Exercise 4:

1) mordió 2) costó 3) encuentro 4) colgó 5) huele

Exercise 5:

1) conseguiste 2) corregí 3) mediste 4) eligió 5) siguió

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Luis F. Dominguez

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Luis F. Domínguez is a freelance writer and independent journalist interested in travel, languages, art, books, history, philosophy, politics and sports. He has written for Fodor’s, Yahoo!, Sports Illustrated, Telemundo, and Villa Experience, among other brands of print and digital media in Europe and North America.

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