Lesson 17: Common Irregular Verbs - Part 2

¡Continuamos! (Let's continue!)

Welcome to Lesson 17! In Lesson 16, you learned four essential irregular verbs: IR, TENER, HACER, and VENIR. Today, we're learning four MORE crucial irregular verbs: VER, DAR, SABER, and CONOCER.

These verbs are used constantly in everyday Spanish. By the end of this lesson, you'll know 8 of the most important irregular verbs - a huge step toward fluency!

Part 1: Review - What You Already Know

In Lesson 16, you learned:
- IR (to go) - completely irregular
- TENER (to have) - -go verb with e→ie stem change
- HACER (to do/make) - -go verb
- VENIR (to come) - -go verb with e→ie stem change

Today's verbs have different irregularities:
- VER - slightly irregular
- DAR - very irregular
- SABER - -go verb (yo form only)
- CONOCER - -zco verb (yo form only)

Part 2: VER (to see/watch) - Slightly Irregular

VER means "to see" or "to watch" and is mostly regular, with one small irregularity.

Complete Conjugation of VER

The Irregularity: The yo form should be vo (removing -ER, adding -o), but it's veo instead!

Part 3: Using VER - Essential Patterns

Pattern 1: VER = To See

• Yo veo la casa. (I see the house.)
• ¿Ves el problema? (Do you see the problem?)
• Ellos ven las montañas. (They see the mountains.)

Pattern 2: VER = To Watch (TV, movies)

• Yo veo la televisión. (I watch television.)
• ¿Ves películas? (Do you watch movies?)
• Nosotros vemos Netflix. (We watch Netflix.)

Pattern 3: Common Expressions

• A ver... (Let's see...)
• Ya veo. (I see. / I understand.)
• ¿Ves? (You see? / See?)

💡 Teacher's Tip: VER is used for both "to see" (with your eyes) and "to watch" (TV, movies). Context tells you which meaning!

Part 4: DAR (to give) - Very Irregular

DAR is an -AR verb that acts like an -ER/-IR verb! It's very unusual.

Complete Conjugation of DAR

The Irregularities:
- yo: doy (like -ER/-IR verbs with -oy ending!)
- Others: look like -AR endings but without accents

Part 5: Using DAR - Essential Patterns

Pattern 1: DAR + Direct Object (to give something)

• Yo doy un regalo. (I give a gift.)
• Tú das dinero. (You give money.)
• Ella da flores. (She gives flowers.)

Pattern 2: DAR + A + Person (to give TO someone)

• Yo doy el libro a María. (I give the book to María.)
• ¿Das dinero a tu hermano? (Do you give money to your brother?)

Pattern 3: Common Expressions with DAR

• Dar las gracias = to thank (give thanks)
• Dar un paseo = to take a walk (give a walk)
• Dar una clase = to teach a class (give a class)
• Dar miedo = to scare (give fear)

Examples:
- Doy las gracias. (I give thanks / I say thank you.)
- Damos un paseo. (We take a walk.)

Part 6: SABER (to know facts/info) - -GO Verb

SABER means "to know" (facts, information, how to do something).

Complete Conjugation of SABER

The Irregularity:
- yo: sé (completely irregular - has an accent!)
- Others: regular -ER endings

Part 7: Using SABER - Essential Patterns

Pattern 1: SABER + Fact/Information

• Yo sé la respuesta. (I know the answer.)
• ¿Sabes mi número? (Do you know my number?)
• Ella sabe la verdad. (She knows the truth.)

Pattern 2: SABER + Infinitive (to know HOW to do something)

• Yo sé hablar español. (I know how to speak Spanish.)
• ¿Sabes cocinar? (Do you know how to cook?)
• Nosotros sabemos nadar. (We know how to swim.)

Pattern 3: SABER + Question Word

• Sé dónde está. (I know where it is.)
• ¿Sabes cuándo es la fiesta? (Do you know when the party is?)
• No sé por qué. (I don't know why.)

💡 Teacher's Tip: SABER + infinitive = "to know HOW to do something" (a skill or ability)

Part 8: CONOCER (to know people/places) - -ZCO Verb

CONOCER means "to know" (people, places) or "to be familiar with."

Complete Conjugation of CONOCER

The Irregularity:
- yo: conozco (adds -zco instead of -o)
- Others: regular -ER endings

Part 9: Using CONOCER - Essential Patterns

Pattern 1: CONOCER + Person (to know someone)

• Yo conozco a María. (I know María.)
• ¿Conoces a mi hermano? (Do you know my brother?)
• Ella conoce a todos. (She knows everyone.)

Note: Use A before a person!

Pattern 2: CONOCER + Place (to know/be familiar with a place)

• Yo conozco Nueva York. (I know New York / I'm familiar with New York.)
• ¿Conoces España? (Do you know Spain?)
• Nosotros conocemos este restaurante. (We know this restaurant.)

Pattern 3: CONOCER = To Meet (first time)

• Mucho gusto en conocerte. (Nice to meet you.)
• Conozco a tu amigo hoy. (I meet your friend today.)

Part 10: SABER vs CONOCER - The Big Difference!

This is one of the trickiest distinctions for English speakers!

Examples Compared

Memory Trick:
- SABER = facts and abilities in your head
- CONOCER = people and places you've experienced

Part 11: The -ZCO Verbs Pattern

CONOCER is part of a pattern of verbs ending in -CER that add -zco in the yo form:

All other forms are regular!

Part 12: Complete Conversations

Conversation 1: Making Plans

A: ¿Ves la televisión esta noche? (Do you watch TV tonight?)
B: No, voy a dar un paseo. (No, I'm going to take a walk.)
A: ¿Conoces el parque nuevo? (Do you know the new park?)
B: No, no lo conozco. (No, I don't know it.)

Conversation 2: Abilities

A: ¿Sabes hablar francés? (Do you know how to speak French?)
B: No, no sé francés. Solo sé español. (No, I don't know French. I only know Spanish.)
A: ¿Conoces Francia? (Do you know France?)
B: Sí, conozco París. (Yes, I know Paris.)

Conversation 3: Introductions

A: ¿Conoces a mi amiga Laura? (Do you know my friend Laura?)
B: No, no la conozco. (No, I don't know her.)
A: Te doy su número. (I'll give you her number.)
B: Gracias. Ya sé que es muy simpática. (Thanks. I already know that she's very nice.)

Part 13: Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Mistake #1: Using SABER for People

• ❌ WRONG: Yo sé a María.
• ✅ CORRECT: Yo conozco a María.

❌ Mistake #2: Using CONOCER for Facts

• ❌ WRONG: Yo conozco la respuesta.
• ✅ CORRECT: Yo sé la respuesta.

❌ Mistake #3: Using CONOCER with Infinitives

• ❌ WRONG: Conozco nadar.
• ✅ CORRECT: Sé nadar.

❌ Mistake #4: Forgetting "A" with CONOCER + Person

• ❌ WRONG: Conozco Juan.
• ✅ CORRECT: Conozco a Juan.

❌ Mistake #5: Wrong VER Conjugation

• ❌ WRONG: Yo vo la casa.
• ✅ CORRECT: Yo veo la casa.

Vocabulary Summary: Four More Irregular Verbs

VER (to see/watch) - Slightly Irregular

DAR (to give) - Very Irregular

SABER (to know facts/how to) - YO: irregular

CONOCER (to know people/places) - YO: -zco

Key Takeaways

✅ VER is slightly irregular: veo (not vo)
✅ DAR acts like -ER/-IR: doy (like soy, estoy, voy)
✅ SABER = facts, information, how to do things
✅ CONOCER = people, places, familiarity
✅ SABER + infinitive = know how to do something
✅ CONOCER + A + person = know someone (don't forget A!)
✅ -ZCO verbs pattern: conocer → conozco (yo form only)
✅ 8 irregular verbs learned: IR, TENER, HACER, VENIR, VER, DAR, SABER, CONOCER

Practice Tips for Success

1. Master SABER vs CONOCER: People/places = CONOCER, Facts/skills = SABER
2. Practice DAR expressions: dar las gracias, dar un paseo, dar miedo
3. Use VER daily: Veo películas, Veo la televisión
4. Drill the yo forms: veo, doy, sé, conozco
5. Remember A with CONOCER: Conozco A María (not just "Conozco María")
6. Practice SABER + infinitive: Sé hablar, Sé nadar, Sé cocinar
7. Use in sentences: Mix with Lesson 16 verbs for variety

Ready to Practice!

Excellent work! You now know 8 of the most important irregular verbs in Spanish. These verbs appear constantly in everyday conversation. Combined with the regular verbs from Lessons 13-15, you can now express a huge range of actions, thoughts, and experiences.

The 50 exercises ahead will help you master:
- Using VER for seeing and watching
- DAR expressions and patterns
- Distinguishing SABER vs CONOCER
- Using SABER with infinitives (know how to)
- Using CONOCER with people and places
- The -ZCO verb pattern
- Mixing all 8 irregular verbs in conversation

¡Magnífico! (Magnificent!) You're building an impressive Spanish vocabulary! 🌟