PMP Complete Spanish Grammar - 2.1 (stem change to ie)

cerrar | cierro

to close | I close

[“Sir, are you closed?”]

acertar | acierto

to guess | I guess

[“Is there a Sir Tar here,” the bartender called out. “I guess not,” he said into the phone.]

atravesar | atravieso

to cross (over) | I cross

[“What do you use to keep the horse from crossing over?” “It’s called a trave, sir.”]

comenzar | comienzo

to start, begin | I commence

[“Come in, czar. Let’s commence the tyranny.”]

confesar | confieso

to confess | I confess

[To whom does the confessor confess.]

despertarse | me despierto

to wake up | I wake up

[“Wake yourself up! You’re having a desperate nightmare, you arse from Tarsus.”]

empezar | empiezo

to start, begin | I start

[In the inception, the emperor czar began to rule with an iron fist.]

encerrar | encierro

to lock in, contain | I enclose

[Enclose the object to lock it in and contain it.]

fregar | friego

to wash dishes; to scrub | I scrub

[“I’ve got to wash the dishes again. %))^%friggin@#$^freggin.”]

gobernar | gobierno

to govern, rule | I govern

helar | hiela

to freeze | it freezes (impersonal 3rd)

[When hell are frozen over!]

negar | niego

to deny | I deny

[I deny I said the N word.]

nevar | nieva

to snow | it snows (impersonal 3rd)

[It never snows here.]

pensar (en) | pienso (en)

to think (of, about) | I think (about)

[I’m really pensive about what you think.]

recomendar | recomiendo

to recommend, advise | I recommend

remendar | remiendo

to mend, patch | I mend

[To mend something is always to remedy it again.]

sentarse | me siento

to sit down, seat (oneself) | I sit (myself) down

[“Where does a centaur sit himself down?” “Wherever he is sent to.”]

tropezar (con) | tropiezo (con)

to stumble (into, across) | I stumble (“over”)

[“Have you ever stumbled into a bizarre trope?”]

querer | quiero

to love; to want | I want

[Being a carer is to love.]

defender | defiendo

to defend | I defend

descender | desciendo

to descend, go down | I descend

[What is the opposite of an ascender?]

encender | enciendo

to light up | I light up

[Something incendiary lights up and might engender a cinder.]

entender | entiendo

to understand | I understand

[If you want someone to listen and understand what you intended to say, talk to the bartender or the inn tender.]

perder | pierdo

to lose; to miss | I lose

[Perdition is the ultimate loss, you wierdo.]