If there are three vowels in a row and the middle one is the letter i, you must change the i to y. This special spelling change only happens in the preterite tense and is not considered a stem changer. When the stem of the verb ends in a vowel, some spelling changes are necessary in certain forms in the preterite. Here are some common verbs that end in – zar, and they are conjugated like cruzar. Since the yo form has the ending – é, the z must change to c. For example, Table 3 shows the preterite conjugation of the verb cruzar (to cross).

Whenever z is followed by e, it changes to c. This rule becomes important in the preterite tense because the verbs that end in – zar will change spelling in the yo form. Here are some common verbs that end in – car, and they are all conjugated like tocar. To simplify the rule: If a verb ends in – car, change c to qu in the yo form of the preterite. Table 2 is the preterite conjugation chart for the verb tocar (to play an instrument, to touch), which is an example for all regular – ar verbs in the preterite that end in – car. It is never pronounced like the English word queen. The resulting ending (– qué) is pronounced like the English name Kay. The combination of letters – qu is always pronounced like the English letter k, and you never say the u sound. So you must change the letter c to qu only in the yo preterite form. When you add – é to the base of a verb ending in – car, the c becomes a soft sound, which is unacceptable. This must be maintained in all the conjugated forms, but the preterite yo ending causes problems. It is pronounced hard when it's followed by – o, – a, or –u. Any verb that ends in – car will have the hard c sound in its infinitive form. The c is pronounced soft when it's followed by –i or – e. It has a hard sound (like the English letter k) and a soft sound (like the English letter s). The Spanish letter c is a lot like the letter g. All other preterite forms of these verbs are completely regular forms for a regular – ar verb in the preterite tense. Since they all end in – gar, you must change the g to gu in the yo form and then use the regular yo ending. The following verbs are all regular – ar verbs in the preterite tense. Note that the yo form would be pronounced. Table 1 is the preterite conjugation chart for the verb pagar (to pay) which serves as a good example. To simplify matters, remember that a verb ending in – gar will change g– to gu– in the yo form of the preterite. Whenever you see a verb ending in – gué, you can assume the u is only there to produce the correct hard g sound, and you don't pronounce the u.

However, when you remove the – ar infinitive ending and add the yo preterite ending, the hard g is suddenly followed by – é and would be pronounced as a soft g. To maintain the hard g sound of the infinitive, the letter u is added between the g and é. This creates the hard g sound of the infinitive pronunciation. If a Spanish verb ends in – gar, the infinitive is pronounced with a hard gsound. Remember that the consonant g is pronounced hard (like the g in good) or soft (like the g in gym) depending on the vowel that follows the g. The spelling change is meant to maintain the same basic sound as the infinitive. This happens in the yo form of specific verbs in the preterite tense, because adding – í or – é to the base of the verb messes up the pronunciation of the word. The spelling and pronunciation rules of Spanish are extremely consistent, and sometimes a conjugated form of the verb must change its spelling to maintain the correct pronunciation. Quiz: Command Forms with Reflexive Pronounsĭifferent Yo Forms in the Preterite Tense.Reflexive, Prepositional, and Demonstrative Pronouns.Verbs That Change Meaning in the Preterite.Quiz: Verbs That Change Meaning in the Preterite.Quiz: Irregulars in the Preterite Tense.Quiz: Stem Changers in the Preterite Tense.Quiz: Different Yo Forms in the Preterite Tense.Different Yo Forms in the Preterite Tense.Quiz: Regular Verbs in the Preterite Tense.Quiz Indirect Objects and Indirect Object Pronouns.Indirect Objects and Indirect Object Pronouns.Quiz: Direct Objects and Direct Object Pronouns.Direct Objects and Direct Object Pronouns.Quiz: Using the Right Pronoun to Answer a Question.Using the Right Pronoun to Answer a Question.

Quiz: Interrogative Pronouns (Question Words).Interrogative Pronouns (Question Words).Stem-Changing Verbs in the Present Tense.Quiz: Common Verbs Irregular in the Present Tense.Common Verbs Irregular in the Present Tense.Quiz: Confusing Verbs: Determining which Verb to Use.Confusing Verbs: Determining Which Verb to Use.Quiz: Stem-Changing Verbs in the Present Tense.Quiz: Regular Verbs in the Present Tense.

Spanish past tense