CHAPTER V. OF VERBS THIS chapter is divided into eight sections :-The first speaks of the nature and species of verbs; the second treats of their different moods, tenses, numbers, and persons; the third gives the conjugations of the auxiliaries, haber and tener to have, ser and estar to be, and contains a list of those conjugated with to have in English, and with ser or estar in Spanish; the fourth comprehends the three regular conjugations; the fifth explains how to conjugate the reflected verbs; the sixth gives a method of conjugating verbs with negations and interrogations, with and without pronouns; the seventh has for its object the irregular conjugations; and the eighth treats of the impersonal verbs in the three conjugations. SECTION 1. Definition of verbs. A verb, according to the Latin etymology verlum, signifies word, to denote that the verb is the word by excellence, and the principal part of speech. A verb expresses an action done or received, and denotes only the state of its nominative case: from thence arise three distinct sorts of verbs, which are called 1. Activo, Active. 2. Pasivo, Passive. 3. Neutro, Neuter. The active verb expresses the action of its nominative upon some person or thing; as, Dios castigara á los malos, God will punish the wicked. The passive verb expresses the action received by the nominative case; as Los huenos serán recompensados, The just will be rewarded. The neuter verb expresses merely the state of its nominative; as, me duermo, I am quite sleepy: descaezco, I languish, or, I am languishing it also expresses an action, which remains in the subject which produces it; as caygo, I fall; paseo, I walk; hago, I do or act, &c. : Verbs are again subdivided into six classes, viz. 1. Auxiliar, Auxiliary. 2. Reflexivo, Reflective. 3. Personal, Personal. 4. Impersonal, Impersonal.. 1. The auxiliary verbs are of two sorts in the Spanish language, viz. haber, to have; and ser, to be. They are called Auxiliaries because they help to conjugate all other verbs in their compound tenses. 2. The reflective verbs are those which have for subject and object the same person or thing; as yo me levanto, I rise; yo me arrepiento, I repent, &c. 3. The personal verbs are those which are conjugated with three persons in the singular number and three in the plural, in all tenses of the indicative and subjanetive mood; as háblo, hablas, hábla; hablámos, hablais, hátlan, I speak, thou speakest, &c. 4. The impersonal verbs are all those which are used only in the third person singular of each tense; as llueve, it rains; huele, it smells; gusta, it pleases. 5. The regular verbs are those which are conjugated in all their tenses and persons, as the verb of the same final in the infinitive, which is given for example in regular conjugations; thus for instance cantar to sing, ayudar to help, are regular of the first conjugation, because they are conjugated like hallar to speak, in all their tenses and persons. 6. The irregular verbs are those which deviate in some tenses and persons from the regular verbs of the same conjugation which is given for example; thus dar to give, is irregular, because it is not conjugated like hablar, though it has the same final in the infinitive mood. SECTION II. Of moods, tenses, numbers, and persons of verbs. Verbs are necessarily subject-1st. To moods, whereby they express in what manner a thing comes to pass: 2d. To tenses, by the help of which they represent the thing spoken of, as present, past, and future: 3d. To number and persons, that they may agree with their nominative case. This assemblage is termed conjugation, and is nothing else than the art of varying the different moods, tenses, and persons of a verb. 1. Of moods. Moods are the different manners of using a verb. There are four moods in a verb; the Infinitive, the Indicative, the Subjunctive, and the Imperative. The infinitive mood, which is the root of a verb, and by which the conjugations are distinguished from each other, expresses an action, but in an indetermined sense, without specifying any particular agent, as hablar to speak, cantar to sing, hacer to do, &c. The indicative mood shows directly and positively the different tenses of a verb: it forms a sense of itself independently of what precedes or follows; as quiero I am willing, veo I see, hablo I speak. The subjunctive mood denotes also different tenses, but dependently on the verb or conjunction antecedent; as Qualquier mérito que tengamos es menester que séamos modestos, Whatever merit we may have we must be mo dest. If you take out es menester que, the rest, séamos modestos, has not a complete sense, The imperative mood expresses the action of desiring, commanding, exhorting, &c. as respondame answer me, Lavése las manos, la boca, y la cara, Wash your hands, your mouth, your face, &c. 2. Of tenses. Tenses are different terminations, which show if what is expressed by a verb has any reference to the present, past, or future time. Their names are found in the following conjugations, and their use is fully explained in the Syntax, chap. 15, 16, and 17. 3. Of numbers and persons. There are two numbers in a verb, which are the singu Jar and the plural. The singular is used when we speak. of one; as Su hermano murió, His brother is dead; and the plural when we speak of more than one; as Sus hermanas son muy hermosas, His sisters are very hand some. There are three persons in each number: the first when we speak of ourselves; as hablo i speak, hablamos we speak the second when we speak to another; as hablas thou speakest and the third in speaking of another; as hábla he speaks.. Plur. 1. nosotros hemos, or habemos, we have. 2. vosotros habeis, you have. 3. ellos hán, they have. Imperfect tense. Sing. 1. yo había, I had. Plur. 2. tu habías, thou hadst. 1. nosotros habíamos, we had. Preterite tense. Sing. 1. yo hube, I had. 2. tu hubiste, thou hadst. Plur. 1. nosotros hubimos, we had. Future tense. Sing. 1. yo habré, I shall have. 2. tu habrás, thou shalt have, |