Irregular verb pattern
Stem-changing verbs: e → ie
Verbs whose stem vowel e changes to ie in all present-tense forms except nosotros and vosotros — the classic "boot verb" pattern.
The pattern rule
When the stressed syllable falls on the stem vowel e, it changes to ie. In the present tense this affects yo, tú, él/ella, and ellos/ellas — the forms outside the "boot" — but NOT nosotros or vosotros, where the stress falls on the ending.
Example: querer (to want / to love) — 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 | quiero* | quero |
| tú | quieres* | queres |
| él/ella | quiere* | quere |
| nosotros | queremos | ✓ |
| vosotros | queréis | ✓ |
| ellos/ellas | quieren* | queren |
Frequently asked questions
What are e to ie stem-changing verbs in Spanish?
E to ie stem-changing verbs change the vowel e in their stem to ie whenever that vowel is stressed. In the present tense, this affects yo, tú, él/ella, and ellos/ellas, but not nosotros or vosotros. Common examples include querer (quiero), entender (entiendo), and pensar (pienso).
Do e to ie verbs change in all tenses?
No. The e→ie change mainly affects the present indicative and present subjunctive. The preterite, imperfect, future, and conditional of most e→ie verbs follow regular patterns. A few verbs like sentir and preferir also show e→i changes in the preterite third person.
How many e to ie stem-changing verbs are there in Spanish?
There are hundreds of e→ie stem-changing verbs in Spanish. This is one of the most common irregular patterns, and you will encounter it constantly in everyday conversation.
All 49 e → ie 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.