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Learn E → I in the Spanish present tense

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E → I

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Present stem-change pattern

Present tense: E → I stem-changing verbs

In selected verbs, mainly -IR verbs, a stressed e in the stem changes to i in the present tense. The regular -IR person endings still apply.

The change appears with yo, tú, él, ella, usted, ellos, ellas and ustedes, but not with nosotros, nosotras, vosotros or vosotras.

pedirto ask for / orderrepetirto repeatservirto servemedirto measurecompetirto competeimpedirto prevent / blockvestirto dressderretirto meltdespedirto dismiss / say goodbyerendirto perform / yield
1. The E → I boot pattern

Change the stressed e to i in the boot forms, keep e with nosotros and vosotros, and add the regular -IR ending for the subject.

Subject or verbPatternExample
yochangespido
túchangespides
él, ella, ustedchangespide
nosotros, nosotrasdoes not changepedimos
vosotros, vosotrasdoes not changepedís
ellos, ellas, ustedeschangespiden
2. Regular -IR endings still matter

The stem change and the person ending do different jobs. The stem marks the lexical pattern; -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís and -en identify the subject.

pido / pides / pidechanged stem with singular endings
pedimos / pedísunchanged stem outside the boot
pidenchanged stem with the plural -en ending
3. Useful meanings and structures

Pedir means to ask for or order, not to ask a question. Learn each target verb in a natural structure.

Pido un café.I order a coffee.
Repito las palabras.I repeat the words.
Sirve el desayuno.He serves breakfast.
Medimos la pared.We measure the wall.
Compiten en una carrera.They compete in a race.
La caja impide el paso.The box blocks the way.
4. E → I is not E → IE

These are separate lexical patterns. Pedir becomes pido, not piedo. Preferir becomes prefiero, not prefiro. Many regular -IR verbs, including vivir, escribir, recibir and compartir, do not change at all.

pido / prefiero / vivoE → I / E → IE / regular -IR
sirvo / siento / escriboE → I / E → IE / regular -IR
5. Related spelling patterns

Some related E → I verbs also require spelling changes in particular forms: seguir gives sigo, elegir gives elijo, corregir gives corrijo and decir gives digo. Study those forms separately instead of generalizing one spelling rule.

sigoseguir: E → I plus spelling change
elijoelegir: E → I plus g → j in yo
digodecir: E → I plus yo-go
6. Subjects, negatives and questions

Pronouns can be omitted, but the subject still determines the form. Put no before the conjugated verb; questions use the conjugated verb directly.

Ana y Marta compiten.A plural subject uses compiten.
Ellas no sirven carne.No precedes the verb.
¿Pides la cuenta?A direct present-tense question.
6. Common mistakes
Yo pedo un café.Yo pido un café.

The target e changes to i.

Yo piedo un café.Yo pido un café.

Pedir is E → I, not E → IE.

Nosotros pidimos la cuenta.Nosotros pedimos la cuenta.

Nosotros keeps the original stem.

Vosotros servis la comida.Vosotros servís la comida.

Keep the e and write the accent in -ís.

Yo pedir un café.Yo pido un café.

Conjugate the infinitive.

7. A reliable method
  1. Confirm that the verb belongs to the E → I group.
  2. Identify the subject.
  3. Change e to i only in a boot person.
  4. Use the regular -IR ending.
  5. Check whether the particular verb has an additional spelling change.

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