Language Transfer Spanish notes
Lesson 16
When O Splits Under Pressure
Language Transfer Complete Spanish is by Mihalis Eleftheriou. Listen to the original audio first; use these notes for revision.
New vocabulary
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| empezar | to start/begin |
| empiezo | I start (e→ie) |
| comenzar | to commence/start (less common) |
| dormir | to sleep (think "dormitory") |
| duermo | I sleep (o→ue) |
| me duermo | I fall asleep |
| encontrar | to find/encounter |
| encuentro | I find (o→ue) |
| un encuentro | an encounter |
| muestra | he/she shows / a sample |
| la muerte | death |
| muerto | dead (masculine) |
| muerta | dead (feminine) |
| pueblo | a people / village / town |
| el poder | the power |
| puerto | port (Puerto Rico = rich port) |
| fuerza | force |
| escuela | school |
| cuerpo | body/corpse |
| nuevo | new |
O→UE stem change: When the accent falls on an 'o', it can split to 'ue':
- poder→puedo, dormir→duermo, encontrar→encuentro, mostrar→muestro
This softening appears across the language: port→puerto, force→fuerza, school→escuela, new→nuevo, death→muerte
Stem changes ONLY happen in present tense, NOT in the "to" form or "we" form.
Adjective agreement: muerto (masc sing), muerta (fem sing), muertos (masc plur), muertas (fem plur)
Example sentences
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Cuándo empiezas? | When do you start? |
| Duermo. | I sleep. |
| Me duermo. | I fall asleep. |
| Lo encuentro. | I find it. |
| Muestra. | He/she shows. |
| Muestran. | They show. |
Key notes
-
When choosing a stem-changed form, go back to the infinitive first: empezar -> empieza, not guesswork.
-
This lesson introduces the o -> ue split alongside the earlier e -> ie pattern.
-
The same softening shows up beyond verbs in everyday words like puerto, fuerza, escuela, cuerpo, nuevo.