o→ue

Stem-Changing Verbs O→UE

Level 1

Compare present indicative puedo/podemos, vuelvo/volvemos and duermo/dormimos. The stem change occurs where the stem vowel is stressed. Other tenses and moods have their own patterns.

How It Works

In Spanish, some verbs are called stem-changing verbs. This means that in the present indicative, the vowel in the verb's stem (the part before the -ar, -er, or -ir ending) changes for certain subjects.

For o→ue verbs, the 'o' in the stem changes to 'ue'. In the six-person chart below, this change occurs in all forms except nosotros/nosotras and vosotros/vosotras. The familiar Rioplatense vos forms also retain o: podés, volvés, dormís.

This is often called a 'boot verb' because if you draw a line around the forms that change in a conjugation chart, it looks like a boot or a shoe.

Let's look at the verb poder (to be able to):

  • yo puedo (I can)
  • tú puedes (you can)
  • él/ella/usted puede (he/she/you can)
  • nosotros/as podemos (we can) - No change!
  • vosotros/as podéis (you all can) - No change!
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes pueden (they/you all can)

Other common o→ue verbs include:

  • dormir (to sleep) → yo duermo
  • volver (to return) → tú vuelves
  • encontrar (to find) → él encuentra
  • costar (to cost) → los zapatos cuestan
  • recordar (to remember) → ustedes recuerdan

Remember to use the regular -ar, -er, or -ir endings after making the stem change.

Keep The Rule Within Its Scope
The chart describes present indicative forms, not every tense called present. In the present subjunctive, compare podamos and volvamos with durmamos; dormir has a different vowel pattern there. In the preterite, compare pudo, volvió and durmió. Learn those forms separately rather than carrying the boot chart into every tense.

Examples (5)

  1. Yo duermo ocho horas.

    I sleep eight hours.

    Word by Word: I sleep eight hours.

  2. ¿Puedes ayudarme, por favor?

    Can you help me, please?

    Word by Word: Can you help me, please?

  3. Ella vuelve a casa tarde.

    She returns home late.

    Word by Word: She returns to home late.

  4. ¿Cuánto cuestan los boletos?

    How much do the tickets cost?

    Word by Word: How much cost the tickets?

  5. Nosotros recordamos su nombre.

    We remember his name.

    Word by Word: We remember his name.

    Recordamos has o with nosotros in the present indicative. Su nombre can mean his, her, their or your name; context identifies whose name it is.

Common Mistakes

  • Applying the stem change to 'nosotros' or 'vosotros'.

    Nosotros duermimos mucho.
    Nosotros dormimos mucho.

    In these present indicative nosotros and vosotros forms, retain o: dormimos, dormís. This does not describe every mood; the present subjunctive has durmamos and durmáis.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

o→ueLevel 1Stem-Changing Verbs O→UE

Learn This First

To learn o→ue stem-changing verbs, you first need to be comfortable with regular -er and -ir verb endings, as these verbs follow those conjugation patterns. It is also helpful to understand the general concept of stem changes (where the vowel changes in all forms except 'nosotros' and 'vosotros') which is typically first learned with e→ie verbs.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.