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Learn -UIR → Y in the Spanish present tense

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-UIR → Y

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Present spelling pattern

Present tense: -UIR verbs that add Y

Some Spanish verbs ending in -uir add the letter y in several present-tense forms. The pattern is predictable: yo, tú, él, ella, usted, ellos, ellas and ustedes add y; nosotros and vosotros do not.

The u never changes into y and never disappears. Remove -ir to find the stem, keep its u, add y where the pattern requires it, and then add the regular -IR person ending.

construirto buildincluirto includedistribuirto distributecontribuirto contributeconcluirto conclude / endsustituirto replaceinfluirto influencedisminuirto decrease / reducedestruirto destroyhuirto fleefluirto flowexcluirto exclude
1. Add Y without removing the U

For construir, remove -ir to get constru-. In the forms that add y, combine constru- + y + the regular ending: construyo, construyes, construye and construyen. With nosotros and vosotros, use construimos and construís without y.

Subject or verbPatternExample
yoadd yconstruyo
túadd yconstruyes
él, ella, ustedadd yconstruye
nosotros, nosotrasdo not add yconstruimos
vosotros, vosotrasdo not add yconstruís
ellos, ellas, ustedesadd yconstruyen
2. The regular -IR endings still matter

The added y belongs to the stem pattern; the ending still identifies the subject. Nosotros uses -imos, vosotros uses -ís, and the written accent in -ís is required.

constru- + y + o → construyoThe u remains and y is added.
constru- + imos → construimosNosotros does not add y.
constru- + ís → construísVosotros does not add y and needs an accent.
3. Useful verbs and structures

Learn each verb with the words and prepositions it normally uses. The conjugation can be correct while the surrounding structure is still incomplete.

Incluyo fruta en el desayuno.incluir + object
Contribuimos al proyecto.contribuir a + project, result or cause
Contribuyo con ideas.contribuir con + object, money or ideas
Distribuyen los materiales entre los estudiantes.distribuir + object + entre + people
Sustituyo el azúcar por miel.sustituir + object + por + replacement
Ella influye en la decisión.influir en + decision or situation
Ellos huyen del peligro.huir de + danger or place
El agua fluye por la tubería.fluir por + place
4. Compare a regular -IR verb

The y-pattern belongs only to selected verbs. A regular -IR verb such as vivir keeps its stem in every present form.

construyo / construimos-UIR verb that adds y
vivo / vivimosregular -IR verb
incluye / incluyeny appears in the boot forms
incluimos / incluísno y with nosotros or vosotros
5. Do not apply this pattern to -GUIR verbs

Common verbs ending in -guir follow other spelling or stem patterns. Seguir, conseguir and distinguir do not use the basic construyo pattern.

sigo / sigues / sigueseguir
consigo / consigues / consigueconseguir
distingo / distingues / distinguedistinguir
6. Oír and leer are different

Oír contains y in some forms, but it combines several irregularities and belongs with the yo-go verbs: oigo, oyes, oye, oímos, oís, oyen. Leer is not an -UIR verb and remains leo, lees, lee, leemos, leéis, leen.

construyosystematic -UIR + y pattern
oigo / oyesseparate irregular pattern
leo / leesleer does not add y in the present
7. Subjects, negatives and questions

A name or noun group determines the form just like a pronoun. One person uses a singular form, two or more people use a plural form, and a group including the speaker uses nosotros. Spanish often omits the pronoun when the ending makes the subject clear.

Put no directly before the conjugated verb. Questions use the conjugated form directly, without an English-style do or does.

Carlos concluye la presentación.One person uses concluye.
Ana y Marta construyen una mesa.Two people use construyen.
Mi hermana y yo sustituimos las sillas.A group including the speaker uses sustituimos.
No incluyo bebidas.No comes before the verb.
¿Incluyes fruta?A direct present-tense question.
8. A reliable method

Identify the infinitive and confirm that it belongs to this -UIR group. Remove -ir, identify the subject, and decide whether it is nosotros or vosotros. Add y in the other forms, then attach the regular -IR ending and read the full sentence again.

8. Common mistakes
Yo construo una mesa.Yo construyo una mesa.

Add y between the stem and the ending.

Yo constryo una mesa.Yo construyo una mesa.

Keep the u; it does not change into y.

Nosotros construyimos una mesa.Nosotros construimos una mesa.

Nosotros does not add y.

Vosotras distribuyís los materiales.Vosotras distribuís los materiales.

Vosotras does not add y, and -ís needs an accent.

Yo construio una mesa.Yo construyo una mesa.

Use written y, not i.

Contribuyo el proyecto.Contribuyo al proyecto.

Contribuir normally uses a with a project or cause.

Sustituyo el azúcar con miel.Sustituyo el azúcar por miel.

Use sustituir algo por otra cosa.

Yo vivyo aquí.Yo vivo aquí.

Do not apply the pattern to every -IR verb.

Yo seguyo la ruta.Yo sigo la ruta.

Seguir is a separate -GUIR pattern.

9. A reliable method
  1. Identify the infinitive and confirm that it belongs to the -UIR + y group.
  2. Remove -ir and keep the complete stem, including u.
  3. Identify the subject.
  4. With nosotros or vosotros, do not add y; with the other present forms, add y.
  5. Add the regular -IR person ending and check required accents and prepositions.

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