Complete Spanish, Track 21 - Language Transfer, The Thinking Method

Summary

This video script explores the use of the present tense in Spanish to express future and past actions, similar to English. It delves into the concept of using 'haber' as an auxiliary verb to form the compound past tense, explaining the irregularities and providing a mnemonic based on the vowels 'a' and 'e' to remember its conjugations. The script simplifies the process of creating the past tense for verbs by removing the '-r' and adding '-ado' or '-ido', demonstrating with examples like 'he hablado' (I have spoken). It highlights the prevalence of this tense in Spanish, often used more frequently than in English, and encourages learners to practice constructing sentences with these verb forms.

Takeaways

• 🕒 The script discusses how the present tense in Spanish can be used to talk about future events, such as 'pronto' (soon), 'mañana' (tomorrow), and 'la próxima semana' (next week).
• 🗣 There are three main ways to talk about the past in both English and Spanish, including the simple past, past continuous, and present perfect.
• 📚 In Spanish, the verb 'haber' is used to form the present perfect tense, and it is irregular with different forms for each subject pronoun.
• 🔤 The verb 'haber' can be remembered by its two key vowel sounds, 'a' and 'e', which help to determine the conjugation forms for different subjects.
• 🔄 The conjugation of 'haber' is connected to the subject pronouns 'yo' (I) and 'nosotros' (we), with 'he' (I have) and 'hemos' (we have) being examples.
• 📖 The script explains that Spanish verbs in the present perfect tense lose their '-r' and add '-ido' for past participles, which is simpler than in English.
• 👥 The past participle formation is consistent for all verbs in Spanish, making it easier to learn compared to the irregular forms in English.
• 🤔 The script encourages learners to think about the structure of sentences in Spanish, breaking them down into components before constructing the full sentence.
• 🎉 The present perfect tense is used more frequently in Spanish than in English, making it an important concept for learners to master.
• 📍 The script provides examples of how to form sentences in the present perfect tense, such as 'he anticipado' (I have anticipated) and 'hemos anticipado' (we have anticipated).
• 🗣️ The use of 'haber' with verbs like 'tomar' (to take) and 'hablar' (to speak) is demonstrated, showing the consistency of the past participle formation in Spanish.

Q & A

How can the present tense be used to talk about the future in Spanish?

The present tense in Spanish can be used to talk about the future in certain contexts, such as when expressing something that will happen soon ('pronto'), or when referring to the next day ('mañana'), the next week, or events that are expected to occur in the near future.

What are the three main ways to talk about the past in both English and Spanish?

The three main ways to talk about the past are: using the simple past tense (e.g., 'I ate'), the past continuous tense (e.g., 'I was eating'), and the present perfect tense (e.g., 'I have eaten').

How is the verb 'to have' expressed in Spanish when referring to past actions, like 'I have eaten'?

In Spanish, 'to have' when referring to past actions is expressed with the verb 'haber', which is irregular and takes different forms depending on the subject (e.g., 'he' for 'I have', 'habéis' for 'you have', 'ha' for 'he/she/it has').

What is the significance of the vowel sounds 'a' and 'e' in the verb 'haber'?

The vowel sounds 'a' and 'e' in 'haber' are used to remember its conjugated forms. 'e' by itself means 'I have' (he), and 'a' is used for 'he/she/it has' (ha), helping to remember the irregular forms of the verb.

How can we determine the plural forms of 'haber' in the first person plural (we)?

The plural form for 'we have' is derived from the singular 'I have' (he) by changing it to 'hemos', following the pattern of adding 'mos' to the base form.

What happens to the verb when we want to form the present perfect tense in Spanish?

To form the present perfect tense in Spanish, the final 'r' of the verb is removed, and 'do' is added to the end, creating a new form that follows the conjugation of 'haber'.

Can you provide an example of how to form the present perfect tense with the verb 'hablar' (to speak)?

To form the present perfect tense with 'hablar', you would take the infinitive form 'hablar', remove the 'r', and add 'do', resulting in 'hablado', which is then used with the appropriate form of 'haber' to express 'I have spoken', 'you have spoken', etc.

How is the word 'tempo' related to the concept of time in Spanish?

In Spanish, 'tempo' changes to 'tiempo', which means 'time' and is used to express durations or periods, similar to how 'tempo' is used in music.

What is the informal way of saying 'you have' in Spanish?

The informal way of saying 'you have' in Spanish is 'tienes', which is derived from the verb 'tener' (to have) in its second person singular form.

Can the present perfect tense in Spanish be used to ask if someone has celebrated something?

Yes, the present perfect tense in Spanish can be used to ask if someone has celebrated something, similar to how it is used in English (e.g., '¿Has celebrado?').

How do you form the past participle of a verb like 'tomar' (to take or drink) in the present perfect tense in Spanish?

To form the past participle of 'tomar', you remove the 'r' and add 'do', resulting in 'tomado', which is then used with the appropriate form of 'haber' to express the present perfect tense (e.g., 'he tomado' for 'I have taken').