spanish homework help please?

Question

hi, i take spanish 2 in school and so far we've learned the present, past, preterite, and imperfect tense. i was wondering how do you know when the it's a stem changing word (example - pensar goes to pienso) and i know nosotros usually stays the same (and so does vosotros, but my teacher doesn't teach vosotros because it's hardly used), but when does it change?

Answer 1

"Vosotros" is used in Spain, as an informal "you" (plural). And "ustedes" is the formal way (plural of "usted").
In all Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, only "ustedes" is used, both formally and informally.
"Vosotros" and "ustedes" have different conjugation, though. That's probably why your teacher is teaching you only the one that's used everywhere, so it's easier for you.

And yes, those are irregular verbs that you just have to memorize (just like irregular verbs in English).
Good luck.

Answer 2

Hi

There are several irregular verbs. Some of them have a similar form of changing, but some others change in an unexpected way (as in English). You can get a list of those verbs and practice, so you can memorize them.

Nosotros is the plural of the first person, Ustedes is the plural of the second person, Vosotros is the plural of the second person. Ustedes is most used in Mexico, but vosotros in Spain. I'm not quite sure of the vosotros in Central America.

Here it is an example with a regular verb (for verbs we have three groups, those ending in -ar, in -er and in -ir). The verb amar (to love):
Yo amo
tu amas
el ama
nostros amamos
ustedes aman (vosotros amais in Spain)
ellos aman

The regular verb comer (to eat)
Yo como
tu comes
el come
nosotros comemos
ustedes comen (vosotros comeis in Spain)
ellos comen

Answer 3

pensar "thinking"
pienso "i was thinking"


your teacher is not teaching proper spanish vosotros is actually used in spain more often than in latin america well hope this helps

Answer 4

You just "know" after awhile - sadly there is no hard and fast rule.

Some verbs play by the "rules" but others don't. I took Spanish for 7 years and you just don't spot those stem-changing verbs after awhile because they seem normal to you.

Bottom line: you'll get used to it! [Think how hard it is to learn English though - our stem changes are all over the place!]

Answer 5

"Vosotros" is no longer used on spanish, that's why your teacher doesn't teach it, but if you want to know it, "vosotros" is used exactly the same way "nosotros" do, it doesn't change it was just used to talk about "you" (plural) but on the old spanish (from spain) now we use "ustedes" instead

Answer 6

nosotros is WE and vosotros is for example YOU GUYS but is more formal i guess. In a sentence you would say NO SE SI VOSOTROS ENTIENDEN LA TAREA.

Answer 7

there isn't a rule, they are irregular verbs

sometimes it's difficult even for me, and i'm spanish! (we have to study irregular spanish verbs in school...)