A2Spanish · Grammar

Present: irregular II

A lesson from the A2 course: the rule, examples and a 20-sentence test. The course is reviewed by people.

Go to the test Download PDF

Lesson

Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense: Consonant Changes (c>zc, g>j)

Hello there! In Spanish, just like in English, some verbs have their irregular forms. Today, we're focusing on special consonant changes that only happen in the first person singular (yo) of the Present Indicative tense. It's really important to remember these!

These changes (c > zc and g > j) help maintain the pronunciation consistency of the verbs. Without them, some forms would sound a bit odd to native Spanish speakers! Think of it as a little 'sound adjustment' to keep things flowing nicely.

The first group includes verbs ending in -cer or -cir. In the first person singular (yo) form, their consonant c changes to zc before the ending -o. Remember, this only happens with yo!

Pronounconocer
Yoconozco
Túconoces
Él/Ella/Ustedconoce
Nosotros/asconocemos
Vosotros/asconocéis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedesconocen

Yo conozco muy bien Madrid.

I know Madrid very well.

The second group consists of verbs ending in -ger or -gir. Here, in the 'yo' form, the consonant g changes to j before the ending -o. Again, this only applies to the yo form!

Pronouncoger
Yocojo
Túcoges
Él/Ella/Ustedcoge
Nosotros/ascogemos
Vosotros/ascogéis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedescogen

Yo cojo el tren a las ocho.

I catch the train at eight o'clock.

Watch out! These consonant changes ONLY happen in the first person singular (yo) form. All other forms of these verbs are regular in the present tense!
  • Verbs with c > zc: conocer (conozco), agradecer (agradezco), ofrecer (ofrezco), parecer (parezco), traducir (traduzco), conducir (conduzco).
  • Verbs with g > j: coger (cojo), recoger (recojo), proteger (protejo), dirigir (dirijo), elegir (elijo), exigir (exijo).
  • Remember that some of these verbs might have other irregularities (like a vowel change), but the consonant change specifically affects the yo form!
Yo conozco
Yo conoco

The consonant 'c' changes to 'zc' in the 'yo' form.

💡 Try to associate: 'C' like 'Cat', 'ZC' like 'Zany Cat'! Or 'G' like 'Goat', 'J' like 'Jolly Goat'! It's just a little trick to make these 'yo' exceptions easier to remember!

These exercises will help you practise and remember these irregularities. Good luck with your learning!

Test yourself

20 questions. Answer them all, then check — you'll see what you got right and what to fix.

  1. 1

    Complete the sentence

    Cuando leo, me en otro mundo.

    When I read, I immerse myself in another world.

  2. 2

    Complete the sentence

    Ella a su familia.

    She protects her family.

  3. 3

    Complete the sentence

    Ella nuevas ideas en el equipo.

    She introduces new ideas to the team.

  4. 4

    Complete the sentence

    Ella a tu hermano.

    She knows your brother.

  5. 5

    Complete the sentence

    Yo un coche rojo.

    I drive a red car.

  6. 6

    Complete the sentence

    Yo contenido para internet.

    I produce content for the internet.

  7. 7

    Complete the sentence

    No me gusta cuando en fotos.

    I don't like it when I appear in photos.

  8. 8

    Complete the sentence

    Yo mi tiempo en redes sociales.

    I am reducing my social media time.

  9. 9

    Type the missing word

    Mi marido a los niños del colegio.

    My husband picks up the children from school.

  10. 10

    Type the missing word

    Ella no su edad real.

    She doesn't look her real age.

  11. 11

    Type the missing word

    Yo mis servicios como traductor.

    I offer my services as a translator.

  12. 12

    Type the missing word

    Yo setas en el bosque.

    I gather mushrooms in the forest.

  13. 13

    Type the missing word

    Yo mi piel del sol.

    I am protecting my skin from the sun.

  14. 14

    Type the missing word

    Siempre mis errores.

    I always correct my mistakes.

  15. 15

    Put the sentence together — some words are extra

    I always translate films for my parents.

  16. 16

    Put the sentence together — some words are extra

    The submarine slowly submerges.

  17. 17

    Put the sentence together — some words are extra

    I appreciate your sincere help.

  18. 18

    Put the sentence together — some words are extra

    My teacher translates texts from Spanish into English.

  19. 19

    Build the missing word from the letters

    Yo profesionalmente cada año.

    I grow professionally every year.

  20. 20

    Match each word to its meaning

Printable test

The full test as a PDF with an answer key — print it for yourself or for a class.

Download PDF

Practise this set in the app

Palabrify brings the words back at the right moment — with games, reviews and progress you can see.

App Store Google Play