Spanish conjugation explanation
Spelling change: -uir → -uy-
<p>For verbs ending in <strong style="font-style: italic;">-uir</strong> (where the <span style="font-style: italic">u</span> is pronounced), a <span class="green_emphasis">y</span> must be added after the <span style="font-style: italic">u</span> when the ending begins with a vowel (<span style="font-style: italic">a, e,</span> or <span style="font-style: italic">o</span>).</p>
<p>This spelling change ensures the correct pronunciation between vowels. It affects the singular forms and the third-person plural of the
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/14/" target="_blank">Present Indicative</a>
, as well as all forms of the<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/19/" target="_blank">Present Subjunctive</a>
.</p><div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Affected Verbs</div>
<p>Common verbs that follow this pattern include:
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/construir/" title="Click to see conjugations for construir" target="_blank">construir</a>
,<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/destruir/" title="Click to see conjugations for destruir" target="_blank">destruir</a>
,<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/incluir/" title="Click to see conjugations for incluir" target="_blank">incluir</a>
,<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/huir/" title="Click to see conjugations for huir" target="_blank">huir</a>
,<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/influir/" title="Click to see conjugations for influir" target="_blank">influir</a>
,<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/concluir/" title="Click to see conjugations for concluir" target="_blank">concluir</a>
,<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/distribuir/" title="Click to see conjugations for distribuir" target="_blank">distribuir</a>
, and<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/sustituir/" title="Click to see conjugations for sustituir" target="_blank">sustituir</a>
.</p><ul>
<li>
<div><strong>incluir:</strong> to include</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">El precio <span class="green_emphasis">incluye</span> el desayuno. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The price includes breakfast.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>huir:</strong> to flee, to run away</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Los ladrones <span class="green_emphasis">huyen</span> de la policía. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The thieves run away from the police.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>contribuir:</strong> to contribute</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Nosotros <span class="green_emphasis">contribuimos</span> con dinero. (<span style="font-style: italic;">We contribute money.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">Note: This form does not change because the ending starts with <span style="font-style: italic">i</span>, not <span style="font-style: italic">a, e,</span> or <span style="font-style: italic">o</span>.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Exceptions</div>
<p>Verbs ending in <strong style="font-style: italic">-guir</strong> (where the <span style="font-style: italic">u</span> is silent, used only to preserve the hard G sound) do <strong>not</strong> follow this pattern.</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Yo <span class="green_emphasis">distingo</span> los colores. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I distinguish the colors.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">From the verb
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/distinguir/" title="Click to see conjugations for distinguir" target="_blank">distinguir</a>
. See also:<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/spanish_orthograpic_change_guir_g/" target="_blank">Spelling change: -guir → -g-</a>
.</div><div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Conjugation Tables</div>
<p>In the following tables for the verb
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/construir/" title="Click to see conjugations for construir" target="_blank">construir</a>
, the forms with the <span style="font-style: italic">-uy-</span> spelling change are highlighted.</p><p><strong>Present Indicative</strong><br /> The <span style="font-style: italic">y</span> is added in all forms except <span style="font-style: italic">nosotros</span> and <span style="font-style: italic">vosotros</span>.</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">construyo<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">
tú
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">construyes<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">construye<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>construimos
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
vosotros
</span>construís
</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">construyen<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p><strong>Present Subjunctive</strong><br /> Since all present subjunctive endings start with <span style="font-style: italic">a</span>, every person uses the <span style="font-style: italic">-uy-</span> stem.</p>
<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">construya<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">
tú
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">construyas<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">construya<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">
nosotros
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">construyamos<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">
vosotros
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">construyáis<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">
ellos
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">construyan<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p><strong>Imperative</strong></p>
<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 highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
(tú)
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">construye<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">
(usted)
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">construya<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">
(nosotros)
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">construyamos<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>construid
</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">construyan<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>Note: Similar changes involving <span style="font-style: italic">y</span> occur in the Preterite and Gerund forms of these verbs (e.g., <span style="font-style: italic">construyó</span>), which is covered in the guide for
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/spanish_i_to_y/" target="_blank">Spelling change: i → y</a>
.</p>