Present Indicative

With stem-changing verbs, the stem vowel undergoes a change when it is stressed in the present tense. These verbs do not change in any other tense — except for -ir verbs, which experience a stem change in the -ndo form, in the present subjunctive and in the preterit.

Follow the links to the right for an explanation of the most common stem-changing verb types.

Some example sentences using stem-changing verbs in the present tense are shown below:

Vuelvo a casa despues de mucho tiempo.
I return home after a long time (away).

Perdón si empiezo a llorar.
Pardon (me) if I begin to cry.

¿Como pido ayuda en la clase de español?
How do I ask for help in Spanish class?