Spanish -er verbs that undergo a stem change e>ie in El Presente keep the same irregularity in El Presente de Subjuntivo.
Three common verbs with this irregularity are entender (to understand), encender (to switch on) and perder (to lose).
Conjugating entender in El Presente de Subjuntivo in Spanish
| yo | entienda |
| tú | entiendas |
| él / ella / Ud. | entienda |
| nosotros / nosotras | entendamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | entendáis |
| ellos / ellas / Uds. | entiendan |
Conjugating encender in El Presente de Subjuntivo in Spanish
| yo | encienda |
| tú | enciendas |
| él / ella / Ud. | encienda |
| nosotros / nosotras | encendamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | encendáis |
| ellos / ellas / Uds. | enciendan |
Conjugating perder in El Presente de Subjuntivo in Spanish
| yo | pierda |
| tú | pierdas |
| él / ella / Ud. | pierda |
| nosotros / nosotras | perdamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | perdáis |
| ellos / ellas / Uds. | pierdan |
The vowel -e- in the stem that is closer to the end of the word becomes -ie- except in the nosotros and vosotros forms.
The endings are the same as for regular -er verbs in El Presente de Subjuntivo.
Look at and listen to these examples:
Mi madre no quiere que yo pierda las llaves de la casa.My mum doesn't want me to lose the house keys.
Es importante que usted entienda todas las cláusulas del contrato.It is important that you understand all clauses in the contract.
El profesor hace un gran esfuerzo para que todos nosotros le entendamos.The teacher is making a great effort so that we understand him.
See also:
B1 Spanish verb list: Stem-changing (e > ie) verbs in the present tense
Want to make sure your Spanish sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Braimap today »
Learn more about these related Spanish grammar topics
Examples and resources
Mi madre no quiere que yo pierda las llaves de la casa.My mum doesn't want me to lose the house keys.
Es importante que usted entienda todas las cláusulas del contrato.It is important that you understand all clauses in the contract.
El profesor hace un gran esfuerzo para que todos nosotros le entendamos.The teacher is making a great effort so that we understand him.
