Spanish Verbs with Irregular First Person (IV)

We have already learned that there is a type of Spanish irregular verbs called "First Person Irregular verbs". These verbs follow the regular conjugation patterns except for the "Yo" form and they can be classified in four categories:

1. "GO" verbs
2. "OY" verbs
3. "ZCO" verbs
4. Others

We studied the verbs belonging to the first type: "-go" verbs (See Spanish Irregular Verbs (Part III): Irregular First Person (Yo)). Now we are going to review the rest of categories.

Second category: "-OY" verbs:

Their "yo" form ends in "-oy".

As we have already learned, we can apply here the general rule: we remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er or -ir) and then we add the "-oy" ending:

Infinitive: Dar
D-ar
D-
D-oy

Verbs belonging to this category:

Dar (To give):
yo doy | tu das | él/ella/usted da
nosotros damos | vosotros dais | ellos/ustedes dan

Estar (To be):
yo estoy | tu estás | él/ella/usted está
nosotros estamos | vosotros estáis | ellos/ustedes están

Ir (To go):
yo voy | tu vas | él/ella/usted va
nosotros vamos | vosotros vais | ellos/ustedes van
(This verb is completely irregular, so the general rule above does not apply)

Ser (To be):
yo soy | tu eres | él/ella/usted es
nosotros somos | vosotros sois | ellos/ustedes son

Third category: "-ZCO" verbs:
Their "yo" form ends in "-zco".

As a "general rule", all infinitive verbs ending in a vowel + "-cer" or "-cir", form their first person ("yo"), for the present tense, adding "-zco".

And, of course, we have some exceptions:
"cocer" ("Yo cuezo") and "torcer" ("yo tuerzo"); they belong to the stem-changing verbs category (o --> ue).

Another exception: Verbs "hacer", "bendecir", "decir", etc... that, as we have already learned, belong to the "-go" category.

List of -zco verbs:

Agradecer (To please): yo agradezco

Aparecer (To appear): yo aparezco

Crecer (To grow): yo crezco

Desaparecer (To dissapear): yo desaparezco

Desobedecer (To disobey): yo desobedezco

Establecer (To establish): yo establezco

Introducir (To introduce): yo introduzco

Lucir (To shine): yo luzco

Merecer (To deserve, To be worth): yo merezco

Obedecer (To obey): yo obedezco

Ofrecer (To offer): yo ofrezco

Parecer (To seem): yo parezco

Pertenecer (To belong): yo pertenezco

Permanecer (To stay): yo permanezco

Producir (To produce): yo produzco

Reducir (To reduce): yo reduzco

Traducir (To translate): yo traduzco

Fourth category: verbs that do not fit a pattern:
This type of Spanish verbs do not belong to any of the above mentioned categories, they have just an irregular "yo" form:

Saber (To Know): yo sé
Ver (To see - To watch): yo veo
Caber (To fit): yo quepo

As I've already told you, a useful way to learn these verbs is making flashcards and reviewing them whenever you can.

For any question or doubt, feel free to e-mail me or just post a message at the forum.

¡Que tenga un buen día!
Angeles F.

VOCABULARY IN THIS LESSON (alphabetical order):

Agradecer: please
Aparecer: appear
Bendecir: bless
Caber: fit
Cocer: To cook, To boil
Crecer: To grow
Dar: To give
Decir: To say
Desaparecer: To dissapear
Desobedecer: To disobey
Establecer: To establish
Estar: to be
Hacer: To make, To do
Introducir: To introduce
Ir: To go
Lucir: To shine
Merecer: To shine
Obedecer: To obey
Ofrecer: To offer
Parecer: To seem
Permanecer: To stay
Pertenecer: To belong
Producir: To produce
Reducir: To reduce
Saber: To Know
Ser: To be
Torcer: To bend, to twist
Traducir: To translate
Ver: To see, to watch

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