Spanish Irregular Verbs

Learning how to use verbs correctly is a difficult task in any language, but it is even more difficult in Spanish.

Spanish verbs, with many combinations of tenses, aspects and up to 50 conjugated forms, are a complex area of Spanish grammar. Many of the most common verbs in Spanish are irregular.

What is an irregular verb?

An irregular verb in Spanish is any verb whose conjugation doesn’t follows a typical pattern. Irregular verbs live by their own set of rules.

Any verb that does not break down using the rules of tenses is an irregular verb. That means that the conjugation is not based on the rules of tenses, but rather on the specific conjugation which is used for the word.

This means that verbal conjugation is a game of memorization. You need to memorize the specific conjugation for each irregular verb.

Learning irregular verbs

Since there are no specific rules regarding conjugating the tenses of irregular verbs in Spanish, the only way to really learn them is to keep your ears open.

Every time you learn a new verb, make sure you know all the conjugations of that verb so that when you use it you dont misspeak.

It seems that there are two options when it comes to learning the irregular verbs:

• A.- To view them as complex and difficult. In this case you will struggle, wring your hands in consternation, and never really learn them.
• B.- A more productive strategy is to build a library of flashcards and to study them regularly. It is not necessary to study them for long periods of time. It is, however, essential to study them frequently. Therefore, we recommend that you carry your little stack of verb cards with you, and pull them out several times a day. This will work, even if you only study them for 5 minutes per session.

If you want to sound like a native Spanish speaker, you should mind your irregular verbs.

They are hard to remember, but they really do make a difference when youre speaking with anyone whose opinion you care about. If you know the irregular verbs, you´ll sound smart.

Spanish irregular Verbs list