In Spanish there are many irregular verbs, but most of them are not used or are unknown from Spanish people. For foreigners, verbs are a particularly difficult, both because of irregularities in verbs itself and for the use of them.

What is an irregular verb?

Irregular verbs in conjugation may be altered in all of the tenses or in the radical or the ending. Spelling changes to keep the same sound can’t be considered irregularities:

• Verbs, ending in -car: yo pesqué, tú pescaste, etc.

• Verbs, ending in -cer, -cir: vencer, venzo, etc.

• Verbs, ending in -gar: llegué, llegar, etc.

• Verbs, ending in -ger, -gir: elegir, elijo; coger, cojo, etc.

• In delinquir: delinco.

• Verbs, ending in -guir: distinguir, distingo; seguir, sigo, etc.

• Verbs, ending in -zar: almorzar, almorcé; alzar, alcé, etc. 

• Verbs, ending in -guar: apaciguar, apacigüé, etc.

• In some verbs, ending in -aer, -eer, -oer, -uir, in errar and in argüir, i changes in y  between vowels or at the beginning of a word: leyó, leer; oír oyó; huir, huyó; errar, yerro, etc.

IRREGULARIDAD COMÚN

GROUP I

E changes in ie in singular and in the third plural person in simple present and in present subjuntive.

  – AR:

acertar, acrecentar, alentar, apretar, arrendar, asentar, asosegar, aterrar, atravesar, calentar, cegar, cerrar, comenzar, concertar, confesar, denegar, desalentar, desasosegar, desconcertar, desenterrar, deshelar, desmembrar, despertar, desplegar, desterrar, emparentar, empezar, encerrar, encomendar, enmendar, ensangrentar, enterrar, errar, escarmentar, fregar, gobernar, helar, herrar, invernar, manifestar, mentar, merendar, negar, nevar, pensar, plegar, quebrar, recalentar, recomendar, refregar, regar, remendar, renegar, repensarse, replegar, restregar, reventar, salpimentar, segar, sembrar, sentar, serrar, sosegar, soterrar, subarrendar, temblar, tentar, tropezar.

  – ER:

ascender, atender, defender, desatender, descender, encender, entender, extender, heder, perder, sobrentender, tender, trascender, verter.

 – IR:

cernir, concernir (Concernir is defective. It is used in third person in all the presente de indicativo, de subjuntivo, imperfecto de indicativo and  imperfecto de subjuntivo, in present and participle pasts and in gerundive), discernir.

GROUP II

O changes in ue in singular persons and in the third plural of simple present and in all the people in subjuntive.

 – AR

acordar, almorzar, apostar (apostar en el sentido de hacer apuestas es irregular; en el sentido de situar es regular), aprobar, asolar (asolar en el sentido de destruir es irregular), avergonzar, colar, colgar, comprobar, concordar, consolar, contar, costar, degollar, demostrar, desaprobar, descolgar, descontar, desosar (desosar toma hache antes del diptongo ue: deshueso, etc.), desollar, despoblarse, encontrar, engrosar, esforzarse, forzar, mostrar, poblar, probar, recordar, recostar, reforzar, renovar, repoblar, reprobar, resollar, resonar, revolcar, rodar, rogar, sobrevolar, soldar, soltar, sonar, soñar, tostar, trastocarse, tronar, volar, volcar.

 – ER

absolver, cocer, conmover, demoler, desenvolver, devolver, disolver, doler, envolver, escocer, llover, moler, morder, mover, oler (oler, igual que disosar, toma hache antes del diptongo ue: huelo, etc.), promover, remorder, remover, resolver, retorcer, revolver, soler (soler es defectivo. Se usa en presente de indicativo, en presente de subjuntivo y en imperfecto de indicativo), torcer, volver (volver, desenvolver, devolver, envolver y revolver tienen el participio pasado irregular: vuelto, desenvuelto, devuelto, envuelto, revuelto, etc.)

GROUP III

Verbs of this group add a c in the first singular person of simple present and in the subjuntive tenses.

–ACER

complacer, nacer, pacer, renacer.

– ECER

abastecer, aborrecer, acaecer, acontecer (acaecer y acontecer son defectivos. Sólo se usan en las terceras personas del singular y del plural, también en infinitivo), adolecer, agradecer, amanecer, anochecer, aparecer, apetecer, atardecer, carecer, compadecer, comparecer, convalecer, crecer, decrecer, desaparecer, desentumecer, desfallecer, desfavorecer, desobedecer, desvanecerse, embellecer, embrutecer, empobrecer, enaltecer, enardecer, encarecer, endurecer, enfurecer, enloquecer, enmohecer, enmudecer, ennegrecer, ennoblecer, enorgullecer, enrarecer, enriquecer, enrojecer, ensombrecer, ensordecer, enternecer, entorpecer, entristecer, entumecer, envejecer, envilecer, esclarecer, establecer, estremecer, fallecer, favorecer, florecer, fortalecer, guarecer, humedecer, languidecer, merecer, obedecer, ofrecer, oscurecer, padecer, palidecer, parecer, perecer, permanecer, pertenecer, prevalecer, reaparecer, reblandecer, recrudecer, rejuvenecer, resplandecer, restablecer.

 – OCER

conocer, desconocer, reconocer.

– UCIR

balbucir ( defective), deslucir, lucir, relucir.

GROUP IV

This verbs add a c in the first person of simple present and in subjuntive. In past tense and in past subjuntive they change c in j. First and third people of the past tense ends in e and in o, without accent.

GROUP V

Verbs change the i in y in past tense and in  imperfective subjuntive.

 – ER

atañer (defective).

  – ÑIR

gruñir, restriñir.

 – ULLIR

bullir, engullir, escabullir, zambullir.

GROUP VI

Singular persons and the third-plural person of simple present indicativo, the past subjuntive and the gerundive, changes e with i in the radical.

– IR

comedir, competir, concebir, conseguir, corregir, derretir, despedir, desvestir, elegir, embestir, expedir, gemir, impedir, investir, medir, pedir, perseguir, proseguir, reelegir, regir, rendir, repetir, reseguir, revestir, seguir, servir, transgredir, trasgredir, vestirse.

GROUP VII

E changes in i in singular persons and in the third-plural person, in third singular and plural persons of simple past, in past subjuntive and in gerundive.

– EÑIR

ceñir, desteñir, reñir, teñir.

 – EÍR

desleír, freír, reír, sonreír, sofreír.

GROUP VIII

E changes in ie in singular persons and in the third plural person of the simple present and in present subjuntive. Past subjuntive and gerundive change e with i.

 –  IR

adherir, advertir, arrepentirse, asentir, conferir, consentir, convertir, desmentir, diferir, digerir, disentir, divertir, herir, hervir, ingerir, injerir, inserir, invertir, malherir, mentir, pervertir, preferir, presentir, proferir, referir, requerir, resentirse, revertir, sentir, sugerir, transferir.

GROUP IX

U changes in ue in singular persons and in the third plural person of the simple present and in present subjuntive.

GROUP X

I changes in ie in singular persons and in the third plural person of the simple present and in present subjuntive.

 – IRIR

Adquirir, inquirir.

GRUPO XI

Y changes in i in singular persons and in the third plural person of the simple present and in present subjuntive.

– UIR

afluir, atribuir, concluir, confluir, constituir, construir, contribuir, derruir, destituir, destruir, diluir, disminuir, distribuir, excluir, fluir, huir, imbuir, incluir, inmiscuir, influir, instituir, instruir, intuir, obstruir, prostituir, reconstruir, recluir, rehuir, restituir, retribuir, substituir, sustituir.

GROUP XII

These verbs change o in ue in singular persons and in the third plural person of the simple present and in present subjuntive. They also change o in u in third persons of simple past, in past subjuntive and gerundive. (dormir, morir).

GRUPO XIII

 They add a  “g” in singular persons and in the third plural person of the simple present and in present subjuntive. In simple future and in conditional they change e in d.

– ALER

equivaler, valer.

– ALIR

salir, sobresalir.

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