Spanish verbs that toss their stem vowel mid‑conjugation can feel like a tiny betrayal – you thought you knew the pattern, then pienso shows up instead of penso. But stem‑changing verbs aren’t random rebels; they follow a few predictable tweaks that you can learn, not just memorise blindly.
This list pulls together around 57 common stem‑changers you’ll actually hear in daily chat – the e→ie, o→ue, and e→i shifts that pop up again and again. Every verb comes with a straightforward meaning and a natural example sentence, so you can see the change in action, not just a staring contest with a conjugation table.
Audio playback sits right inside the table – tap to hear the verb spoken aloud, because your ears need practice just as much as your eyes. And when you’re ready to study offline, grab the free PDF download button right below the table. No sign‑up, no fuss.
Use this list as a starting point, then keep going in the Yak Yacker Spanish section for more words, phrases, and study-friendly reference pages.
What Stem-Changing Verbs Are
Stem-changing verbs are verbs whose main vowel changes in some conjugated forms. For example, pensar becomes pienso and dormir becomes duerme, even though the infinitive stays the same.
These verbs matter because they are extremely common in everyday Spanish. The fastest way to learn them is to connect each infinitive to its stem-change pattern and a short example you can actually remember.
Spanish Stem-Changing Verbs Quiz
Think you’ve nailed these stem changes? The quick quiz below gives you a friendly nudge toward the verbs that still need a second look – no grades, just a pulse check.
Spanish Stem-Changing Verbs List
| Infinitive | Meaning | Stem Change | Example | Translation | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| acertar | to guess correctly, to get right | e -> ie | No acierto la respuesta. | I don't guess the answer correctly. | |
| acostar | to put to bed | o -> ue | Yo acuesto a los niños a las ocho. | I put the children to bed at eight. | |
| almorzar | to have lunch | o - -> ue | Almuerzo con mis amigos hoy. | I have lunch with my friends today. | |
| cerrar | to close | e - -> ie | Cierro la ventana por la noche. | I close the window at night. | |
| colgar | to hang | o -> ue | Cuelgo la chaqueta en el armario. | I hang the jacket in the closet. | |
| comenzar | to begin | e:ie | Comenzamos a estudiar a las ocho. | We begin studying at eight. | |
| confesar | to confess | e -> ie | Ella confiesa su error. | She confesses her mistake. | |
| conseguir | to get, to obtain | e:i | Consigo boletos para el concierto. | I get tickets for the concert. | |
| contar | to count; to tell | o -> ue | Cuento hasta diez. | I count to ten. | |
| convertir | to convert / to become | e -> ie | El agua se convierte en hielo. | Water turns into ice. | |
| corregir | to correct | e:i | La maestra corrige los exámenes. | The teacher corrects the exams. | |
| costar | to cost | o -> ue | Este libro cuesta mucho. | This book costs a lot. | |
| decir | to say, to tell | e -> i | Ella dice la verdad. | She tells the truth. | |
| defender | to defend | e -> ie | Los abogados defienden al acusado. | The lawyers defend the accused. | |
| despedir | to say goodbye; to fire (from job) | e -> i | Ella despide a sus amigos en el aeropuerto. | She says goodbye to her friends at the airport. | |
| despertarse | to wake up | e:ie | Me despierto temprano todos los días. | I wake up early every day. | |
| devolver | to return (something) | o -> ue | Devuelvo el vestido a la tienda. | I return the dress to the store. | |
| divertir | to entertain / to have fun | e -> ie | Ellos se divierten en la fiesta. | They have fun at the party. | |
| doler | to hurt; to ache | o -> ue | Me duele la cabeza. | My head hurts. | |
| dormir | to sleep | o - -> ue | Mi bebé duerme mucho. | My baby sleeps a lot. | |
| elegir | to choose, to elect | e:i | Eliges el menú para la cena. | You choose the menu for dinner. | |
| empezar | to begin, to start | e - -> ie | La clase empieza a las ocho. | The class starts at eight. | |
| encender | to light, to turn on | e -> ie | Enciendo la luz. | I turn on the light. | |
| encontrar | to find; to meet | o -> ue | Encuentro mis llaves en la mesa. | I find my keys on the table. | |
| entender | to understand | e - -> ie | Entiendo la pregunta. | I understand the question. |
