Venir Stem Change

In Spanish, most verbs keep their "stem" the same. The stem is the part before the -ir or -er ending. For venir, the stem is ven-. However, in most forms, that e in the stem decides to expand. It transforms from a simple e into an ie. This is why we call it an e -> ie stem-changer. But here is the catch. This change only happens inside "the boot." Imagine a boot shape drawn over the conjugation table. It covers the singular forms and the third-person plural. The "we" and "you all" (in Spain) stay outside the boot. They remain regular. On top of that, the Yo form is a special guest. It ignores the ie rule and adds a g. It is like that one friend who refuses to follow the dress code at a party.

1. 1To conjugate venir correctly, follow these simple steps.
2. 2Identify the subject (who is coming?).
3. 3For Yo, use the special form vengo. Notice the g!
4. 4For tú, él, ella, usted, and ellos/ellas/ustedes, change the e to ie in the stem.
5. 5Add the standard -ir verb endings to the new stem.
6. 6Keep nosotros and vosotros regular. No stem change here.
7. 7Here is what it looks like in action:
8. 8Yo vengo (I come)
9. 9Tú vienes (You come)
10. 10Él/Ella/Usted viene (He/She/You formal come)
11. 11Nosotros venimos (We come - notice it is regular!)
12. 12Vosotros venís (You all come - also regular!)
13. 13Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes vienen (They/You all come)

Use venir when movement is directed toward you, the speaker. It is all about your current location. If you are at a cafe and your friend is arriving, they vienen to the cafe.

• Physical Arrival: Use it for people arriving at a place. ¿Vienes a mi casa hoy? (Are you coming to my house today?).
• Origin: It works for where things or people come from. Este café viene de Colombia. (This coffee comes from Colombia).
• Events: Use it for scheduled things. La primavera viene pronto. (Spring is coming soon).
• Job Interviews: You might say, Vengo a la entrevista de las diez. (I am coming for the ten o'clock interview). It shows you have arrived at the destination.
• Ordering Food: If a waiter brings a dish, you can say, ¿Viene con papas fritas? (Does it come with fries?). This is a life-saving question in any Spanish-speaking country.

This is the biggest trap for English speakers. In English, we say "I'm coming!" when we are moving toward someone else. In Spanish, if you are moving *away* from where you are to meet someone, you use ir (to go).

Imagine your friend shouts from the kitchen, "Dinner is ready!" In English, you shout, "I'm coming!" In Spanish, you must say ¡Ya voy! (I'm already going!). Using vengo there would sound like you are already in the kitchen. It is a classic "gringo" mistake. Only use vengo if you are already at the destination and someone asks why you are there. Also, do not use venir for general movement away from a point. That is always ir.

Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes (especially kids!). But you can avoid these pitfalls easily.

• Over-changing: Adding the ie to the nosotros form. People often say vieniemos. Wrong! It is always venimos. Think of it as a rest stop for your brain.
• The Missing G: Saying venio instead of vengo. That g is essential. Without it, you sound like a grammar robot with a low battery.
• The Ir/Venir Swap: Using vengo when you should use voy. Remember: venir is "to here," and ir is "to there."
• Stem Amnesia: Forgetting the ie in the plural vienen. It is easy to just say venen, but it lacks that Spanish flavor.

If venir feels familiar, it is because it has a twin: tener (to have). They follow almost the exact same pattern.

• Yo tengo / Yo vengo (Both have the g).
• Tú tienes / Tú vienes (Both have the ie).
• Nosotros tenemos / Nosotros venimos (Both are regular—though the endings differ because one is -er and one is -ir).

Learning one basically gives you the other for free. It is a "buy one, get one free" deal for your vocabulary. If you can handle tener, you can handle venir with your eyes closed. Just remember that venir is an -ir verb, so the nosotros and vosotros endings will reflect that.