Quicker way to conugate
What is the easiest or quickest way to memorize verb forms of verbs, like say "estar"? I would like to be able to understand the verb changes without sitting and going okay this is singular third person form. I take too long in figuring out verb forms when I read or write a sentence.
2 Answers
I am going to tell you that if you practice my method, which consists of reading and writing Spanish, translating literally to English, arraigning the resultant word order in English, if necessary, in order to understand what's being said in Spanish, will do wonders in a very short period of time.
The human brain is wired to learn language through hearing and speaking
If you know the pronouns in their order, both singular and plural, you can say the verb afterwards. Say this, a few dozen times. It will eventually "lodge" itself in your brain. You won't be able to stop it. Now just say these quickly one after another.
Yo estoy
tú estás
él está ( the "está form also includes "ella" and "usted" but you don't have to repeat them)
Nosotros estamos
Vosotros estáis.
Ellos están (this also includes "ellas" and "ustedes" )
When you once have the order and you have (without really trying) associated the subject pronoun with the verb form. Then you can just repeat the forms. When you hear "estoy" you know it goes with "yo" When you hear "estás" you know it goes with "tú" and so forth. I could do all these as a two year old and had no idea what "third person singular" meant. I heard all these forms all the time and I started using them.
In class I teach my students to sing the forms to the tune of the "Mexican Hat Dance"
I wish I could demonstrate. But if you know the Hat Dance, try singing the verbs to the tune of it.
Estoy, estás, está--- estamos, estáis, estáaan, estoy estás está, estamos, estáis están!
I had my students doing this in class today. Every one of them now knows the present tense form of the verb "estar."
