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.

Yo soy alta. – I am tall.

Él es abogado. – He is a lawyer.

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

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!

Estoy contento hoy. – I am happy today.

Ella está enferma. – She is sick.

Nosotros estamos bien. – We are good.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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. 

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

¿Puedes ayudarme? – Can you help me?

Podemos arreglarlo. – We can fix it.

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.

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.

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.

¿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.

9. Poner

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

¿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.

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.

No veo nada. – I don’t see anything.

¿Ves? – You see?

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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).

¿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.

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.

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

Yo conozco a María. – I know María.

No te conozco. – I don’t know you.

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!

¿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.

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.

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?

17. Contar

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

¿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.

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.

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?

19. Recordar

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

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

¿No recuerdas? – You don’t remember?

Él recuerda todo. – He remembers everything.

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.

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.

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!

• Master the Use of Prepositional Pronouns in Spanish With 7 Easy Steps
• How to Use Vosotros When You Talk to Spanish Speakers in Spain
• Types of Spanish Words You Shouldn’t Capitalize
• Guide To Definite and Indefinite Articles in Spanish
• How to Use Spanish Verbs with Prepositions ‘Con,’ ‘En,’ and ‘Por’
• How to Form the Imperative Mood in Spanish
• How To Write a Formal Letter in Spanish
• Escuchar vs Oír: What’s the Difference Between These Two Spanish Verbs?

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Ashley Reid

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

I have a B.A. in Linguistics and a passion for Spanish. I've lived in Latin America for almost a decade. I'm a freelance writer and ESL teacher, as well as a loving mom and wife. In my free time, I dabble in art and music.

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