I need help with verbs.

Question

I need help in my Spanish class. I have been having trouble memorizing what forms of verbs to use and I have juster failed a test. Can anyone give me advice on how to memorize them.

Welcome to SD - please complete your SD profile. - ian-hill, Jan 15, 2015

Answer 1

You can go to www.studyspanish.com to practice. Click on Verb Drills at the top, and then choose numbers 1 - 4 on the left side. Also, you might try watching some YouTube or TeacherTube videos. Search "Spanish Verb Conjugation" and see what comes up. If there is something specific that you do not understand, post a question here, and I know that you will get all of the help you need!

Answer 2

The conjugation of Spanish verbs is much more varied than English verbs (apart from English irregular verbs).

There really is no easy way to memorise them.

A native speaker maybe able to give some hints though.

I suggest you do the free SD video lessons before starting to learn masses of verb conjugations.

Click here for them.

Suerte.

Please complete your SD profile - it helps us help you.

I wonder if native speakers are the best teachers in this case. Natives learn intuitively, therefore may not be able to relate to the experience of learning artificially, which is what all non-natives have to do... - Faldaesque, Jan 15, 2015

A good question for a debate amigo. - ian-hill, Jan 15, 2015

Hey, guys I'm a native speaker and a pretty darn good teacher too - Daniela2041, Jan 16, 2015

I've gone both ways on the boat. I have taught English to Spanish speakers and vice-versa. The waiting lines to get into my classes are longer than the class lists of some teachers. No brag--just fact!! - Daniela2041, Jan 16, 2015

My name has been down for yonks as a mature aged estudiante with a hormonal deficiency . - ray76, Jan 16, 2015

Answer 3

There is a great program called conjugemos where you can practice Spanish verbs in all the tenses. You can start with the present tense and do your practices until they get to be second nature. It's a good tool to help you with these verb conjugations.

Conjugemos

Is there one called "subjuntivemos" ? :)) - ian-hill, Jan 16, 2015

Gracias amiga. - ian-hill, Jan 16, 2015

Answer 4

As has been stated here, learning Spanish verbs is a long-term project. Every Spanish verb has five simple tenses, present, preterite, imperfect, future, and conditional. Each one of these tenses has six possible endings, there are three kinds of verbs, those ending in "ar", those ending in "er", and those ending in "ir" and they all have their own endings.

Then there are the compound tenses. Present perfect, pluperfect, future perfect, and conditional perfect. All these are just the "indicative mood" Besides these there is the "subjunctive mood which has two simple tenses, and two compound tenses. Beside these there are the Indicative mood and the Imperative mood. (Disclaimer: These tenses have different names in different countries. These terms are what we use in the US.)

Now that I have scared the "H- - - -" out of you. I want to tell you that in order to learn this, you start with the easiest, to wit, The present tense of the indicative mood "ar" verbs.

This is where all textbooks start.

Now for the good news. On this site we have a terrific teacher who will take you through the whole "enchilada" one bean at a time.

This guy knows just how you feel!

Go to www.spanishdict.com/learn

I have a problem here; my enchiladas are no longer whole , will I qualify for one of the six perfect endings or must i now operate on the pluperfect attachments ? Yours hormonally Plutarch. - ray76, Jan 16, 2015

Danni - it seem pretty straight forward to you but it simply isn't. - ian-hill, Jan 16, 2015

Needing to carry a book called "501 Spanish Verbs" - 2 inches think on yoour back pocket just to get started is no joke.:) - ian-hill, Jan 16, 2015

What I did in first paragraph or two was to show that it is impossible to give a short answer to such a extensive theme, then I showed where you "can" get the info then learn a little at a time. - Daniela2041, Jan 16, 2015

I noticed that Dani - I am still hoping that a native speaker can "simplify" Spanish conjugations for all us learners somehow. :) - ian-hill, Jan 16, 2015

Only in a classroom where I can get the students to practice with me. - Daniela2041, Jan 18, 2015

Answer 5

One of the easiest Spanish tenses is the present perfect if only it did not then

morph into the past perfect and be incestually involved with that mug preterite .

:) - ian-hill, Jan 16, 2015

Answer 6

I have a compound fracture of the subjunctive,

In its present form the subjunctive is perfect,

But in order for the conditional to be present,

The pluperfect needs to be aligned in future,

That said the preterite being now irregular ,

can only enhance the action of the subjunctive.

I now have a present perfect subjunctive ,

making my enchiladas pluperfect procreatively.

---

Past perfect conntinuous

:) - ian-hill, Jan 16, 2015

Where did you find that convoluted English sentence cartoon Ray? - ian-hill, Jan 17, 2015

Answer 7

OK guys you've had your fun. I merely attempted to show how not even I ( who have a reputation for giving short answers that make sense,) can give a reasonably short answer to such an extensive theme. Each tense has its forms which must be memorized, then you have to learn where and when to use them.

I also gave the SD website where the questioner could start to learn with the present tense.

Is that so hard to understand? Hmmmm?

Sorry teach , we wus bored n had nuttin t do , our toys is broke n n n any way you had fun too. - ray76, Jan 16, 2015

Nope that is easy to understand Dani but memorising all the conjugations is not "pan comida". - ian-hill, Jan 16, 2015

I can explain the structure of of all English conjugations on one piece of A4 paper. - ian-hill, Jan 16, 2015

If you would like to see it just PpM me and I will send it to yu via email. - ian-hill, Jan 16, 2015

Thanks, Ian, I already know them all tenses and moods. But in English there are over 240 irregular past participles---only 8 in Spanish! - Daniela2041, Jan 16, 2015

You don't know what i have created Dani - forget all about irregular verbs in this context. - Spanish or English. - ian-hill, Jan 16, 2015

I taught Spanish speakers English for 11 years - I also have experience. - ian-hill, Jan 16, 2015

Answer 8

Verbs are perhaps the hardest part of Spanish, which is otherwise relatively straightforward for English-speakers to learn. But verbs are a huge subject. Are there any particular aspects of verbs that are causing you difficulty: regular/irregular, ser/estar, tenses, subjunctive mood, reflexives, or just basic verb vocab ?

Once you break the verb system down to its 'nuts & bolts' it does becomes considerably less daunting. Its actually beautiful in its logic albeit much more complex than the English verb system. Even the irregular verbs follow certain patterns (although the most irregular you shall probably just need to try & memorise by rote).

Which methods & resources have you already tried ?

If you have time, the 'Michel Thomas Method' is very good. It's obsessed with verb structures & the initial 8-hour course covers all the main tenses & moods with particular focus on irregular forms. If you spend 30 mins a day in using this method, each day taking time to review the previous day, then you may be able to get a handle on verbs after a couple of months. But you also have to keep practising everything that you've already learned in order to reinforce it by reading and composition.

Don't worry about failure. Failure is a NECESSARY process in learning any language. In my experience I have to learn then forget a new word at least three or four times before it sticks. Everyone is different, but language-learning is usually a slow process for most people.

Buena suerte ¡!

Answer 9

There is a daily thread where we practice each day conjugating one word at a time and we work through a list of 500 verbs. After doing this awhile, it's getting easier for me to do without thinking. I try to do at least one a day everyday to keep in practice. The other suggestions above are great. I just needed to actually do it in a simple way - repetition is one way I learn.

Here's the link: Practicing the 500 Verbs with Repetition

Here is another link that you can put any word in the searchbox and it conjugates it: Verb conjuator

Here's a link that is a power point lesson on simplifying conjugating verbs: Power point on Verbs

Here's an interactive one: Interactive verb practice and another one that is interactive: practicing verbs with a picture game and another: 500 verbs with quiz interaction

Great idea! - rac1, Jan 18, 2015