Alleviating The Nightmare: How To Learn Spanish Grammar

Any English speaker who has taken an entry level Spanish in an attempt to learn the language has likely felt similar frustrations. Learning Spanish Grammar is difficult for native speakers of English. This is, in part, because of the gendered nouns and the variety of verb conjugations

Unlike in English, all Spanish nouns have a gender. This is most often indicated by the article or by the way the word ends. For example, a noun like la casa that has the feminine article la and ends in an a (casa), is a feminine word and must be followed or preceded by only feminine pronouns.

To absorb this, students may choose to create flashcards or even place sticky notes all over their houses to help memorize the words and their gender, or simply remember that words ending in -a, -dad, -tad, -z, -ion, -cian, -umbre, or -ie are most often feminine and all others are masculine. This is a vital part in learning Spanish grammar both with regards to speaking and writing.

Okay, so gender is not that difficult when you put it in its simplest terms. Verb conjugation, though, is anything but easy. There are a variety of person possibilities that make this part of learning Spanish grammar difficult at best. It is vital, then, to know to whom you are addressing. Is it first (I), second (you) or third person (he/she) singular? Are you speaking to more than one person; if so, is it first (you as in a group), second (you as in a group and me) or third person plural (they as in a group)?

Once you have a fundamental understanding of person as it relates to learning Spanish grammar, it is time to begin practicing on verbs. It is key to understand the difference between a root and an infinitive. The root most often remains unchanged. For example, the verb hablar means to speak.
The root is habl-, and the infinitive is ar.

Once you have a clear understanding of roots and infinitives, it is time to begin charting the most common verbs: hablar, comer, vivir and a few other regular verbs. To begin drop the infinitive, then add the most commonly used tense markers; these are, -o, -as, -a, -amos, and an.
Here Is how it may look:

Hablar: To Speak
Hablo ingles. I speak English
Hablas ingles. You speak English
El/Ella habla ingles. She speaks English

Learning Spanish grammar is difficult, but should not be the stuff of nightmares. What a potential student needs is determination, time to create flash cards, a good Spanish to English dictionary, and a text like

Check also the big Cursos de Inglês Online bookstores for English Grammar books - you will find many good recommendations and also lists done by readers that will help alleviate the screams and hair-pulling by offering a step by step guide as well as Spanish and English comparisons.