Stem Changing Verbs "E">"Ie"

The main form of the verb is called the infinitive. The infinitive consists of two parts: the ending and the stem. The ending is the last two letters. There are only three different endings: -ar, -er, and -ir. The stem is everything else, except the ending.

hablar: ending = ar, stem = habl
comer: ending = er, stem = com
vivir: ending = ir, stem = viv

Some spanish verbs are called stem-changers because when they are conjugated, the stem changes in a predictable way. In one group of stem-changing verbs, the letter e in the stem changes to ie in all but the nosotros and vosotros forms. This particular type of stem-changing verb is found in all three verb types.

cerrar

yo cierro
tú cierras
él, ella, Ud. cierra

nosotros/as cerramos
vosotros/as cerráis

ellos, ellas, Uds. cierran

For a more complete discussion of verbs that change e:ie click here.

Here are some common e:ie stem-changing verbs.

acertar
to manage to

advertir
to alert

atender
to attend to

atravesar
to cross

calentar
to heat

cerrar
to close

comenzar
to begin

confesar
to confess

convertir
to convert

defender
to defend

despertar
to wake up

divertir
to amuse

empezar
to begin

encender
to light

entender
to understand

enterrar
to bury

fregar
to scrub

herir
to injure

hervir
to boil

mentir
to lie

merendar
to have lunch

negar
to deny

pensar
to think

perder
to lose

preferir
to prefer

querer
to want

regar
to water

sugerir
to suggest

temblar
to tremble

tender
to spread over

tropezar
to stumble on

verter
to spill