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Spanish verbs ending in -ger and -gir replace the -g- with a -j- only in the yo form in El Presente. This is to maintain the original sound of the infinitive.
Here are two verbs that undergo this change:
Conjugation of stem-changing verb "proteger" in El Presente in Spanish
| PROTEGER to protect |
|
| yo | protejo |
| tú | proteges |
|
él / ella |
protege |
| nosotros nosotras |
protegemos |
| vosotros vosotras |
protegéis |
| ellos / ellas ustedes |
protegen |
Notice how the -g- from the infinitive has switched to a -j- in the yo form.
Conjugation of stem-changing verb "dirigir" in El Presente in Spanish
| DIRIGIR to lead |
|
| yo | dirijo |
| tú | diriges |
|
él / ella |
dirige |
| nosotros nosotras |
dirigimos |
| vosotros vosotras |
dirigís |
| ellos / ellas ustedes |
dirigen |
Notice how the -g- from the infinitive has switched to a -j- in the yo form.
Other verbs affected by this change are:
- Coger (to take) Note that Latin American Spanish speakers use the verb "tomar" instead of 'coger".
- Acoger (to take in/to receive)
- Recoger (to pick up)
- Escoger (to choose)
- Exigir (to demand)
- Sumergir (to plunge)
- Fingir (to pretend)
Have a look and listen to these examples:
Note that Latin American Spanish speakers use the verb "tomar" instead of "coger".
For more verbs that follow this pattern see List of Spanish -ger/-gir stem-changing verbs (g > j).
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