Is there a way to know if a verb is irregular when conjugated in preterite?
I am really good at conjugating verbs if I know if they are regular or irregular. But I struggle to recognize when looking at a verb if it is irregular or not. Any tips?
2 Answers
Excellent question!
As you know, the preterite is an extremely irregular tense, and the rub is that it's not an optional tense. So...a person has to learn it! The good thing is that Spanish speakers are almost always very gracious about errors made in their language, so if you make a mistake nobody is going to kick you out of the room or anything!
Here are a few ideas for helping you learn which verbs are irregular. Maybe one of them will work for you!
Make flashcards with the English on one side and the Spanish on the other. Along with the Spanish infinitive, write the stem of the irregular preterite. For example, one card would have "to say" on one side and on the other side would be "decir" - "dij-". Say them out loud, and go over them several times a day. Saying them out loud will help you remember.
Another idea is to take the infinitives in groups if 3 , 4 or 5 and make some little rhyme or word using a system that makes sense to you. Let's say that you have "hacer", "andar" and "decir". The first letter from those makes the word "H-A-D". Or you can take the first letter and make a sentence, such as "Hans ate donuts".
Maybe these suggestions will spark some ideas in your head. Whatever works for you is good; just review several times a day and, if possible, say them out loud and/or write them.
I think you will be very pleased at how much you will remember in just a couple of days.
Buena suerte!
Singer4christ:
We have a Reference page that may have the answer you want. Please look at this page ----> Preterit Tense.
If you still have a question when you are done, please just ask and someone will try to help.
Recuerdos/Regards,
Moe.
