present: ie (2)

Present Tense: Stem-Changing –ir Verbs (e → ie)

In Spanish, –ir stem-changing verbs generally fall into three patterns: e → ie, o → ue, and e → i. This guide focuses on the first group: verbs where the stem vowel e changes to ie.

How it Works

For these verbs, when you conjugate them in the present tense, the e in the stem splits into ie. However, there is a crucial rule to remember:

The change happens in all forms except nosotros/as and vosotros/as.

Because the change occurs in the singular forms and the third-person plural, but "skips" the first and second-person plural, this pattern is often visualized as a "boot" or "shoe" shape on a conjugation chart.

Example: Preferir (to prefer)

Notice how the stem changes in most forms, but the endings remain the regular –ir present tense endings (-o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en).

• Yo prefiero (I prefer)
• Tú prefieres (You prefer)
• Él / Ella / Usted prefiere (He / She / You prefer)
• Nosotros / Nosotras preferimos (We prefer) — No change
• Vosotros / Vosotras preferís (You all prefer) — No change
• Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes prefieren (They / You all prefer)

Common Verbs in this Group

Many useful verbs follow this exact pattern. Here are some you should know:

• Advertir – to warn
• Convertir – to convert
• Divertirse – to have fun
• Hervir – to boil
• Mentir – to lie
• Presentir – to sense, to predict
• Referir(se) a – to refer to
• Sentir – to regret / to feel sorry
• Sentirse – to feel (an emotion or physical state)

Note: Reflexive verbs like divertirse and sentirse follow the same stem-change rules, but remember to place the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) before the conjugated verb.