# 21. Irregular "Yo" Verbs

> Source: [video link](https://youtube.com/watch?v=YHDZSHCt1DE&t=5388s)

Some Spanish verbs are perfectly regular in every present-tense form **except the yo form**, which takes an unexpected ending so the word "sounds right." These are called *irregular yo verbs*.

## Key Rules
- The yo form is irregular; **all other present-tense forms follow the normal -ar / -er / -ir pattern.**
- Common irregular yo endings:
  - **-go**: salir → salgo, hacer → hago, tener → tengo, poner → pongo, suponer → supongo, traer → traigo (with -i-).
  - **-zco**: verbs ending in *-cir* and *-cer* after a vowel: conducir → conduzco, traducir → traduzco, conocer → conozco, parecer → parezco.
  - **-oy**: dar → doy, ser → soy, estar → estoy, ir → voy.
  - **-eo**: ver → veo.
  - **-jo**: proteger → protejo (this is the only verb of its kind; it is actually a spelling change so g sounds like /x/ before -o).
- Some "irregular yo" verbs are **also stem-changing** in other forms (e.g., **tener**: *tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tenéis, tienen*).

## Conjugation / Pattern Tables

### -go group

| Verb | yo | tú | él/ella/Ud. | nosotros | vosotros | ellos/Uds. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| salir (to leave) | salgo | sales | sale | salimos | salís | salen |
| hacer (to do/make) | hago | haces | hace | hacemos | hacéis | hacen |
| tener (to have)* | tengo | tienes | tiene | tenemos | tenéis | tienen |
| poner (to put) | pongo | pones | pone | ponemos | ponéis | ponen |
| suponer (to suppose) | supongo | supones | supone | suponemos | suponéis | suponen |
| traer (to bring) | traigo | traes | trae | traemos | traéis | traen |

*tener is also stem-changing (e → ie).

### -zco group

| Verb | yo | tú | él/ella/Ud. | nosotros | vosotros | ellos/Uds. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| conducir (to drive) | conduzco | conduces | conduce | conducimos | conducís | conducen |
| traducir (to translate) | traduzco | traduces | traduce | traducimos | traducís | traducen |
| conocer (to know) | conozco | conoces | conoce | conocemos | conocéis | conocen |

### Other patterns

| Verb | yo | tú | él/ella/Ud. | nosotros | vosotros | ellos/Uds. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dar (to give) | doy | das | da | damos | dais | dan |
| ver (to see) | veo | ves | ve | vemos | veis | ven |
| proteger (to protect) | protejo | proteges | protege | protegemos | protegéis | protegen |

## Examples

| Spanish | English |
|---------|---------|
| Yo salgo de la casa. | I leave the house. |
| Yo hago la tarea. | I do the homework. |
| Yo tengo dos hermanos. | I have two siblings. |
| Yo conduzco un coche rojo. | I drive a red car. |
| Yo traduzco el libro al inglés. | I translate the book into English. |
| Yo doy un regalo a María. | I give María a gift. |
| Yo veo la película. | I watch the movie. |
| Yo pongo el libro en la mesa. | I put the book on the table. |
| Yo supongo que sí. | I suppose so. |
| Yo traigo el almuerzo. | I bring lunch. |
| Yo protejo a mi familia. | I protect my family. |

## Notes & Gotchas
- The **-go** ending is by far the most common irregular-yo pattern.
- For **-cer / -cir** verbs preceded by a vowel, the yo form takes **-zco**, not just **-co** (avoids the awkward *traduco*, *conoco*).
- Some of these verbs combine an irregular yo with stem changes (e.g., **tener → tengo / tienes**, **decir → digo / dices**).
- **Proteger** is unique: the *g* is preserved as **j** in *protejo* so the consonant stays soft (Spanish *g* before *o/a* would otherwise become a hard /g/).
- Don't confuse **traigo** (I bring, from *traer*) with **trago** (I swallow, from *tragar*) — that vowel matters.