Level 2 — Elementary (CEFR: A2)
Unit 7 — Verb Group 3: -IR Verbs
Lesson 3 — Stem-Changing -IR Verbs
Lesson Overview
Level: 2 — Elementary Unit: 7 — Verb Group 3: -IR Verbs Lesson: 3 of 14 Estimated Time: 60–75 minutes
What this lesson covers:
- Three stem-change patterns in -IR verbs: e→ie, o→ue, e→i
- The e→i pattern: unique to -IR verbs, not found in -AR or -ER
- The “boot verb” rule: stem changes in all forms except nosotros (and vosotros)
- Why seguir, servir, pedir, sentir, dormir matter for ministry interpretation
- Ministry sentences for each pattern
Three Stem-Change Patterns
-IR verbs exhibit three stem-change patterns. Two of these (e→ie and o→ue) also appear in -AR and -ER verbs. The third (e→i) is unique to -IR verbs.
In all three patterns, the stem change applies to the “boot” forms: all forms except nosotros (and vosotros). This creates the visual “boot” shape on a conjugation chart.
Pattern 1: e→ie
The vowel e in the stem becomes ie in stressed syllables.
sentir (to feel, to sense)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | siento |
| tú | sientes |
| él/ella/usted | siente |
| nosotros | sentimos (no change) |
| ellos/ustedes | sienten |
preferir (to prefer)
prefiero / prefieres / prefiere / preferimos / prefieren
Ministry sentences — e→ie:
Siento el llamado de Dios a esta nación. — I feel/sense God’s calling to this nation. El creyente siente la presencia de Dios en la oración. — The believer senses God’s presence in prayer. Sentimos la necesidad de orar por esta comunidad. — We sense the need to pray for this community. ¿Sientes que Dios te está hablando en este momento? — Do you sense that God is speaking to you right now? Prefiero servir en silencio que buscar reconocimiento. — I prefer to serve in silence rather than seek recognition.
Pattern 2: o→ue
The vowel o in the stem becomes ue in stressed syllables.
dormir (to sleep)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | duermo |
| tú | duermes |
| él/ella/usted | duerme |
| nosotros | dormimos (no change) |
| ellos/ustedes | duermen |
morir (to die)
muero / mueres / muere / morimos / mueren
Ministry sentences — o→ue:
El que muere en Cristo resucita para vida eterna. — The one who dies in Christ rises to eternal life. Muero a mí mismo para que Cristo viva en mí. — I die to myself so that Christ may live in me. Muchos mártires mueren por no negar el nombre de Jesús. — Many martyrs die for refusing to deny the name of Jesus. ¿Duermes con paz, sabiendo que Dios cuida de ti? — Do you sleep with peace, knowing that God watches over you?
Pattern 3: e→i (Unique to -IR Verbs)
This is the most important pattern to understand in Unit 7 because it does not exist in -AR or -ER verbs. When an -IR verb has an e in the stem, it may change to i (not ie) in the stressed boot forms.
This pattern occurs in the following key ministry verbs:
pedir (to ask for, request)
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pido |
| tú | pides |
| él/ella/usted | pide |
| nosotros | pedimos (no change) |
| ellos/ustedes | piden |
servir (to serve)
sirvo / sirves / sirve / servimos / sirven
seguir (to follow)
sigo / sigues / sigue / seguimos / siguen
Note: seguir also has an orthographic change in the yo form: sigo (not sieguo). The gu of the infinitive becomes g before o to preserve the hard /g/ sound.
decir (to say) — also e→i, but additionally irregular in yo
digo / dices / dice / decimos / dicen
Decir has the e→i stem change plus an irregular yo form (digo with -go). It is covered fully in Lesson 4.
elegir (to choose)
elijo / eliges / elige / elegimos / eligen
Note: The yo form elijo reflects both the e→i stem change and an orthographic adjustment (g→j before o).
Ministry sentences — e→i:
Pido la voluntad de Dios en todo. — I ask for God’s will in everything. ¿Qué pides en oración esta semana? — What do you ask in prayer this week? Pedimos con fe, creyendo que Dios responde. — We ask with faith, believing that God answers.
Sirvo al Señor con todo mi corazón. — I serve the Lord with all my heart. ¿A quién sirves en tu comunidad? — Whom do you serve in your community? La iglesia sirve a los pobres como expresión del amor de Dios. — The church serves the poor as an expression of God’s love.
Sigo a Cristo sin vergüenza. — I follow Christ without shame. ¿Sigues los pasos de Jesús en tu vida diaria? — Do you follow Jesus’s steps in your daily life? Seguimos al Buen Pastor — Él nos guía. — We follow the Good Shepherd — He guides us.
Dios elige a los humildes para confundir a los sabios. — God chooses the humble to confound the wise. Elegimos a Cristo sobre todas las cosas. — We choose Christ above all things.
Distinguishing e→ie from e→i
This is where learners regularly make errors. Both patterns involve an e in the stem. The distinction:
| Pattern | Applies to | Example | Yo form |
|---|---|---|---|
| e→ie | -AR, -ER, -IR | sentir | siento |
| e→i | -IR only | pedir | pido |
How to remember which is which: -AR and -ER verbs always use e→ie when they stem-change. The e→i pattern belongs exclusively to -IR verbs. If you hear siento (2 syllables in the root: s-ien-to), it’s e→ie. If you hear pido (short i), it’s e→i.
The practical rule: for -IR verbs, you must memorize whether the verb uses e→ie or e→i. Both patterns occur. The verb itself tells you which — you cannot predict it from the form alone.
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1 — Paradigm Production
Without notes, produce all five Latin American forms of each verb:
sentir, dormir, pedir, servir, seguir
Answers: siento / sientes / siente / sentimos / sienten duermo / duermes / duerme / dormimos / duermen pido / pides / pide / pedimos / piden sirvo / sirves / sirve / servimos / sirven sigo / sigues / sigue / seguimos / siguen
Exercise 2 — Pattern Identification
A partner reads a conjugated form. You identify which pattern is at work (e→ie, o→ue, e→i, or no change) and name the infinitive:
siento → e→ie, sentir piden → e→i, pedir muere → o→ue, morir servimos → no change (nosotros), servir sigues → e→i, seguir preferimos → no change (nosotros), preferir duermo → o→ue, dormir
Exercise 3 — Ministry Sentence Production
For each of the 5 main verbs in this lesson (sentir, dormir, pedir, servir, seguir), produce:
- One yo sentence
- One nosotros sentence (confirm no stem change)
- One ellos sentence
Exercise 4 — The Follower’s Prayer
Produce a short prayer (5–8 sentences) using as many stem-changing -IR verbs from this lesson as possible. Include siento, pido, sirvo, sigo, and at least one more.
Key Takeaways for This Lesson
Before moving to Lesson 4:
- -IR verbs have three stem-change patterns: e→ie (sentir), o→ue (dormir), e→i (pedir, servir, seguir)
- The e→i pattern is unique to -IR verbs
- Stem changes apply to all forms except nosotros (the “boot” rule)
- Key ministry verbs: siento, pido, sirvo, sigo, muero
- Decir is e→i plus a yo-go irregular — covered in Lesson 4
Daily Practice
The five key verbs as a daily production sequence:
Siento — pido — sirvo — sigo — muero
One sentence each, daily. These five verbs cover all three stem-change patterns and represent the core of -IR verb stem-change fluency. When they are automatic in the present, they will also trigger the correct forms in the preterite third persons (a unique -IR feature covered in Lesson 7).