Spanish conjugation explanation

Verbs ending in -iar (stress changes)

<p>For most Spanish verbs ending in <span style="font-style: italic;">-iar</span> (such as

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/cambiar/" title="Click to see conjugations for cambiar" target="_blank">cambiar</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/estudiar/" title="Click to see conjugations for estudiar" target="_blank">estudiar</a>

<p>However, there is a group of verbs where the stress falls on the <span style="font-style: italic;">i</span> itself in the singular forms and the third person plural. To indicate this proper pronunciation and break the diphthong (creating a hiatus), a <strong>written accent mark (í)</strong> is required.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Common verbs with this change</div>

<p>Common verbs that follow this pattern include

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/enviar/" title="Click to see conjugations for enviar" target="_blank">enviar</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/confiar/" title="Click to see conjugations for confiar" target="_blank">confiar</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/guiar/" title="Click to see conjugations for guiar" target="_blank">guiar</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/ampliar/" title="Click to see conjugations for ampliar" target="_blank">ampliar</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/espiar/" title="Click to see conjugations for espiar" target="_blank">espiar</a>

<ul>

<li>

<div><strong>enviar:</strong> to send</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Te <span class="green_emphasis">envío</span> el documento por correo. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I am sending you the document by mail.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>confiar:</strong> to trust</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ella no <span class="green_emphasis">confía</span> en extraños. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She doesn't trust strangers.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>guiar:</strong> to guide</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Las estrellas nos <span class="green_emphasis">guían</span> a casa. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The stars guide us home.</span>)</div>

</li>

</ul>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Comparison</div>

<p>Notice the difference in pronunciation and spelling between a standard verb like

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/limpiar/" title="Click to see conjugations for limpiar" target="_blank">limpiar</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/ampliar/" title="Click to see conjugations for ampliar" target="_blank">ampliar</a>

<ul>

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/limpiar/" title="Click to see conjugations for limpiar" target="_blank">limpiar</a>

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/ampliar/" title="Click to see conjugations for ampliar" target="_blank">ampliar</a>

</ul>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Affected Tenses</div>

<p>This change occurs in the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/14/" target="_blank">Present Indicative</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/19/" target="_blank">Present Subjunctive</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/22/" target="_blank">Imperative</a>

<p>Note that the <strong>nosotros</strong> and <strong>vosotros</strong> forms do <strong>not</strong> have the accent mark, as the stress falls on the ending (e.g., <span style="font-style: italic;">enviamos, enviáis</span>).</p>

<p>In the following tables, the forms requiring the accent mark are highlighted:</p>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/14/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente</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">envío<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">

tú

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">envías<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">envía<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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>enviamos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

vosotros

</span>enviáis

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

ellos

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">envían<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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/19/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente subjuntivo</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">envíe<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">

tú

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">envíes<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">envíe<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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>enviemos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

vosotros

</span>enviéis

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

ellos

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">envíen<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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/22/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperativo afirmativo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">---</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">envía<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">

(usted)

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">envíe<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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>enviemos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(vosotros)

</span>enviad

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(ustedes)

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">envíen<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<p>This pattern is very similar to verbs ending in <span style="font-style: italic;">-uar</span> like <span style="font-style: italic;">actuar</span>, which take an accent on the <strong>u</strong>. You can learn more about that in the explanation for

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/spanish_orthograpic_change_uar_ú/" target="_blank">verbs ending in -uar</a>