Spanish Verb Groups

The teaching of Spanish presents interesting peculiarities compared to French. Remember that in French, we generally present three distinct verb groups based on the verb ending (-er, -ir, -ir/-re). But above all, we classify almost all exceptions in the famous third group.

In Spanish, verbs are also traditionally divided into three conjugations according to their infinitive ending:

• First conjugation: verbs ending in -ar (hablar, cantar, amar)
• Second conjugation: verbs ending in -er (comer, beber, leer)
• Third conjugation: verbs ending in -ir (vivir, sentir, partir)

Nevertheless, it is rare to refer to "groups" as in French. Why? We can cite the following reasons:

• The Spanish verb system is primarily focused on the distinction between regular and irregular verbs.
• Irregularities tend to follow predictable patterns (vowel changes, etc.). For example, diphthongs (pensar => yo pienso) may seem difficult, but it is relatively logical orally, as it is easier to pronounce.
• Teaching emphasizes understanding these patterns of irregularity rather than classification into rigid groups.

This approach facilitates understanding of the different types of irregularities present in Spanish, offering a more nuanced view compared to a simple division into groups.