Irregular verb pattern
Go-verbs (irregular yo present)
A group of common verbs whose yo present-tense form ends in -go — one of the most useful irregular patterns to master early.
The pattern rule
Go-verbs are regular in most forms but have an unexpected -go ending in the yo present indicative. The -go ending also creates irregularity throughout the present subjunctive (since the subjunctive is built on the yo present stem). Some go-verbs combine with stem changes in other tenses.
Example: hacer (to do / to make) — Present
Irregular forms are highlighted in red. Regular forms for comparison are shown in grey where they differ.
| Pronoun | Actual form | Regular would be |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hago* | haco |
| tú | haces | ✓ |
| él/ella | hace | ✓ |
| nosotros | hacemos | ✓ |
| vosotros | hacéis | ✓ |
| ellos/ellas | hacen | ✓ |
Frequently asked questions
What are go-verbs in Spanish?
Go-verbs are verbs whose yo present-tense form ends in -go. The most common are: hacer (hago), tener (tengo), poner (pongo), salir (salgo), venir (vengo), decir (digo), traer (traigo), caer (caigo), and oír (oigo). The name comes from the -go ending.
Are go-verbs irregular in other tenses?
Some go-verbs have additional irregularities. Tener, poner, salir, venir, and haber have irregular future/conditional stems (tendré, pondré, saldré, vendré, habré). Decir, traer, and hacer have irregular preterite stems. The imperfect is usually regular.
How does the go-verb irregularity affect the subjunctive?
Because the present subjunctive is formed from the yo present stem, all go-verbs are irregular throughout the present subjunctive. Hago → haga, hagas, haga, hagamos, hagáis, hagan. Tengo → tenga, tengas, tenga, tengamos, tengáis, tengan.
All 17 Go-verbs verbs — ordered by frequency
Sorted by how commonly each verb appears in everyday Spanish. Start with rank #1 and work down.
Other irregular verb patterns
Practise these verbs with spaced repetition to actually remember them.