Irregular verb pattern
Spelling-change verbs: -gar
Verbs ending in -gar insert a u after g before the letter e — preserving the hard /g/ sound in the preterite yo form and present subjunctive.
The pattern rule
In Spanish, g before e or i produces a soft /x/ sound (like the j in "jalapeño"). To preserve the hard /g/ sound from the infinitive, a u must be inserted before e: -gar becomes -gué in the preterite yo, and -gue in the present subjunctive.
Example: llegar (to arrive) — Preterite
Irregular forms are highlighted in red. Regular forms for comparison are shown in grey where they differ.
| Pronoun | Actual form | Regular would be |
|---|---|---|
| yo | llegué* | llegé |
| tú | llegaste | ✓ |
| él/ella | llegó | ✓ |
| nosotros | llegamos | ✓ |
| vosotros | llegasteis | ✓ |
| ellos/ellas | llegaron | ✓ |
Frequently asked questions
What are -gar spelling-change verbs in Spanish?
Verbs ending in -gar add a silent u before e to preserve the hard /g/ sound. The preterite yo form becomes -gué (llegar → llegué) and all subjunctive forms use -gue. The rest of the conjugation is regular.
Is pagar a -gar spelling-change verb?
Yes — pagar (to pay) is a -gar verb. Preterite yo: pagué. Subjunctive: pague, pagues, pague, paguemos, paguéis, paguen.
All 12 -gar 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.