1 No tengas miedo a los verbos irregulares
Los verbos irregulares en inglés son para muchos una cosa que les asusta, pero eso no tiene ningún fundamento. Les tienen miedo por su diferencia y su irregularidad. Pero dedicando tiempo a su estudio y memorización descubrirá, que en su irregularidad hay cierto orden que te ayudará a comprenderlos. En este artículo intentaremos darte algunos consejos para prenderlos.
2 La diferencia entre verbos regulares e irregulares
El tiempo pasado de los verbos regulares se forma por una fórmula: –agregar la terminación –ed al final del verbo.
- Ask → I asked (pasado simple) → I had asked (préterito pluscuamperfecto)
El pasado de los verbos irregulares no tiene ninguna regla. Hay que aprender las tres formas del verbo – infinitivo, pasado y pasado participio.
- Drive (infinitivo) → drove (pasado) → driven (pasado participio)
los verbos irregulares y sus formas pasadas se suelen describir en tablas para su mejor comprensión.
En la primera columna ponemos el verbo en infinitivo (es decir en su forma básica), en la segunda columna encontramos la forma pasada y en la tercera columna el pasado participio, el cual se utiliza por ejemplo en el pretérito pluscuamperfecto.
Para los principiantes será mejor trabajar con verbos irregulares básicos como son: (ser, estar, hacer, comer, beber, escribir, etc.) Luego podrá ir aňadiendo poco a poco cada semana otros verbos. No se asuste, no es tan complicado como parece.
3 35 Verbos irregulares básicos
Lista con los 35 verbos irregulares básicos más usados
INFINITIVO | PASADO | PASADO PARTICIPIO | ESPAÑOL |
---|---|---|---|
be | was, were | been | Ser, estar |
begin | began | begun | Empezar |
buy | bought | bought | Comprar |
choose | chose | chosen | Elegir |
come | came | come | Venir |
do | did | done | Hacer |
drive | drove | driven | Conducir |
drink | drank | drunk | Beber |
eat | ate | eaten | Comer |
feel | felt | felt | Sentir |
find | found | found | Encontrar |
get | got | gotten | Obtener |
give | gave | given | Dar |
go | went | gone | Ir |
have | had | had | Tener |
hear | heard | heard | Oír |
know | knew | known | Conocer |
learn | learned/learnt | learned/learnt | Aprender |
leave | left | left | Dejar, abandonar |
make | made | made | Hacer |
read | read | read | Leer |
run | ran | run | Correr |
say | said | said | Decir |
see | saw | seen | Ver |
sing | sang | sung | Cantar |
sit | sat | sat | Sentarse |
sleep | slept | slept | Dormir |
speak | spoke | spoken | Hablar |
stand | stood | stood | Estar de pie |
swim | swam | swum | Nadar |
take | took | taken | Tomar, coger |
tell | told | told | Decir |
think | thought | thought | Pensar |
win | won | won | Ganar |
write | wrote | written | Escribir |
4 Cómo aprender los verbos irregulares
Además de enfocarse en los verbos irregulares básicos, tenemos más consejos para ayudarle a memorizarlos aún más fácilmente.
1. Método de tarjetas
Crea tarjetas escribiendo en una cara las tres formas de verbo irregular y en la otra el significado en castellano. Luego apréndelos tal y cómo estás acostumbrado.
- choose – chose – chosen – (elegir)
2. Revisa si es un verbo regular o irregular
Cuando aprendes un nuevo verbo, primero asegurese si es un verbo regular o irregular. Aprenda los verbos irregulares siempre en sus tres formas directamente.
3. No olvide usar en contexto
Use oraciones de ejemplo y ponga el verbo directamente en contexto. Por ejemplo:
- I usually drink beer, I already drank lemonade, but I’ve never drunk beer with lemonade!
4. Divida los verbos en grupos
Haga grupos temáticos siempre es más fácil estudiarlos:
- buy – bought – bought – (comprar)
- sell – sold – sold – (vender)
Ordena los verbos de acuerdo con la similitud de sus formas:
- blow – blew – blown – (soplar)
- grow – grew – grown – (crecer)
- throw – threw – thrown – (lanzar)
5 Formas de verbos irregulares
Como ya lo ha notado, algunos verbos difieren en las tres formas (infinitivo, pasado y pasado participio), otros son idénticos en las tres formas y otros tienen dos formas idénticas: el pasado y el pasado participio, o coinciden el infinitivo y el pasado participio. En estos verbos resulta un poco más fácil el aprendizaje, pero tendrá que memorizar cada una de las formas.
Idénticos en sus tres formas
-
- bet – bet – bet – (apostar)
- cut – cut – cut – (cortar)
- cost – cost – cost – (costo, valor, precio)
Idénticos en pasado y pasado participio
-
- leave – left – left – (dejar)
- keep – kept – kept – (mantener)
- pay – paid – paid – (pagar)
Idénticos en infinitivo y pasado participio
-
- come – came – come – (venir)
- become – became – become – (volverse, llegar a ser)
- overcome – overcame – overcome – (superar)
Finalmente, tenemos una lista completa de los verbos irregulares la cual puedes utilizar para estudiar todos los verbos.
6 Lista completa de los verbos irregulares
INFINITIVO | PASADO | PASADO PARTICIPIO | ESPAÑOL |
---|---|---|---|
arise | arose | arisen | Tener origen, surgir |
awake | awoke | awoken | Despertar (se) |
be | was, were | been | Ser, estar |
bear | bore | born | Nacer, dar a luz |
beat | beat | beaten | Latir, golpear |
become | became | become | Volver (se) |
begin | began | begun | Empezar, comenzar |
bet | bet | bet | Apostar |
bid | bid/bade | bid/bidden | Ofertar |
bite | bit | bitten | Morder |
bleed | bled | bled | Sangrar |
blow | blew | blown | Soplar |
break | broke | broken | Romper |
breed | bred | bred | Producir, dar frutos |
bring | brought | brougth | Traer |
build | built | built | Construir |
burn | burned/burnt | burned/burnt | Quemar |
buy | bought | bought | Comprar |
cast | cast | cast | Tirar, echar |
catch | caught | caught | Agarar, coger |
choose | chose | chosen | Elegir |
come | came | come | Venir, llegar |
cost | cost | cost | Costar, valer |
creep | crept | crept | Arrastrarse |
cut | cut | cut | Cortar |
deal | dealt | dealt | Tratar |
dig | dug | dug | Cavar |
do | did | done | Hacer |
draw | drew | drawn | Dibujar |
dream | dreamed/dreamt | dreamed/dreamt | Soñar |
drive | drove | driven | Conducir |
drink | drank | drunk | Beber |
eat | ate | eaten | Comer |
fall | fell | fallen | Caer |
feed | fed | fed | Alimentar |
feel | felt | felt | Sentir |
fight | fought | fought | Luchar |
find | found | found | Encontrar |
fly | flew | flown | Volar |
forecast | forecast | forecast | Predecir |
forget | forgot | forgotten | Olvidar |
forgive | forgave | forgiven | Perdonar |
forsake | forsook | forsaken | Abandonar |
freeze | froze | frozen | Helar |
get | got | gotten | Obtener |
give | gave | given | Dar |
go | went | gone | Ir |
grow | grew | grown | Crecer |
hang | hung | hung | Colgar |
have | had | had | Tener |
hear | heard | heard | Oír |
hide | hid | hidden | Esconder |
hit | hit | hit | Golpear |
hold | held | held | Mantener |
hurt | hurt | hurt | Lastimar |
keep | kept | kept | Mantener |
kneel | knelt | knelt | Arrodillarse |
know | knew | known | Conocer, saber |
lay | laid | laid | Poner, colocar |
lead | led | led | Liderar |
learn | learned/learnt | learned/learnt | Aprender |
leave | left | left | Dejar, salir |
lend | lent | lent | Prestar |
let | let | let | Dejar |
lie | lay | lain/laid | Estar tumbado, yacer |
light | lighted/lit | lighted/lit | Encender |
lose | lost | lost | Perder |
make | made | made | Hacer |
mean | meant | meant | Pensar |
meet | met | met | Encontrar(se), alcanzar |
mistake | mistook | mistaken | Equivocarse |
misunderstand | misunderstood | misunderstood | Malentender |
overcast | overcast | overcast | Anublar |
overcome | overcame | overcome | Superar |
overdo | overdid | overdone | Exagerar |
overgrow | overgrew | overgrown | Crecer demasiado |
overlay | overlaid | overlain | Cubrir |
overspread | overspread | overspread | Cubrir |
overtake | overtook | overtaken | Adelantar |
pay | paid | paid | Pagar |
put | put | put | Poner |
read | read | read | Leer |
rebuild | rebuilt | rebuilt | Reconstruir |
rend | rent | rent | Rasgar |
repay | repaid | repaid | Reembolsar, devolver (dinero) |
reset | reset | reset | Reiniciar |
retell | retold | retold | Volver a contar |
rewind | rewound | rewound | Rebobinar |
rid | rid | rid | Eliminar |
ride | rode | ridden | Ir en bici, montar a caballo |
ring | rang | rung | Timbrar, sonar |
rise | rose | risen | Levantarse, ascender |
run | ran | run | Correr |
saw | sawed | sawn | Serrar |
say | said | said | Decir |
see | saw | seen | Ver |
seek | sought | sought | Buscar |
sell | sold | sold | Vender |
send | sent | sent | Enviar |
set | set | set | Establecer |
sew | sewed | sewn | Coser |
shake | shook | shaken | Agitar, sacudir |
shear | sheared | shorn | Cortar |
shine | shone | shone | Brillar |
shoot | shot | shot | Disparar |
show | showed | shown | Mostrar |
shred | shredded | shredded | Desgarrar |
shrink | shrank | shrunk | Encoger |
shut | shut | shut | Cerrar |
sing | sang | sung | Cantar |
sink | sank | sunk | Hundirse, descender |
sit | sat | sat | Sentar |
slay | slew/slayed | slain | Matar |
sleep | slept | slept | Dormir |
slide | slid | slid | Resbalar (se), deslizar |
slit | slit | slit | Cortar, rajar |
smell | smelt | smelt | Oler |
smite | smote | smitten | Herir, golpear |
speak | spoke | spoken | Hablar |
spell | spelt | spelt | Deletrear |
spend | spent | spent | Gastar (dinero), pasar (tiempo) |
spill | spilt | spilt | Derramar |
spit | spat | spat | Escupir |
split | split | split | Dividir, partir |
spoil | spoilt | spoilt | Estropear, deteriorar |
spread | spread | spread | Difundir, propagar |
stand | stood | stood | Estar, colocar |
steal | stole | stolen | Robar |
stick | stuck | stuck | Pegar, adherir |
stink | stank | stunk | Oler mal |
stride | strode | stridden | Andar a trancos |
strike | struck | struck | Golpear, pegar |
swear | swote | sworn | Jurar |
swim | swam | swum | Nadar |
swing | swung | swung | Columpiar, balancear |
take | took | taken | Coger |
teach | taught | taught | Enseñar |
tear | tore | torn | Desgarrar |
tell | told | told | Contar |
think | thought | thought | Pensar |
throw | threw | thrown | Lanzar |
understand | understood | understood | Entender, comprender |
undo | undid | undone | Deshacer |
upset | upset | upset | Alterar, volcar |
wake (up) | woke (up) | woken (up) | Despertar (se) |
wear | wore | worn | Vestir |
weep | wept | wept | Llorar |
win | won | won | Ganar |
wind | wound | wound | Enrollar |
withdraw | withdrawn | withdrawn | Retirar |
write | wrote | written | Escribir |