100 Spanish Verbs Face-Off (Part 3)

[A] to come | This verb shares its Latin root "venire" with English words like "venue" and "convention" - places where people come together. In Spanish, "venir" becomes "vengo" in first person, making it as irregular as its English cousin "come/came."

[B] to convert | Medieval alchemists dreamed of converting lead to gold, but Spanish speakers use "convertir" for more practical transformations. The verb follows the e→ie stem change pattern, so "convierto" means "I convert."

[C] to maintain | Like holding a yoga pose, "mantener" is all about keeping things steady. It's actually "mano + tener" (hand + have), literally meaning to "have in hand" - a perfect metaphor for maintaining control!

[D] to offer | In first person, "ofrecer" becomes "ofrezco" with a zc change, similar to how a snake's hiss changes when offering its warning. Spanish offerings often come with this distinctive sound shift!

[A] to want | "Querer" pulls double duty in Spanish - it means both "to want" and "to love." The phrase "te quiero" can mean "I love you," proving that sometimes wanting and loving are just two heartbeats of the same verb.

[B] to get | Think of "conseguir" as the achiever's verb - it's not just getting, but achieving or obtaining through effort. Like "seguir" (to follow), it changes e→i in stressed syllables: "consigo" means "I get/achieve."

[C] to return | "Volver" literally means "to turn" (think "revolve"), but in Spanish it's mainly used for returning. The stem changes o→ue, so "vuelvo a casa" means "I return home" - you're literally turning back toward home!

[D] to think | René Descartes would have said "pienso, luego existo" (I think, therefore I am) if he'd been Spanish. This verb undergoes e→ie stem change, turning thinkers into "pensadores" with a vowel shift worthy of deep thought.

[A] to wait for | "Esperar" is the optimist's verb - it means both "to wait for" and "to hope." In Spanish train stations, "sala de espera" (waiting room) is literally a "room of hope"!

[B] to pass | From passing time ("pasar tiempo") to having a good time ("pasarlo bien"), this versatile verb is your ticket through life. Fun fact: "¿Qué pasa?" literally asks "What passes?" not "What's up?"

[C] to remember | "Recordar" comes from Latin "re-cor" meaning "back to the heart" - ancient Romans believed memories lived in the heart, not the brain. It stem-changes o→ue, so memories return as "recuerdo."

[D] to see | "Ver" is delightfully irregular - "veo" (I see) adds an unexpected 'e'. Spanish has a saying: "ver para creer" (seeing is believing), though the irregular conjugation might make you doubt your eyes!

[A] to pay | In the preterite, "pagar" becomes "pagué" with an accent to maintain the hard 'g' sound. Spanish speakers literally "pay the duck" ("pagar el pato") when they take the blame for something!

[B] to seem | "Parecer" adds -zco in first person ("parezco"), joining the exclusive club of -cer verbs that get fancy in the yo form. "Parece mentira" (it seems like a lie) is how Spaniards express disbelief!

[C] to owe | "Deber" does double duty as both "to owe" and "should/must" - financial and moral debts use the same verb! "Debo estudiar" means "I should study," literally "I owe it to study."

[D] to say | One of Spanish's most irregular verbs, "decir" becomes "digo" (I say) and "dicho" (said). The expression "del dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho" warns that there's a long way from saying to doing!

[A] to know | "Conocer" is for knowing people and places, while "saber" is for facts and skills. First-time meetings use "conocer": "Mucho gusto en conocerte" - the pleasure is literally in getting to know you!

[B] to ask | Unlike English's "ask," "preguntar" is exclusively for questions - never for requests. When you "make a question" (hacer una pregunta), you literally construct it before asking (preguntar)!

[C] to carry | "Llevar" wears many hats: carrying things, wearing clothes, or time spent doing something. "Llevo tres años aquí" means "I've been here three years" - literally "I carry three years here"!

[A] to begin | "Comenzar" and its twin "empezar" both mean "to begin," with e→ie changes. Comenzar is slightly more formal - think "commence" in English - perfect for beginning something important!

[A] to need | Unlike English's modal "need," Spanish "necesitar" is a regular verb that conjugates normally. "Necesito un café" is every Spanish speaker's morning mantra - some needs are universal!

[B] to leave | "Dejar" can mean to leave behind, to let, or to lend - it's all about releasing control. "Déjà vu" in French literally means "already left," sharing the same Latin root as Spanish "dejar"!

[C] to receive | "Recibir" follows regular -ir patterns faithfully, making it a student's friend. In bullfighting, "recibir" is a technique where the matador awaits the charging bull - receiving danger head-on!

[D] to be able | "Poder" is power personified - it shares its root with "potent" and "potential." The proverb "querer es poder" (wanting is being able) suggests willpower creates ability!

[A] to raise | From raising your hand ("levantar la mano") to getting up ("levantarse"), this verb lifts everything. "Levantar el ánimo" means to lift spirits - emotional elevation through verbal action!

[B] to win | "Ganar" means both "to win" and "to earn" - in Spanish, winning and earning are the same victory. "Ganarse la vida" (to earn one's living) is literally "to win one's life"!

[C] to write | The past participle "escrito" (written) is irregular, but everything else follows -ir rules perfectly. Famous Spanish writer Cervantes would "escribir" all day, creating the "escritos" that became Don Quixote!

[A] to know | "Saber" means both "to know" and "to taste" - knowledge and flavor share a verb! "Sabe a chocolate" means "it tastes like chocolate," while "sé español" means "I know Spanish."

[A] to suppose | Built from "sub" (under) + "poner" (put), "suponer" literally means to put under consideration. Like "poner," it's irregular: "supongo" means "I suppose," placing thoughts beneath examination!

[B] to try | While "intentar" looks like "intend," it actually means "to try" or "attempt." The noun "intento" means an attempt - every Spanish try is an intention put into action!

[C] to create | Don't confuse "crear" (create) with "creer" (believe) - one letter changes everything! Artists "crean" while believers "creen," though sometimes creating requires believing!

[D] to lose | "Perder" stem-changes e→ie, so "I lose" becomes "pierdo." The phrase "perder la cabeza" means to lose your head - going crazy - though hopefully not literally like poor Marie Antoinette!

[A] to be | "Ser" handles permanent states and essence - "soy profesor" (I am a teacher). Its conjugation (soy, eres, es) is completely irregular, proving that being yourself means breaking all the rules!

[B] to be born | "Nacer" becomes "nazco" in first person with that distinctive -zco ending. Everyone "nace" only once, but in Spanish you can "volver a nacer" (be born again) metaphorically!

[C] to find | "Encontrar" literally means "to encounter" - every finding is a meeting! The reflexive "encontrarse" means to meet up or to feel: "me encuentro bien" (I feel fine/I find myself well).

[D] to stay | quedarse is “to stay,” while bare quedar moonlights as “to be left/remaining” (Quedan dos entradas), “to arrange to meet” (Quedamos a las 7), and even “to fit” clothes (Me queda bien).

[A] to watch | mirar is active attention (watch/look at), while ver is just “to see”; you miras a movie, but you ves a shooting star you weren’t expecting.

[B] to request | An e→i stem-changer (pido, pides…): use it to ask for things or order food/drinks (pedir ayuda, pedir una pizza), and with que + subjunctive to request actions (pido que llegues temprano).

[C] to understand | Regular -er and often a hair more “thorough” or formal than entender; teachers love ¿Comprenden?, and comprensión pops up in “reading comprehension.”

[D] to turn out | Great with adjectives: resulta fácil/difícil/interesante; in stories it flips the card at the end—Resultó ser inocente.