1 No tengas miedo de verbos irregulares
Verbos irregulares en inglés son para muchos una cosa que les asusta, pero no hay razón para eso. Estudiantes tienen miedo de ellos 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 aprenderlos.
2 La diferencia entre verbos regulares e irregulares
El tiempo pasado de verbos regulares se forma agregando 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 participio pasado .
- drive (infinitivo) → drove (pasado) → driven (participio pasado)
Verbos irregulares y sus formas pasadas se suelen describir en tablas para su mejor comprensión.
En la primera columna ponemos el verbo en el infinitivo (es decir en su forma básica), en la segunda columna encontramos la forma pasada y en la tercera columna el participio pasado , el cual se utiliza por ejemplo en el pretérito pluscuamperfecto o perfecto.
Para los principiantes será mejor trabajar con verbos irregulares básicos como son ser, estar, hacer, comer, beber, escribir, etc. Luego podrán seguir añadiendo poco a poco otros verbos cada semana. No te asustes, no es tan complicado como parece.
3 35 verbos irregulares básicos
Lista con los 35 verbos irregulares básicos más usados
INFINITIVO | PASADO | PARTICIPIO PASADO | 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 verbos irregulares
Además de enfocarte en los verbos irregulares básicos, tenemos más consejos para ayudarte 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 asegúrate si es un verbo regular o irregular. Aprende verbos irregulares siempre en sus tres formas directamente.
3. No olvides usarlos en contexto
Use oraciones de ejemplo y pon el verbo directamente en contexto. Por ejemplo:
- I usually drink beer, I already drank lemonade, but I’ve never drunk beer with lemonade!
4. Divide verbos en grupos
Haz grupos temáticos, siempre es más fácil aprenderlos:
- buy – bought – bought – (comprar)
- sell – sold – sold – (vender)
Ordena 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 sus tres formas (infinitivo, pasado y pasado participio), otros son idénticos en las tres formas y otros tienen dos formas idénticas: el pasado y el participio pasado, o coinciden en el infinitivo y el participio pasado. Estos verbos resultan un poco más fácil de aprender, pero hay que memorizar cada una de las formas.
Verbos idénticos en sus tres formas
-
- bet – bet – bet – (apostar)
- cut – cut – cut – (cortar)
- cost – cost – cost – (costo, valor, precio)
Verbos idénticos en pasado y participio pasado
-
- leave – left – left – (dejar)
- keep – kept – kept – (mantener)
- pay – paid – paid – (pagar)
Verbos idénticos en infinitivo y participio pasado
-
- come – came – come – (venir)
- become – became – become – (volverse, llegar a ser)
- overcome – overcame – overcome – (superar)
Finalmente, tenemos una lista completa de verbos irregulares la cual puedes utilizar para aprender todos los verbos.
6 Lista completa de verbos irregulares
INFINITIVO | PASADO | PARTICIPIO PASADO | 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 | recubrir |
overspread | overspread | overspread | extender sobre |
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, llevar puesto |
weep | wept | wept | llorar |
win | won | won | ganar |
wind | wound | wound | enrollar |
withdraw | withdrawn | withdrawn | retirar |
write | wrote | written | escribir |