e → ie: quiero, quiere
querer → quiero, quiere · pensar → pienso, piensa · empezar → empiezo, empieza
| Infinitive | Yo | Él / ella |
|---|---|---|
| querer | quiero | quiere |
| pensar | pienso | piensa |
| empezar | empiezo | empieza |
| cerrar | cierro | cierra |
A1Song 05Beginner3:28Out Sat 24 Oct, 16:00 UK
Quiero, Puedo, Pido: Spanish Stem-Changing Verbs Song
Learn Spanish with Music
New song · out on YouTube
Sat 24 Oct, 16:00 UK
Quick check · one tap
Does the stem change? Read what the line means, then choose the form that fits.
Querer, yo , él quiere un café,
to want: I want, he wants a coffee,
Or listen and type: hear a line, write the missing words.
Learn the Spanish stem-changing verbs in one song: in the present, the vowel in the stem changes in yo and in él / ella. E becomes IE (quiero, quiere), O becomes UE (puedo, puede) and E becomes I (pido, pide). Nosotros keeps the infinitive's stem: queremos, podemos, pedimos.
InfinitiveYo (I)Él / ella (he / she)8 verbs in 2 groups
Lyrics · Spanish, then English
Practice
Test yourself
Does the stem change? Read what the line means, then choose the form that fits.
1.Querer, yo , él quiere un café,
to want: I want, he wants a coffee,
2.Querer, yo quiero, él un café,
to want: I want, he wants a coffee,
3.pensar, yo , él piensa en ti,
to think: I think, he thinks of you,
5 more questions after these.
0 of 8 answered
Free printable
The Spanish past tense, on one printable sheet
36 verbs from six past tense songs, yo and él / ella side by side with what each form means, in the same colours as the songs. Print it and test yourself one song at a time.
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The verbs
All 8 verbs, in groups
The song sings the verbs in groups that follow one pattern, so you learn the pattern once and use it for every verb. The underlined part is what the group shares.
e → ie · yo y él
o → ue, e → i: puedo, pido
poder → puedo, puede · dormir → duermo, duerme · pedir → pido, pide
| Infinitive | Yo | Él / ella |
|---|---|---|
| poder | puedo | puede |
| dormir | duermo | duerme |
| volver | vuelvo | vuelve |
| pedir | pido | pide |
Your turn
What do you want to do this weekend? Answer in Spanish
For example: «Quiero dormir mucho, pero empiezo a las nueve.»
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