Everyday sentences
Why querer becomes quiero
Present-tense stem changes
Some present-tense verbs change a vowel inside the stem as well as adding an ending.
Endings refresher
Present stem changes
These examples show e → ie, o → ue and e → i. In these present-indicative patterns, nosotros and vosotros keep the original vowel.
| Person | Querer | Poder | Pedir |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | quiero | puedo | pido |
| tú | quieres | puedes | pides |
| él / ella / usted | quiere | puede | pide |
| nosotros / nosotras | queremos | podemos | pedimos |
| vosotros / vosotras | queréis | podéis | pedís |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | quieren | pueden | piden |
querer → quiero, but nosotros queremos
- Learn which verbs change; this is not a rule for every e or o.
- These charts use tú. Vosotros / vosotras is mainly used in Spain; ustedes uses the final row. Vos forms vary by region.
The pattern
- Common changes: e → ie (quiero), o → ue (puedo), e → i (pido).
- For these patterns, nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem vowel.
Quiero descansar.
I want to rest.
Why it works: Querer changes e to ie in quiero.
Notice the difference
Queremos descansar.
We want to rest.
Why it works: Nosotros keeps the original e: queremos.
One thing to watch for
Do not carry the change into every form: podemos, not puedemos. Learn which verbs change; not every e or o does.