Para que tu proceso de aprendizaje sea lo más eficiente posible, reinventamos por completo la lista tradicional de verbos irregulares.
Primero, dejamos atrás el orden alfabético y clasificamos los 200 verbos principales estrictamente según con qué frecuencia se usan en conversaciones cotidianas. Esto significa que aprenderás primero las palabras más esenciales.
Segundo, los agrupamos en cuatro patrones fonéticos lógicos. En lugar de memorizar a la fuerza, tu cerebro reconocerá de forma natural las estructuras que riman y los cambios de vocales. Estos son los cuatro patrones que veremos:
- Grupo 1: Los verbos idénticos (A-A-A) – Las tres formas son exactamente iguales.
- Grupo 2: Los que regresan (A-B-A) – El participio pasado vuelve a la forma base.
- Grupo 3: Los que cambian a medias (A-B-B) – El pasado simple y el participio pasado coinciden.
- Grupo 4: Los cambiaformas (A-B-C) – Las tres formas son completamente diferentes.
¡Vamos con la lista definitiva basada en la frecuencia de uso!
* Los verbos marcados con asterisco son formales, literarios o muy específicos. Si estás empezando, puedes omitirlos por ahora sin problema.
1. Verbos idénticos (patrón A-A-A)
Las tres formas son iguales.
| Forma base (V1) | Pasado simple (V2) | Participio pasado (V3) | Traducción |
| put | put | put | poner, colocar |
| let | let | let | dejar, permitir |
| set | set | set | configurar, colocar |
| cut | cut | cut | cortar |
| cost | cost | cost | costar |
| read | read | read | leer |
| hit | hit | hit | golpear |
| shut | shut | shut | cerrar |
| hurt | hurt | hurt | doler, lastimar |
| quit | quit | quit | dejar, renunciar |
| spread | spread | spread | extender, untar |
| split | split | split | dividir, partir |
| fit | fit | fit | quedar bien, encajar |
| bet | bet | bet | apostar |
| burst | burst | burst | estallar, reventar |
| upset | upset | upset | molestar, alterar |
| broadcast | broadcast | broadcast | emitir, transmitir |
| preset * | preset | preset | preconfigurar |
| cast * | cast | cast | lanzar, proyectar |
| shed * | shed | shed | perder, derramar |
| thrust * | thrust | thrust | empujar, impulsar |
| rid * | rid | rid | librar |
| slit * | slit | slit | rajar, cortar |
| knit * | knit | knit | tejer (lana) |
2. Verbos que regresan a la forma base (patrón A-B-A)
El participio pasado (V3) coincide con la forma base.
| Forma base (V1) | Pasado simple (V2) | Participio pasado (V3) | Traducción |
| come | came | come | venir |
| become | became | become | convertirse en |
| run | ran | run | correr |
| overcome | overcame | overcome | vencer, superar |
| outrun * | outran | outrun | correr más rápido que, superar |
3. Verbos con el mismo pasado y participio pasado (patrón A-B-B)
El pasado simple (V2) y el participio pasado (V3) coinciden.
| Forma base (V1) | Pasado simple (V2) | Participio pasado (V3) | Traducción |
| have | had | had | tener, poseer |
| make | made | made | hacer, preparar |
| say | said | said | decir |
| get | got | got / gotten | recibir, obtener, volverse |
| think | thought | thought | pensar |
| find | found | found | encontrar |
| tell | told | told | decir, contar |
| feel | felt | felt | sentir |
| leave | left | left | dejar, irse |
| bring | brought | brought | traer |
| buy | bought | bought | comprar |
| hear | heard | heard | oír, escuchar |
| keep | kept | kept | mantener, conservar |
| meet | met | met | encontrarse, reunirse |
| pay | paid | paid | pagar |
| stand | stood | stood | estar de pie |
| hold | held | held | sostener (en la mano) |
| understand | understood | understood | entender, comprender |
| mean | meant | meant | significar, querer decir |
| win | won | won | ganar |
| lead | led | led | dirigir, liderar |
| catch | caught | caught | atrapar |
| sit | sat | sat | sentarse, estar sentado |
| lose | lost | lost | perder |
| sell | sold | sold | vender |
| send | sent | sent | enviar |
| build | built | built | construir |
| spend | spent | spent | gastar, pasar (tiempo) |
| teach | taught | taught | enseñar |
| sleep | slept | slept | dormir |
| shoot | shot | shot | disparar |
| lay | laid | laid | poner, colocar |
| fight | fought | fought | luchar, pelear |
| deal | dealt | dealt | tratar, repartir |
| feed | fed | fed | alimentar |
| seek | sought | sought | buscar, investigar |
| burn | burnt | burnt | arder, quemar |
| learn | learnt | learnt | aprender |
| dream | dreamt | dreamt | soñar |
| smell | smelt | smelt | oler, despedir olor |
| spell | spelt | spelt | deletrear |
| spill | spilt | spilt | derramar |
| spoil | spoilt | spoilt | arruinar, consentir |
| leap | leapt | leapt | saltar |
| hang | hung | hung | colgar |
| light | lit | lit | encender, iluminar |
| shine | shone | shone | brillar, resplandecer |
| slide | slid | slid | deslizarse |
| spin | spun | spun | girar, hacer girar |
| spit | spat | spat | escupir |
| stick | stuck | stuck | pegarse, clavar |
| sting | stung | stung | picar, aguijonear (insecto) |
| strike | struck | struck | golpear |
| sweep | swept | swept | barrer |
| swing | swung | swung | balancearse, oscilar |
| wind | wound | wound | enrollar, dar cuerda |
| bend | bent | bent | doblar |
| dig | dug | dug | cavar |
| speed | sped | sped | ir rápido, exceder la velocidad |
| rebuild | rebuilt | rebuilt | reconstruir |
| resell | resold | resold | revender |
| remake | remade | remade | rehacer |
| retell | retold | retold | volver a contar |
| oversleep | overslept | overslept | quedarse dormido (y llegar tarde) |
| misunderstand | misunderstood | misunderstood | malentender |
| mislead | misled | misled | engañar, desorientar |
| overhear | overheard | overheard | oír por casualidad, escuchar sin querer |
| overthink | overthought | overthought | pensar demasiado |
| rethink | rethought | rethought | reconsiderar, volver a pensar |
| resend | resent | resent | reenviar |
| rewind | rewound | rewound | rebobinar |
| kneel * | knelt | knelt | arrodillarse |
| weep * | wept | wept | llorar |
| wring * | wrung | wrung | escurrir, retorcer |
| bind * | bound | bound | atar, unir |
| bleed * | bled | bled | sangrar |
| breed * | bred | bred | criar, reproducir |
| cling * | clung | clung | aferrarse, colgarse |
| creep * | crept | crept | arrastrarse, moverse sigilosamente |
| flee * | fled | fled | huir |
| fling * | flung | flung | arrojar |
| grind * | ground | ground | moler, triturar |
| uphold * | upheld | upheld | mantener, defender |
| withhold * | withheld | withheld | retener |
| underpay * | underpaid | underpaid | pagar menos de lo debido |
| overpay * | overpaid | overpaid | pagar de más |
| prepay * | prepaid | prepaid | pagar por adelantado |
| outsell * | outsold | outsold | vender más que |
| overfeed * | overfed | overfed | sobrealimentar |
| relay * | relaid | relaid | volver a colocar, transmitir |
| unbind * | unbound | unbound | desatar, liberar |
| unwind * | unwound | unwound | desenrollar, relajarse |
| unlearn * | unlearnt | unlearnt | desaprender |
4. Verbos completamente irregulares (patrón A-B-C)
Las tres formas son diferentes.
| Forma base (V1) | Pasado simple (V2) | Participio pasado (V3) | Traducción |
| be | was / were | been | ser/estar, existir |
| do | did | done | hacer |
| go | went | gone | ir |
| see | saw | seen | ver |
| know | knew | known | saber, conocer |
| take | took | taken | tomar, llevar, agarrar |
| give | gave | given | dar |
| write | wrote | written | escribir |
| speak | spoke | spoken | hablar |
| drive | drove | driven | conducir |
| break | broke | broken | romper |
| fall | fell | fallen | caer |
| eat | ate | eaten | comer |
| choose | chose | chosen | elegir |
| draw | drew | drawn | dibujar, tirar |
| grow | grew | grown | crecer, cultivar |
| fly | flew | flown | volar |
| wear | wore | worn | usar, llevar puesto |
| throw | threw | thrown | lanzar |
| show | showed | shown | mostrar |
| begin | began | begun | empezar, comenzar |
| drink | drank | drunk | beber |
| swim | swam | swum | nadar |
| ring | rang | rung | sonar |
| sing | sang | sung | cantar |
| sink | sank | sunk | hundirse |
| wake | woke | woken | despertarse, despertar |
| hide | hid | hidden | esconder |
| ride | rode | ridden | montar, viajar |
| rise | rose | risen | elevarse, subir |
| steal | stole | stolen | robar |
| tear | tore | torn | rasgar, romper |
| swear | swore | sworn | jurar, decir groserías |
| bite | bit | bitten | morder |
| blow | blew | blown | soplar |
| forget | forgot | forgotten | olvidar |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven | perdonar |
| freeze | froze | frozen | congelar, congelarse |
| mistake | mistook | mistaken | equivocarse, confundir |
| forbid | forbade | forbidden | prohibir |
| shake | shook | shaken | sacudir |
| shrink | shrank | shrunk | encogerse, reducirse |
| spring | sprang | sprung | saltar, rebotar |
| withdraw | withdrew | withdrawn | retirar, revocar |
| undertake | undertook | undertaken | asumir, emprender |
| overtake | overtook | overtaken | adelantar, rebasar |
| oversee | oversaw | overseen | supervisar |
| foresee | foresaw | foreseen | prever |
| rewrite | rewrote | rewritten | reescribir |
| redo | redid | redone | rehacer |
| undo | undid | undone | deshacer |
| undergo | underwent | undergone | someterse a, pasar por |
| outgrow | outgrew | outgrown | dejar atrás al crecer |
| overdo | overdid | overdone | exagerar, excederse |
| outdo | outdid | outdone | superar |
| prove | proved | proven | demostrar, probar |
| weave * | wove | woven | tejer |
| partake * | partook | partaken | participar |
| misdo * | misdid | misdone | hacer mal |
| awake * | awoke | awoken | despertarse |
| bear * | bore | borne | soportar, llevar |
| beat * | beat | beaten | golpear, vencer |
| bid * | bade | bidden | ofrecer, pujar |
| forsake * | forsook | forsaken | abandonar, desamparar |
| saw * | sawed | sawn | serruchar, aserrar |
| sew * | sewed | sewn | coser |
| shear * | sheared | shorn | esquilar (ovejas) |
| sow * | sowed | sown | sembrar (semillas) |
| swell * | swelled | swollen | hincharse |
| thrive * | throve | thriven | prosperar, florecer |
| tread * | trod | trodden | pisar, caminar |
Cómo usar esta lista de forma efectiva
No intentes memorizar los 200 verbos en un solo día. Empieza con los grupos A-A-A y A-B-B, ya que sus patrones predecibles los hacen increíblemente fáciles de dominar. Concéntrate primero en los 10 a 15 verbos principales de cada categoría: estas son las palabras que las personas nativas usan constantemente. Una vez que hayas construido una base sólida, avanza poco a poco por la lista según la frecuencia de uso.
Guarda esta página en favoritos y vuelve cuando necesites repasar rápido. ¡Que disfrutes aprender!