pongo/digo/vengo/salgo

First Person -go Verbs

Level 1

For some common verbs, the 'I' (yo) form is irregular and ends in -go.

How It Works

In Spanish, some of the most frequently used verbs have an irregular first-person singular (yo) form in the present tense. These are often called '-go verbs' because their 'yo' form ends in -go.

The '-go' ending is the key irregularity for the yo form. For many of these verbs, like poner and salir, the other forms (tú, él/ella/usted, etc.) follow the regular conjugation patterns for -er and -ir verbs. However, it's important to know that some '-go' verbs, such as tener (tienes), venir (vienes), and decir (dices), have additional irregularities like stem changes in their other forms.

Here are some of the most common -go verbs:

  • poner (to put/place) → pongo
  • salir (to leave/go out) → salgo
  • hacer (to do/make) → hago
  • tener (to have) → tengo
  • venir (to come) → vengo
  • decir (to say/tell) → digo
  • traer (to bring) → traigo

Let's look at the full conjugation for poner. Notice only the 'yo' form has the '-go' ending:

  • yo pongo
  • tú pones
  • él/ella/ud. pone
  • nosotros/as ponemos
  • vosotros/as ponéis
  • ellos/ellas/uds. ponen

You just need to memorize the 'yo' form for these key verbs.

Examples (6)

  1. Yo pongo los libros en la mesa.

    I put the books on the table.

    Word by Word: I put the books on the table.

  2. Yo siempre digo la verdad.

    I always tell the truth.

    Word by Word: I always say the truth.

  3. Yo vengo de la biblioteca.

    I am coming from the library.

    Word by Word: I come from the library.

  4. Yo salgo con mis amigos los viernes.

    I go out with my friends on Fridays.

    Word by Word: I go out with my friends the Fridays.

  5. Yo hago mi tarea por la tarde.

    I do my homework in the afternoon.

    Word by Word: I do my homework in the afternoon.

  6. Yo tengo un perro.

    I have a dog.

    Word by Word: I have a dog.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the irregular '-go' ending for the 'yo' form and trying to conjugate it regularly.

    Yo pono la mesa.
    Yo pongo la mesa.

    The verb 'poner' is a '-go' verb. The correct first-person form is 'pongo', not 'pono'. You must add the 'g'.

  • Applying the '-go' ending to other subjects besides 'yo'.

    Tú ponges los platos aquí.
    Tú pones los platos aquí.

    The '-go' ending belongs to the 'yo' form in the present indicative: tú pones, not tú ponges. Some '-go' verbs also have stem changes in other forms, such as tener → tienes, venir → vienes, and decir → dices.

How It Connects

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pongo/digo/vengo/salgoLevel 1First Person -go Verbs

Learn This First

To understand -go verbs, you first need to be familiar with the first-person singular pronoun 'yo' and the standard present tense endings for -er and -ir verbs. These irregular forms replace the expected '-o' ending with '-go' in the first person while usually following regular patterns for the other subjects.

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Patterns that build on this one.