Irregular verb pattern
Spelling-change verbs: -cer / -cir
Verbs ending in a vowel + -cer or -cir insert a z before the c in the yo present form — a unique change that only affects the first person singular.
The pattern rule
Verbs like conocer and conducir add a z before the c in the yo present tense only: conozco, conduzco. This produces a "zc" cluster unique to this verb group. The change does NOT affect any other present-tense forms or any other tenses.
Example: conocer (to know (people/places)) — 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 | conozco* | conoco |
| tú | conoces | ✓ |
| él/ella | conoce | ✓ |
| nosotros | conocemos | ✓ |
| vosotros | conocéis | ✓ |
| ellos/ellas | conocen | ✓ |
Frequently asked questions
What is the yo form irregularity in -cer and -cir verbs?
Verbs ending in a vowel + -cer or -cir insert a z before the c in the yo present form: conocer → conozco, conducir → conduzco. This is the only affected indicative form — tú, él, nosotros etc. are regular.
Does this apply to hacer (to do)?
No — hacer ends in -cer but is preceded by a consonant (h), so it follows different rules. Hacer is a go-verb: hago. The vowel + -cer rule applies to verbs like conocer, ofrecer, parecer, and nacer, where the -cer is preceded by a vowel.
Are conducir and traducir in this group?
Yes — conducir and traducir fall into this group (-cir verbs). Their yo present forms are conduzco and traduzco respectively. They also have an irregular preterite stem (conduj-, traduj-) which places them in the broader irregular category.
All 158 -cer/-cir 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.