Intro2Spanish.com
List of Stem-Changing Verbs: E -> IE
Alphabetical Lists:
K
Ñ
RR
W
X
These lists provide verbs according to their respective initial letter of the alphabet.
Key
-ar verbs
-er verbs
-ir verbs
©RCAguilar
OBJECTIVE:
Use correct verb forms when speaking Spanish!
TASK:
Click on the colored balls to hear the sound file. Say the verb at least twice, adding "... is an E to IE stem-changing verb."
PERPLEXED?
Maybe a little rest would help ... take a 2 minute power nap then get back to work !!!
This list of verbs is intended to be used for the following purposes:
To really get frustrated with new vocabulary and a whole different culture for just being so different!.
To listen to somebody else's pronunciation.
To visualize living in a villa on the coast of Spain.
To work with verbs from the root level (infinitive) and develop sentences.
To figure out what the recipe really says in that cookbook.
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VERB LISTS
Master Verb List
Master -AR
Master -ER
Master -IR
Regular -AR
Regular -ER
Regular -IR
Ending -car
Ending -gar
Ending -iar: i - í
Ending -zar
Ending -zco
Stem Change e->ie
Stem Change o->ue
Stem Change e->i
Lección:
E to IE Stem-changers:
These verbs have a vowel change in some forms of the present tense conjugation.
The following list shows those subject pronouns for which these changes occur. Those shown in red receive the e to ie stem change.
yo
nosotros
nosotras
tú*
vosotros
vosotras
él
ella
Usted
ellos
ellas
Ustedes
The first thing to remember is to drop the -ar, -er, -ir for present tense conjugation. Then find the last e in the stem, and change it to an ie.
No stem change occurs in the nosotros/as or vosotros/as forms.
*In some countries in Central & South America vos is used instead of tú. Where vos is used, none of these verbs have the stem-change in the 2nd person singular. They do however get an accent on the last syllable.
A very important consideration is that many of these are some of the most commonly USED verbs in the Spanish language.
Especially work on learning the verbs tener and venir, because these often form related verbs by the addition of a simple prefix.

This group of verbs takes a bit of concentration. There are many irregular forms dealing with the stem changers. These verbs have a change of e to ie in most present tense conjugation forms, some preterite forms, and almost all present subjunctive forms. These verbs will have to be studied in their conjugated forms in other sections of this site. Don't abandon hope! Once you understand the patterns, it's easy to get it down! Most important of all is simply to learn to recognize the stem-changers, and what kind of stem change occurs.
Click on the various items in the top row below to hear explanations:
español
stem change
"yo"
subj stem
¿pretérito?
¿futuro?
inglés
abstenerse
e-ie
-go
absteng-
abstuv-
abstendr-
to abstain, refrain from, forbear
acertar
e-ie
aciert-
to hit the mark, hit upon, succeed, do right
  adherir
e-ie
adhier-
3rd e-i
to adhere, stick
adquirir
e-ie
adquier-
3rd e-i
to obtain, acquire
advertir
e-ie
adviert-
3rd e-i
 to advise, give notice, give warning, warn
apretar
e-ie
apriet-
to tighten
  arrepentir
e-ie
arrepient-
3rd e-i
to regret
ascender
e-ie
asciend-
to ascend, promote
  asentir
e-ie
asient-
3rd e-i
to nod, assent
atender
e-ie
atiend-
to attend, pay attention, heed
atravesar
e-ie
atravies-
to go through, cross, run through
calentar
e-ie
calient-
to heat up, warm, warm up
cerrar
e-ie
cierr-
to close, shut
circunvenir
e-ie
-go
circunveng-
circunvin-
circunvendr-
to circumvent
comenzar
e-ie
comienc-
1st z-c
 to commence, start, begin
  conferir
e-ie
confier-
3rd e-i
to confer
confesar
e-ie
confies-
to confess
consentir
e-ie
consient-
3rd e-i
 to consent
contener
e-ie
-go
conteng-
contuv-
contendr-
to contain
contravenir
e-ie
-go
contraveng-
contravin-
contravendr-
to contravene
convenir
e-ie
-go
conveng-
convin-
convendr-
to convene
convertir
e-ie
conviert-
3rd e-i
 to convert, change, transform
defender
e-ie
defiend-
to defend
descender
e-ie
desciend-
to descend
  desmembrar
e-ie
desmiembr-
to dismantle
  desmentir
e-ie
desmient-
3rd e-i
to refute
despertar
e-ie
despiert-
to awaken, wake up
  desplegar
e-ie
 
despliegu-
1st g-gu
  to deploy
detener
e-ie
-go
deteng-
detuv-
detendr-
to detain
  diferir
e-ie
difier-
3rd e-i
to differ
  digerir
e-ie
digier-
3rd e-i
to digest
  discernir
e-ie
disciern-
  to discern
  disentir
e-ie
disient-
3rd e-i
to dissent
divertirse
e-ie
diviert-
3rd e-i
 to have fun, have a good time
empezar
e-ie
empiec-
1st z-c
 to start, begin
  encender
e-ie
enciend-
to burn, light, turn on
encerrar
e-ie
encierr-
to shut in, lock up, close in, confine
  encomendar
e-ie
encomiend-
to entrust
  enmendar
e-ie
enmiend-
to amend
  ensangrentar
e-ie
ensangrient-
to cover with blood
entender
e-ie
entiend-
to understand
  enterrar
e-ie
 
entierr-
    to bury, inter
entretener
e-ie
-go
entreteng-
entretuv-
entretendr-
to entertain
entrevenir
e-ie
-go
entreveng-
entrevin-
entrevendr-
to intervene
extender
e-ie
extiend-
to extend, stretch, stretch out
  fregar
e-ie
friegu-
1st g-gu
to rub, scrub, scour, wash, mop
gobernar
e-ie
gobiern-
to govern
  heder
e-ie
hied-
  to stink, smell bad
  helar
e-ie
hiel-
  to freeze, gell, ice over
  herir
e-ie
hier-
3rd e-i
to injure, hurt, wound, beat
hervir
e-ie
hierv-
3rd e-i
 to boil
inferir
e-ie
infier-
3rd e-i
 to infer
  ingerir
e-ie
ingier-
3rd e-i
 to ingest
intervenir
e-ie
-go
interveng-
intervin-
intervendr-
to intervene
  invernar
e-ie
inviern-
to hibernate, winter
invertir
e-ie
inviert-
3rd e-i
 to invest
  malherir
e-ie
malhier-
3rd e-i
to injure fatally, mortally wound
manifestar
e-ie
manifiest-
to manifest, reveal, display, show, declare
mantener
e-ie
-go
manteng-
mantuv-
mantendr-
to maintain
  mentar
e-ie
mient-
to mention, name
mentir
e-ie
mient-
3rd e-i
 to lie, tell an untruth
  merendar
e-ie
meriend-
to snack, have a snack
negar
e-ie
niegu-
1st g-gu
to negate, say no
nevar
e-ie
niev-
to snow
obtener
e-ie
-go
obteng-
obtuv-
obtendr-
to get, obtain
ofender
e-ie
ofiend-
to offend
pensar
e-ie
piens-
to think
perder
e-ie
pierd-
to lose
  pervertir
e-ie
perviert-
3rd e-i
 to pervert, lead astray, garble, corrupt
preferir
e-ie
prefier-
3rd e-i
 to prefer
  presentir
e-ie
preasient-
3rd e-i
to have a feeling, have an idea
prevenir
e-ie
-go
preveng-
previn-
prevendr-
to prevent, prepare, make ready, anticipate, foresee, avoid, overcome
querer
e-ie
quier-
quis-
querr-
to want, love
recomendar
e-ie
recomiend-
to recommend
referir
e-ie
refier-
3rd e-i
 to refer
  regar
e-ie
rieg-
1st g-gu
to water, irrigate, wash, sprinkle, spray
  remendar
e-ie
remiend-
to improve, patch, mend, repair
  renegar
e-ie
reniegu-
1st g-gu
to deny vigorously, detest, abhor, renegade, apostatize, swear, blaspheme
  replegar
e-ie
 
repliegu-
1st g-gu
  to fold over & over, fall back, retreat
requerir
e-ie
requier-
3rd e-i
to require, need, request, ask for, send for, call for
  restregar
e-ie
 
restriegu-
1st g-gu
  to scour, rub hard, scrub
  retener
e-ie
-go
reteng-
retuv-
retendr-
to retain, hold back, keep, catch, hold
  reventar
e-ie
revient-
to burst, explode, blow up, break
  segar
e-ie
 
siegu-
1st g-gu
  to harvest, reap, mow, cut down
  sembrar
e-ie
siembr-
to plant, sow, seed
  sentar
e-ie
sient-
to seat, sit
  sentir
e-ie
sient-
3rd e-i
to feel, touch, sense
  serrar
e-ie
sierr-
to saw
  sosegar
e-ie
 
sosiegu-
1st g-gu
  to calm, quiet, appease, soothe, pacify
sostener
e-ie
-go
sosteng-
sostuv-
sostendr-
to sustain
  soterrar
e-ie
 
sotierr-
    to bury underground, inter
  subarrendar
e-ie
 
subarriend-
    to sublease, sublet
  sugerir
e-ie
sugier-
3rd e-i
 to suggest
temblar
e-ie
tiembl-
to tremble, shake
tender
e-ie
tiend-
to extend, spread out, stretch forth
tener
e-ie
-go
teng-
tuv-
tendr-
to have
tentar
e-ie
tient-
to tempt, feel, examine by touch
transferir
e-ie
transfier-
3rd e-i
 to transfer
tropezar
e-ie
tropiec-
1st z-c
 to trip, stumble
venir
e-ie
-go
veng-
vin-
vendr-
to come
  verter
e-ie
viert-
to pour, spill, shed