30 Stem-changing verbs 3
E:i stem-changing verbs
For the third type of stem-changing verbs, the “e” in the stem simply changes to “i”. All e:i stem-changing verbs happen to be -ir ending verbs. There are fewer e:i stem-changing verbs than e:ie and o:ue types, but the pattern that we saw before remains the same: the “nosotros / vosotros” forms do not have changes in their stems while all other forms do.
Stem-changing verb pattern
| Stem-change? | Stem-change? |
|---|---|
| yo (yes) | nosotros (no) |
| tú (yes) | vosotros (no) |
| él (yes) | ellos (yes) |
| ella (yes) | ellas (yes) |
| Ud. (yes) | Uds. (yes) |
Stem-changing verbs: e:i
The verb “pedir” (to ask for, to order) is a common e:i stem-changing verb; notice that the preposition “for” is “built-in” to the meaning of the verb and so it’s not necessary to use an equivalent of “for” after this verb. Also, keep in mind this verb means to ask for or to request something; however, it’s meaning is not to ask a question (which would be the verb “preguntar”).
Pedir: to ask for, to order
| Subject pronouns | singular | basic meaning | Subject pronouns | plural | basic meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | pido | I ask for | nosotros/as | pedimos | we ask for |
| tú | pides | you ask for | vosotros/as | pedís | you ask for (Sp.) |
| él | pide | he asks for | ellos | piden | they ask for |
| ella | pide | she asks for | ellas | piden | they ask for (f) |
| Ud. | pide | you ask for | Uds. | piden | you ask for |
| Diego pide dinero a sus padres. | Diego asks his parents for money. |
| ¿Cuánto piden ellos? | How much are they asking for? |
| ¿Pedimos tacos de pollo o de carne? | Should we order chicken or beef tacos? |
| Camila pide demasiado. | Camila is asking for too much. |
| Tú pides mucho. | You’re asking for a lot. |
Common e:i stem-changing verbs
| Infinitivo | Infinitive | Infinitivo | Infinitive |
|---|---|---|---|
| competir | to compete | medir | to measure |
| conseguir | to get, to obtain | pedir | to ask for, to order |
| corregir | to correct | repetir | to repeat |
| decir | to say, to tell | seguir | to follow, to be next |
| impedir | to impede | servir | to serve |
OJO 1: while the verb “decir” (to say, to tell) is an e:i stem-changing verb, it is also somewhat irregular in that the “yo” form is “digo”. The rest of the conjugations of “decir” follow the pattern of other e:i stem-changers. Likewise, “sigo” (without the “u”) is the “yo” form for seguir, but the other forms keep the “u”.
OJO 2: the verb “conseguir” means “to get”, but it should be avoided to express “to get mad” or “to get sick” and other physical and mental states of being. The use of “conseguir” is limited to mean “to get = to obtain” something.
¿Cómo se dice…?:
Now you try out some sentences: use the verbs from the e:i stem-changing verb list above to translate the sentences below.
Some vocabulary you might need: instrucciones = instructions; ganar = to win; niño = boy; what = lo que; comida = food; hasta = until