Spanish conjugation explanation
Gerund stem changes
<p>In Spanish, the <strong>gerund</strong> (
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/23/" target="_blank">Gerundio</a>
) corresponds to the English <span style="font-style: italic;">-ing</span> form (e.g., eating, walking). While most verbs are regular in the gerund, there is a specific group that undergoes a stem change.</p><p>The general rule is: <strong>only <span style="font-style: italic;">-ir</span> verbs</strong> can have a stem change in the gerund. If an <span style="font-style: italic;">-ar</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">-er</span> verb has a stem change in the present indicative, it does <strong>not</strong> keep that change in the gerund.</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Change 1: E → I</div>
<p>If an <strong>-ir</strong> verb has a stem change of <strong>e → ie</strong> or <strong>e → i</strong> in the Present Indicative, the stem vowel changes to <strong>i</strong> in the gerund.</p>
<p>Common verbs in this category include
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/pedir/" title="Click to see conjugations for pedir" target="_blank">pedir</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to ask for</span>),<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/sentir/" title="Click to see conjugations for sentir" target="_blank">sentir</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to feel</span>),<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;">to say</span>),<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/servir/" title="Click to see conjugations for servir" target="_blank">servir</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to serve</span>), and<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/sugerir/" title="Click to see conjugations for sugerir" target="_blank">sugerir</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to suggest</span>).</p><ul>
<li>
<div><strong>pedir</strong> (Present: <span style="font-style: italic;">pide</span>) → <strong>pidiendo</strong></div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ella está <span class="green_emphasis">pidiendo</span> la cuenta. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She is asking for the check.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>sentir</strong> (Present: <span style="font-style: italic;">siente</span>) → <strong>sintiendo</strong></div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Me estoy <span class="green_emphasis">sintiendo</span> mucho mejor. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I am feeling much better.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>vestir</strong> (Present: <span style="font-style: italic;">viste</span>) → <strong>vistiendo</strong></div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">El niño se está <span class="green_emphasis">vistiendo</span> solo. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The boy is dressing himself.</span>)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Change 2: O → U</div>
<p>If an <strong>-ir</strong> verb has a stem change of <strong>o → ue</strong> in the Present Indicative, the stem vowel changes to <strong>u</strong> in the gerund.</p>
<p>The two most common verbs for this pattern are
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/dormir/" title="Click to see conjugations for dormir" target="_blank">dormir</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to sleep</span>) and<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/morir/" title="Click to see conjugations for morir" target="_blank">morir</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to die</span>).</p><ul>
<li>
<div><strong>dormir</strong> (Present: <span style="font-style: italic;">duerme</span>) → <strong>durmiendo</strong></div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">El bebé está <span class="green_emphasis">durmiendo</span> en la cuna. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The baby is sleeping in the crib.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>morir</strong> (Present: <span style="font-style: italic;">muere</span>) → <strong>muriendo</strong></div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Las flores están <span class="green_emphasis">muriendo</span> de sed. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The flowers are dying of thirst.</span>)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Contrast: -AR and -ER Verbs</div>
<p>It is a common mistake to apply stem changes to <span style="font-style: italic;">-ar</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">-er</span> verbs in the gerund. Even if these verbs have a stem change in the present tense, their gerunds remain <strong>regular</strong>.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<div><strong>pensar</strong> (Present: <span style="font-style: italic;">pienso</span>) → <strong>pensando</strong> (not <span class="red_emphasis">piensando</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Estoy <span class="green_emphasis">pensando</span> en ti. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I am thinking of you.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>entender</strong> (Present: <span style="font-style: italic;">entiendo</span>) → <strong>entendiendo</strong> (not <span class="red_emphasis">entiendiendo</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">No estamos <span class="green_emphasis">entendiendo</span> la lección. (<span style="font-style: italic;">We are not understanding the lesson.</span>)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Major Exception:</strong> The verb
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/poder/" title="Click to see conjugations for poder" target="_blank">poder</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">to be able to</span>). Despite ending in <span style="font-style: italic;">-er</span>, it undergoes an <strong>o → u</strong> change:</p><p>poder → <span class="green_emphasis">pudiendo</span></p>
<p><strong>Note:</strong> Some verbs undergo an orthographic change where an unaccented <strong>i</strong> between two vowels becomes a <strong>y</strong> (e.g., <span style="font-style: italic;">leer → leyendo</span>). Read more about that pattern here:
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/spanish_i_to_y/" target="_blank">Spelling change: i → y</a>
.</p>






