Spanish conjugation explanation
Accents on irregular preterites
<p>In the
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/18/" target="_blank">Preterite</a>
, there is a specific group of irregular verbs known as "strong stem" verbs. Unlike regular verbs, these verbs <strong>never take a written accent mark</strong>.</p><p>This rule applies to verbs with irregular stems such as
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/tener/" title="Click to see conjugations for tener" target="_blank">tener</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">tuv-</span>),<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/estar/" title="Click to see conjugations for estar" target="_blank">estar</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">estuv-</span>),<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/poner/" title="Click to see conjugations for poner" target="_blank">poner</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">pus-</span>),<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/saber/" title="Click to see conjugations for saber" target="_blank">saber</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">sup-</span>), and<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/decir/" title="Click to see conjugations for decir" target="_blank">decir</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">dij-</span>).</p><p>For regular verbs, the stress falls on the ending in the S/1 and S/3 forms, requiring an accent mark (e.g., <span style="font-style: italic;">habl<strong>é</strong></span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">habl<strong>ó</strong></span>). However, for these irregular verbs, the stress falls on the <strong>stem</strong>, so the standard rules of stress apply and no accent is needed.</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Comparisson: Regular vs. Irregular</div>
<div class="table_container">
<div class="two_column_table">
<div><strong>Regular (hablar)</strong></div>
<div><strong>Irregular (tener)</strong></div>
<div>yo habl<span class="brown_emphasis">é</span></div>
<div>yo <span class="green_emphasis">tuve</span></div>
<div>él habl<span class="brown_emphasis">ó</span></div>
<div>él <span class="green_emphasis">tuvo</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<p>Notice clearly that while regular verbs end in <strong style="font-style: italic;">-é</strong> and <strong style="font-style: italic;">-ó</strong>, these irregular verbs end in unaccented <strong style="font-style: italic;">-e</strong> and <strong style="font-style: italic;">-o</strong>.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<div><strong>estar:</strong> to be</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ayer no <span class="green_emphasis">estuve</span> en casa. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I wasn't home yesterday.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">Incorrect: estuvé</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>poner:</strong> to put</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ella se <span class="green_emphasis">puso</span> los zapatos. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She put on her shoes.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">Incorrect: pusó</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Other Irregular Verbs</div>
<p>The verbs
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/ser/" title="Click to see conjugations for ser" target="_blank">ser</a>
,<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/ir/" title="Click to see conjugations for ir" target="_blank">ir</a>
,<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/dar/" title="Click to see conjugations for dar" target="_blank">dar</a>
, and <span style="font-style: italic;">ver</span> also lack accents in the preterite. This is because their S/1 and S/3 forms are monosyllabic (one syllable), and monosyllables generally do not take accent marks in Spanish.</p><div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Él me <span class="green_emphasis">dio</span> un regalo. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He gave me a gift.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Yo <span class="green_emphasis">fui</span> al parque. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I went to the park.</span>)</div>
<p>For more on this topic, see:
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/spanish_monosyllabic_verb_form/" target="_blank">monosyllabic verb forms</a>
.</p><div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Conjugation Tables</div>
<p>Review the conjugation tables below. Note the S/1 and S/3 forms specifically:</p>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/18/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Pretérito perfecto simple</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
yo
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">tuve<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
tú
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">tuviste<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
él
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">tuvo<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
nosotros
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">tuvimos<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
vosotros
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">tuvisteis<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
ellos
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">tuvieron<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/18/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Pretérito perfecto simple</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
yo
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">puse<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
tú
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pusiste<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
él
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">puso<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
nosotros
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pusimos<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
vosotros
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pusisteis<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
ellos
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pusieron<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/18/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Pretérito perfecto simple</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
yo
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dije<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
tú
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dijiste<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
él
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dijo<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
nosotros
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dijimos<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
vosotros
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dijisteis<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
ellos
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dijeron<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>