September 24, 2020 by Ashley Reid Homeschooling, Spanish Grammar, Spanish Resources 0 comments

20 Easy Irregular Spanish Verbs to Learn

Verbs, verbs, and more verbs! Sometimes it seems like that’s all learning a language involves. While verbs are essential to fluency and easy communication, they don’t have to be a headache! Verbs can frustrate even the most avid language learners if they focus only on conjugations. However, we’re going to look at verbs a bit differently, studying the big picture with the goal of fluency.

As you review these 20 easy irregular Spanish verbs, remember that fluency does not mean perfection. Even native Spanish speakers make some mistakes, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself. ¡Empecemos!

What Are Irregular Spanish Verbs?

To have irregular Spanish verbs, there has to be a regular format. Now, over 20 verb tenses exist (don’t panic, it’s not complicated as it sounds), and each one has a regular format. We’re not going to go into each regular and irregular tense, but it is important to know that a verb can be regular in one tense but irregular in another. Also, if a verb is irregular in various tenses, it doesn’t mean that it always changes in the same way. It sometimes happens, but it is not a given!

For this blog post, we’re going to mainly look at the present indicative tense (simple present) and touch briefly on the other tenses.

Now, while there are some verbs that have completely unique irregular forms, the majority of the verbs below are irregular in various tenses due to slight spelling changes. These are called stem-changing irregular Spanish verbs. While you may not think they are irregular at first glance, the slight spelling changes classify the verb as irregular.

How to Practice the Irregular Verbs

Understanding and memorizing all the irregular Spanish verbs can be overwhelming. Where do you even start?

Well, the first step is to take it one verb and one tense at a time. Go through this list one by one, and practice the simple present irregular forms (each irregular form is in bold). Say the example sentences out loud and practice writing your own sentences to engrain the format in your mind.

Practice using each verb in a real-life Spanish conversation when you’re ready. Mastering verbs, especially irregular Spanish verbs, will take your fluency—and confidence to the next level!

We’ve included a list of all the other irregular tenses for each verb, but don’t worry too much about that until you’re ready. Remember, take it one step at a time. Eventually, you can look up the other tenses and check what the irregular forms look like. Here’s a hint: most of them are stem changes!

1. Ser

To be, or not to be. Ser, one of the Spanish verbs that means “to be,” is an infamous irregular verb. In the simple present tense, every form undergoes a complete transformation.

Ser: Present Indicative
Yo	*soy*
Tú	*eres*
Usted	es
Él	es
Ella	es
Nosotros	*somos*
Ustedes	*son*
Ellos	*son*

Yo soy alta. – I am tall.

Él es abogado. – He is a lawyer.

Ustedes son personas felices. – You all are happy people.

Ser: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Irregular
Conditional Indicative	Regular
Future Indicative	Regular
Subjunctive: all forms	Irregular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Regular

2. Estar

The other verb that means “to be” is estar. This one may not seem like it is irregular, but it is! The yo form is irregular as it has an added y, and the other forms—except nosotros—all have an accent mark on the a. Yes, accents count as irregularities!

Estar: Present Indicative
Yo	*estoy*
Tú	*estás*
Usted	*está*
Él	*está*
Ella	*está*
Nosotros	estamos
Ustedes	*están*
Ellos	*están*

Estoy contento hoy. – I am happy today.

Ella está enferma. – She is sick.

Nosotros estamos bien. – We are good.

Estar: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Regular
Future Indicative	Regular
Subjunctive: all forms	Irregular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Regular

3. Haber

Haber is a tricky verb. It has two meanings: as a helping verb, it means “to have” (I have finished), but on its own, it only has one form in the simple present, hay. This tiny word means “there is” or “there are.”

No matter the meaning, haber remains an irregular verb. Just remember as you look at the table below that hay takes no pronoun.

Haber: Present Indicative
Yo	he
Tú	*has*
Usted	*ha / hay*
Él	*ha / hay*
Ella	*ha / hay*
Nosotros	*hemos*
Ustedes	*han*
Ellos	*han*

No hay más comida. – There’s no more food.

Hay tres perros afuera. – There are three dogs outside.

Hemos terminado la tarea. – We have finished the homework.

Haber: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Irregular
Future Indicative	Irregular
Subjunctive: all forms	Irregular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Regular

4. Tener

Tener, or “to have,” uses two common irregular patterns. The yo form is unique, plus there is a stem change in all the other forms except nosotros. (Nosotros never participates in stem changes.) The stem change consists of the first e changing to ie.

Tener: Present Indicative
Yo	*Tengo*
Tú	*Tienes*
Usted	*Tiene*
Él	*Tiene*
Ella	*Tiene*
Nosotros	Tenemos
Ustedes	*Tienen*
Ellos	*Tienen*

Tengo mucha tarea que hacer. – I have a lot of homework to do.

Él tiene una mochila azul. – He has a blue backpack.

Ellos tienen cita con el doctor. – They have an appointment with the doctor.

Tener: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Irregular
Future Indicative	Irregular
Subjunctive: all forms	Irregular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Regular

5. Decir

Decir, or “to say,” is another verb that has an irregular yo form and a stem change in the other forms (except nosotros). Instead of deco, the yo conjugation is digo. Likewise, the e changes to i in the other forms.

Decir: Present Indicative
Yo	*Digo*
Tú	*Dices*
Usted	*Dice*
Él	*Dice*
Ella	*Dice*
Nosotros	Decimos
Ustedes	*Dicen*
Ellos	*Dicen*

Digo yo que no. – I say no.

Ella dice que no tenemos más tiempo. – She says we don’t have any more time.
¿Qué dices? – What do you say?

Decir: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Irregular
Future Indicative	Irregular
Subjunctive: all forms	Irregular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Irregular
Past Participle	Irregular

6. Poder

As the verb for “to be able to,” poder is the perfect example of a stem-changing verb. In all the forms (minus nosotros), the o changes to ue, and the endings are regular.

Poder: Present Indicative
Yo	*Puedo*
Tú	*Puedes*
Usted	*Puede*
Él	*Puede*
Ella	*Puede*
Nosotros	Podemos
Ustedes	*Pueden*
Ellos	*Pueden*

No puedo con este calor. – I can’t handle this heat.

¿Puedes ayudarme? – Can you help me?

Podemos arreglarlo. – We can fix it.

Poder: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Irregular
Future Indicative	Irregular
Subjunctive: all forms	Irregular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Irregular
Past Participle	Regular

7. Hacer

Hacer, or “to do, make,” is only unique in the simple present tense. Only the yo form changes! The c becomes a g, and that tiny change is enough to make this verb irregular.

Hacer: Present Indicative
Yo	*Hago*
Tú	Haces
Usted	Hace
Él	Hace
Ella	Hace
Nosotros	Hacemos
Ustedes	Hacen
Ellos	Hace

Hago las cosas muy rápido. – I do things very fast.

¿Te hago eso? – Do you want me to do that for you?

Usted hace un trabajo muy bonito. – You do very nice work.

Hacer: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Irregular
Future Indicative	Irregular
Subjunctive: all forms	Irregular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Irregular

8. Ir

Ir, or “to go,” is a completely unique verb like ser. Because the verb only has two letters in its infinitive form, it needs an extra letter: v. The endings following the v look like -AR verb endings, except for the yo form, which adds a y.

Ir: Present Indicative
Yo	*Voy*
Tú	*Vas*
Usted	Va
Él	Va
Ella	Va
Nosotros	*Vamos*
Ustedes	*Van*
Ellos	*Van*

¿Vas a la reunión? – Are you going to the meeting?

Voy a decirte después. – I’m going to tell you later.

Ya va a ser tarde. – It’s going to be late.

Ir: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Irregular
Conditional Indicative	Regular
Future Indicative	Regular
Subjunctive: all forms	Irregular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Irregular
Past Participle	Regular

9. Poner

Here we have another verb, “to put,” that only changes in the yo form. Instead of writing pono, you just add g.

Poner: Present Indicative
Yo	*Pongo*
Tú	Pones
Usted	Pone
Él	Pone
Ella	Pone
Nosotros	Ponemos
Ustedes	Ponen
Ellos	Ponen

¿Te lo pongo allí? – Do you want me to put it over there for you?

Ellos ponen sus cosas en la silla. – They put their things on the chair.

Ponemos los papeles en el escritorio. – We put the papers on the desk.

Poner: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Irregular
Future Indicative	Irregular
Subjunctive: all forms	Irregular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Irregular

10. Ver

The verb “to see” is another example of just one change in the yo form. Here, we must add e before the o ending.

Ver: Present Indicative
Yo	*Veo*
Tú	Ves
Usted	Ve
Él	Ve
Ella	Ve
Nosotros	Vemos
Ustedes	Ven
Ellos	Ven

No veo nada. – I don’t see anything.

¿Ves? – You see?

Ellos no ven el problema. – They don’t see the problem.

Ver: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Irregular
Conditional Indicative	Regular
Future Indicative	Regular
Present Subjunctive	Irregular
Subjunctive: other forms	Regular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Irregular

11. Querer

“To want” is one of the most important irregular Spanish verbs. The only irregularity is a stem change from e to ie in all forms except which one? That’s right, the nosotros form.

Querer: Present Indicative
Yo	*Quiero*
Tú	*Quieres*
Usted	*Quiere*
Él	*Quiere*
Ella	*Quiere*
Nosotros	Queremos
Ustedes	*Quieren*
Ellos	*Quieren*

Quiero comprar una computadora nueva. – I want to buy a new computer.

¿Ustedes quieren ir al cine? – Do you all want to go to the movies?

Ella quiere un cachorro. – She wants a puppy.

Querer: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Irregular
Future Indicative	Irregular
Subjunctive: all forms	Irregular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Regular

12. Saber

Saber, or “to know,” is only irregular in the yo form in the simple present form. Instead of sabo, it’s the short word sé. Don’t forget the accent mark!

Saber: Present Indicative
Yo	Sé
Tú	Sabes
Usted	Sabe
Él	Sabe
Ella	Sabe
Nosotros	Sabemos
Ustedes	Saben
Ellos	Saben

Yo sé la respuesta. – I know the answer.

Sé que tiene la razón. – I know she’s right.

No sé nada. – I don’t know anything.

Saber: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Irregular
Future Indicative	Irregular
Subjunctive: all forms	Irregular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Regular

13. Pensar

Here’s another stem-changing irregular Spanish verb! Pensar, or “to think,” changes the e to ie in almost every form (just not nosotros).

Pensar: Present Indicative
Yo	*Pienso*
Tú	*Piensas*
Usted	*Piensa*
Él	*Piensa*
Ella	*Piensa*
Nosotros	Pensamos
Ustedes	*Piensan*
Ellos	*Piensan*

¿Qué piensas tú? – What do you think?

Pienso que está bien. – I think it’s fine.

Ella piensa que estamos equivocados. – She thinks we’re wrong.

Pensar: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Regular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Regular
Future Indicative	Regular
Present Subjunctive	Irregular
Subjunctive: other forms	Regular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Regular

14. Conocer

Conocer, another verb that means “to know,” changes only in the yo form just like saber. All you need to do is add a z before the final c to give the last syllable a softer sound.

Conocer: Present Indicative
Yo	*Conozco*
Tú	Conoces
Usted	Conoce
Él	Conoce
Ella	Conoce
Nosotros	Conocemos
Ustedes	Conocen
Ellos	Conocen

Yo conozco Madrid. – I’m familiar with Madrid.

Yo conozco a María. – I know María.

No te conozco. – I don’t know you.

Conocer: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Regular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Regular
Future Indicative	Regular
Present Subjunctive	Irregular
Subjunctive: other forms	Regular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Regular

15. Sentir

Sentir, or “to feel,” is a simple stem-changing verb. Switch the e to ie and add normal endings!

Be careful not to confuse sentir with sentar (to sit). They both have the same stem-changing pattern, but sentar uses -AR endings. However, the yo form for both is the same: siento!

Sentir: Present Indicative
Yo	*Siento*
Tú	*Sientes*
Usted	*Siente*
Él	*Siente*
Ella	*Siente*
Nosotros	Sentimos
Ustedes	*Sienten*
Ellos	*Sienten*

¿Te sientes bien? – Do you feel okay?

Siento que tenemos que mudarnos. – I feel like we need to move.

Se sienten tristes. – They feel sad.

Sentir: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Regular
Future Indicative	Regular
Subjunctive: all forms	Irregular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Irregular
Past Participle	Regular

16. Salir

Salir is another example of a verb that only changes in the yo form. Just like hacer adds a g, salir does the same before the final o.

Salir: Present Indicative
Yo	*Salgo*
Tú	Sales
Usted	Sale
Él	Sale
Ella	Sale
Nosotros	Salimos
Ustedes	Salen
Ellos	Salen

Salgo rápido de aquí. – I’m leaving here quickly.

Salgo a las 7 de la mañana. – I leave at 7 in the morning.

¿Salgo por aquí? – Do I go out here?

Salir: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Regular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Irregular
Future Indicative	Irregular
Present Subjunctive	Irregular
Subjunctive: other forms	Regular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Regular

17. Contar

Here we have another stem-changing verb, but this time contar, or “to count,” changes the o to ue.

Contar: Present Indicative
Yo	*Cuento*
Tú	*Cuentas*
Usted	*Cuenta*
Él	*Cuenta*
Ella	*Cuenta*
Nosotros	Contamos
Ustedes	*Cuentan*
Ellos	*Cuentan*

¿Qué me cuentas? – What can you tell me?

Te cuento una historia. – I’ll tell you a story.

Ella cuenta los regalos. – She counts the gifts.

Contar: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Regular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Regular
Future Indicative	Regular
Present Subjunctive	Irregular
Subjunctive: other forms	Regular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Regular

18. Dar

Our last verb that only changes in the first form is dar, or “to give.” Just like ser, estar, and ir, add a y to the end of the yo conjugation to form this irregularity.

Dar: Present Indicative
Yo	*Doy*
Tú	Das
Usted	Da
Él	Da
Ella	Da
Nosotros	Damos
Ustedes	Dan
Ellos	Dan

Te doy una sorpresa. – I’ll give you a surprise.

Ella me da la respuesta. – She gives me the answer.

¿Le doy todo? – Do I give him everything?

Dar: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Regular
Future Indicative	Regular
Subjunctive: all forms	Irregular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Regular

19. Recordar

“To remember” is a straightforward stem-changing verb. Just switch the o to ue in all the conjugations (except nosotros).

Recordar: Present Indicative
Yo	*Recuerdo*
Tú	*Recuerdas*
Usted	*Recuerda*
Él	*Recuerda*
Ella	*Recuerda*
Nosotros	Recordamos
Ustedes	*Recuerdan*
Ellos	*Recuerdan*

Recuerdo bien ese día. – I remember that day well.

¿No recuerdas? – You don’t remember?

Él recuerda todo. – He remembers everything.

Recordar: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Regular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Regular
Future Indicative	Regular
Present Subjunctive	Irregular
Subjunctive: other forms	Regular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Regular
Past Participle	Regular

20. Venir

Our final example on our irregular Spanish verbs list uses a combination of a stem change plus an irregular yo form. For the yo conjugation, don’t apply the stem change and just add a g. For the rest of the forms (minus nosotros) change the e to ie.

Venir: Present Indicative
Yo	*Vengo*
Tú	*Vienes*
Usted	*Viene*
Él	*Viene*
Ella	*Viene*
Nosotros	Venimos
Ustedes	*Vienen*
Ellos	*Vienen*

Vengo del trabajo. – I’m coming from work.

Ellos vienen tarde. – They’re coming late.

Ella viene por el parque. – She’s coming from the park.

Venir: Regular or Irregular?
Present Indicative	Irregular
Preterite Indicative	Irregular
Imperfect Indicative	Regular
Conditional Indicative	Irregular
Future Indicative	Irregular
Subjunctive: all forms	Irregular
Imperative: all forms	Irregular
Present Participle	Irregular
Past Participle	Regular

Keep Practicing!

If you want to keep practicing these irregular Spanish verbs in real-life conversations, try a free trial class with one of our amazing Spanish teachers! They will help you feel comfortable using irregular Spanish verbs and even show you some of the other irregular tenses. Start today, and see how your Spanish conversation skills will skyrocket! ¡Tú puedes!

Looking for more free Spanish grammar lessons? Check out these posts!

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Ashley Reid

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

I have lived in Latin America for 6 years now, and I have worked as an ESL teacher, translator, and missionary during that time. I absolutely love languages and am always learning a new one. However, Spanish is my preferred language! I am a happy wife and mom to an adorable baby boy. In my free time, I love drawing and painting portraits and reading fantasy novels.