Level 2 — Elementary (CEFR: A2)
Unit 7 — Verb Group 3: -IR Verbs
Lesson 4 — Key Irregular -IR Verbs
Lesson Overview
Level: 2 — Elementary Unit: 7 — Verb Group 3: -IR Verbs Lesson: 4 of 14 Estimated Time: 60–75 minutes
What this lesson covers:
- The five key irregular -IR verbs: ir, decir, venir, salir, oír
- Full present conjugations for all five
- Why each verb matters for ministry interpretation
- Ir: its complete suppletive conjugation (voy, vas, va, vamos, van)
- Ministry sentences for each irregular verb
- The -go yo pattern shared by decir, venir, salir
The Five Key Irregular -IR Verbs
| Verb | Yo form | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| ir | voy | Fully suppletive (completely irregular) |
| decir | digo | e→i stem change + -go yo |
| venir | vengo | e→ie stem change + -go yo |
| salir | salgo | -go yo only |
| oír | oigo | -go yo + spelling adjustments |
Ir — To Go
Ir in the present tense uses an entirely different stem (v-) — it shares no letters with its infinitive. This is called suppletion: the forms come from a different Latin root entirely. The result must be memorized as a complete set.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | voy |
| tú | vas |
| él/ella/usted | va |
| nosotros | vamos |
| ellos/ustedes | van |
Ir is the most important irregular verb in the curriculum because its present forms build the near future (ir + a + infinitive). Every near future sentence you produce or interpret depends on these five forms being automatic.
Ministry sentences — ir:
Voy adonde Dios me envía. — I go where God sends me. ¿Vas a esa comunidad esta semana? — Are you going to that community this week? El misionero va con la Palabra de Dios. — The missionary goes with the Word of God. Vamos juntos — somos uno en Cristo. — We go together — we are one in Christ. Van a predicar en los pueblos remotos. — They go to preach in remote villages.
Decir — To Say, To Tell
Decir has the e→i stem change (from Lesson 3) plus a -go irregularity in the yo form.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | digo |
| tú | dices |
| él/ella/usted | dice |
| nosotros | decimos |
| ellos/ustedes | dicen |
The yo form digo (not deco or deco) must be memorized. All other forms follow the e→i stem change normally.
Ministry sentences — decir:
Digo la verdad porque el Espíritu me da valor. — I speak the truth because the Spirit gives me courage. La Escritura dice que Cristo es el camino, la verdad y la vida. — Scripture says that Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. ¿Qué dices cuando alguien te pregunta por tu fe? — What do you say when someone asks you about your faith? Decimos lo que Dios pone en nuestro corazón. — We say what God places in our heart. Los profetas dicen: “Así dice el Señor.” — The prophets say: “Thus says the Lord.”
Venir — To Come
Venir has an e→ie stem change plus a -go irregularity in the yo form.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | vengo |
| tú | vienes |
| él/ella/usted | viene |
| nosotros | venimos |
| ellos/ustedes | vienen |
The yo form vengo follows the -go pattern. The other forms show the e→ie stem change: vienes, viene, vienen (nosotros venimos has no stem change, following the boot rule).
Ministry sentences — venir:
Vengo a ti, Señor, con todo lo que soy. — I come to you, Lord, with all that I am. ¿Vienes a la reunión de oración esta noche? — Are you coming to the prayer meeting tonight? El Señor viene pronto — prepara tu corazón. — The Lord comes soon — prepare your heart. Venimos de diferentes naciones pero somos un solo cuerpo. — We come from different nations but are one body. ¿Cuándo vienen los equipos de misiones? — When are the mission teams coming?
Salir — To Leave, To Go Out
Salir has only the -go irregularity in the yo form. All other forms are regular -IR.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | salgo |
| tú | sales |
| él/ella/usted | sale |
| nosotros | salimos |
| ellos/ustedes | salen |
Ministry sentences — salir:
Salgo a predicar el evangelio en la plaza. — I go out to preach the gospel in the plaza. ¿A qué hora sales para el campo misionero? — What time do you leave for the mission field? El misionero sale cada lunes para visitar aldeas. — The missionary goes out every Monday to visit villages. Salimos juntos — nadie va solo a la batalla. — We go out together — no one goes to battle alone. Los discípulos salen a proclamar el reino de Dios. — The disciples go out to proclaim the kingdom of God.
Oír — To Hear
Oír has a -go yo form plus spelling adjustments in other forms to maintain the -i- as a distinct sound (not a diphthong).
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | oigo |
| tú | oyes |
| él/ella/usted | oye |
| nosotros | oímos |
| ellos/ustedes | oyen |
The accent on oímos (nosotros) prevents the o and i from merging into a diphthong — the same principle as creído in -ER verbs. The forms oyes, oye, oyen use y to separate the vowels in writing.
Ministry sentences — oír:
Oigo la voz del Señor en su Palabra. — I hear the voice of the Lord in his Word. ¿Oyes lo que el Espíritu dice a las iglesias? — Do you hear what the Spirit says to the churches? El que oye la Palabra y la pone en práctica es como un hombre sabio. — The one who hears the Word and puts it into practice is like a wise man. Oímos el evangelio y respondemos con fe. — We hear the gospel and respond with faith. Oyen pero no entienden. — They hear but do not understand.
The -go Yo Pattern: Summary
Four of the five irregular -IR verbs in this lesson share the -go yo pattern:
| Verb | Yo form | Base pattern |
|---|---|---|
| decir | digo | e→i stem change + -go |
| venir | vengo | e→ie stem change + -go |
| salir | salgo | -go only |
| oír | oigo | -go + spelling adjustments |
The pattern itself: the yo form adds -go after the stem instead of the expected -o. This is the same -go yo pattern that appears in -ER verbs (hago, tengo, pongo). Seeing -go in the yo form is a signal to the interpreter: this is a high-frequency irregular verb.
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1 — Paradigm Production
Without notes, produce all five Latin American forms of each verb:
ir, decir, venir, salir, oír
Answers: voy / vas / va / vamos / van digo / dices / dice / decimos / dicen vengo / vienes / viene / venimos / vienen salgo / sales / sale / salimos / salen oigo / oyes / oye / oímos / oyen
Exercise 2 — Ministry Sentence Rapid Fire
A partner reads the English. You produce the Spanish immediately, using the correct irregular form:
- “I go where God calls me.” → Voy adonde Dios me llama.
- “The Word says…” → La Palabra dice…
- “We come from different nations.” → Venimos de diferentes naciones.
- “I go out to serve.” → Salgo a servir.
- “We hear the voice of God.” → Oímos la voz de Dios.
- “They come to receive prayer.” → Vienen a recibir oración.
- “I say the truth in love.” → Digo la verdad en amor.
- “They go to the ends of the earth.” → Van a los confines de la tierra.
Exercise 3 — Mixed Recognition
From a connected passage, identify every irregular -IR verb and name its infinitive:
El misionero dice que viene de lejos. Sale cada semana para visitar comunidades. Cuando oye las necesidades, va con recursos. Nosotros venimos con él cuando podemos. Decimos siempre: el amor de Dios nos llama a ir.
Exercise 4 — Commissioning Speech
Produce a 5–8 sentence commissioning address using all five irregular verbs. Include at least one nosotros form of each.
Key Takeaways for This Lesson
Before moving to Lesson 5:
- Ir: fully irregular — voy, vas, va, vamos, van — these forms also build the near future
- Decir: e→i + digo yo
- Venir: e→ie + vengo yo
- Salir: salgo yo only — all other forms regular
- Oír: oigo yo + oyes/oye/oyen (y) + accent on oímos
- The -go yo pattern signals a high-frequency irregular verb in live speech
Daily Practice
The five irregular verbs as a daily yo-form sequence:
voy — digo — vengo — salgo — oigo
One ministry sentence each, daily. Then rotate through the nosotros forms:
vamos — decimos — venimos — salimos — oímos
These ten forms represent the most critical present-tense irregulars in all of -IR verb space. When they are automatic, no irregular -IR verb in live speech will catch you off guard.