Spanish conjugation explanation

Preterite: J-stem verbs

<p>A specific group of verbs undergoes a stem change to <strong>j</strong> in the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/18/" target="_blank">Preterite tense</a>

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

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

<p>Common verbs in this group include:</p>

<ul>

<li>

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

<li>

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

<li>

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

<li>

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

<li>

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

</ul>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Special Endings</div>

<p>These verbs are irregular and take a special set of endings. There are two critical rules to remember:</p>

<ol>

<li><strong>No accents:</strong> None of the forms take an accent mark, not even the S/1 (<span style="font-style: italic;">yo</span>) or S/3 (<span style="font-style: italic;">él/ella</span>) forms.</li>

<li><strong>The "eron" ending:</strong> In the P/3 form (<span style="font-style: italic;">ellos/ellas/ustedes</span>), the <span style="font-style: italic;">j</span> absorbs the following <span style="font-style: italic;">i</span>. Therefore, the ending is <span class="green_emphasis">-eron</span> rather than the standard <span class="red_emphasis" style="text-decoration: line-through;">-ieron</span>.</li>

</ol>

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

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ellos me <span class="green_emphasis">dijeron</span> la verdad. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They told me the truth.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">Note: Not <span style="font-style: italic;">dijieron</span>.</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Nosotros <span class="green_emphasis">trajimos</span> el vino. (<span style="font-style: italic;">We brought the wine.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">El conductor <span class="green_emphasis">condujo</span> toda la noche. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The driver drove all night.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">Note: No accent on the final <span style="font-style: italic;">o</span>.</div>

<p>In the following conjugation tables, notice the irregular stem, the lack of accent marks, and the specific modification in the P/3 form highlighted:</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">dije<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">

tú

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dijiste<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">dijo<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><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dijimos<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">

vosotros

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dijisteis<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">

ellos

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dijeron<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/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">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

yo

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">traduje<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">

tú

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">tradujiste<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">

él

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">tradujo<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><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">tradujimos<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">

vosotros

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">tradujisteis<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">

ellos

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

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<p>For more details on why these verbs don't have accents, see the explanation on

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/spanish_accents_irregular_preterite/" target="_blank">irregular preterite accents</a>