The Most Important Book For Spanish Students And Teachers, February 25, 2000

Without a doubt, 501 Spanish Verbs is the most useful book available to a student of the Spanish language. It is not just for students, however. I have heard that even fluent professors have had to consult this book at one time or another because they were confused about how a word was conjugated. Verbs are the backbone of the Spanish language, and if you don't know how to conjugate them, people won't understand you. I take this book with me whenever I go on vacation to Spanish speaking countries, and it has proved infinitely useful during conversations where I didn't know how to say a verb. Spanish speakers are incredibly patient if you don't understand them and need to look something up, and this book is definitely the most helpful.

I should also add one thing: This book unfortunately does not distinguish between verbs commonly used in Spain, and other verbs used in Latin America that mean the same thing. An example is abrasar (to burn or light) and abrazar (to hug). I was telling a Colombian security guard that I was lighting fireworks, and he was confused. Turns out I was saying that I was hugging fireworks. Abrasar is only used in Spain. In Latin America the word for lighting or burning something is Encender. I hope this book helps you as much as it did for me.

It is a "must have" for the serious Spanish student!, February 18, 1999
Reviewer: A reader
I bought my first copy of this book in 1987 and I wore it out! One could not ask for a more complete and comprehensiver verb reference book. It is put together in an easy to follow, comprehensive manner. It begins with a concise explination of each tense (simple and compound) with examples for each. That alone is reason enough to warrant owning this reference. It then goes on to fully conjugate 501 verbs in each tense, with one verb per page, listed alphabetically. So, for example, if you forget the irregular command for of the verb "dar," no problem, just look it up under "d." And there it is along with the verb's meanings, all its conjugations, and examples of idioms commonly associated with this verb. I studied Spanish for ten years and used it all the time. Now I am a Spanish professor, myself, and I still keep it on top of my reference books and reccommend it to all my students.

a life saver, December 9, 2004

As a Spanish student. 501 Spanish verbs is very helpful when checking your work, just to make sure you understand the material and make sure all your answers are correct. However, I have noticed that some verbs I have looked up are not in the book. It is still very helpful. It has a section where you can look up irregularly conjugated verbs, so if you are reading something and see a word you are not sure of, you can look it up and find what verb it came from. I got this book in my fourth year of Spanish, but I wish i had got it my first. I highly reccomend this book to any Spanish student or even anyone who wants to learn a little Spanish. There are also phrases used in different situations in this book which can be helpful. It's a bit expensive and bulky to lug around, but definately worth is whether you are using it only as a reference or are using it to actually study and learn Spanish.

A must have Resource for the Learning Spanish Library., October 11, 2004

501 Spanish Verbs is a very thorough and comprehensive resource book. It is one of those rare books that does exactly what it says that it will do. No more and no less. The book's title says 501 Spanish Verbs "fully conjugated in all the tenses in a new easy to learn format alphabetically arranged." And that's exactly what you get.

The verbs are exhaustively covered. As a former English major, I could not imagine any other verb tense which is not covered in 501 Spanish Verbs. But it is still only intended to be used a resource book.

As a resource book, I highly recommend it. And I make this recommendation without any reservation whatsoever. The Spanish course that I recommend that you use in conjunction with it is Learning Spanish Like Crazy ( http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=217396 ). Learning Spanish Like Crazy is a course that truly overdelivers.

Interesting approach but i like Platiquemos better, September 24, 2004

No doubt this book is neccesary to actually learn all the verbs. But I am finding Platiquemos Spanish course to be a much funner way to practice verbs since it is in a context of learning the whole language, and has audio practice as well.

A very good reference that could stand a little improvement., September 15, 2004

This book has been of great use to me as a beginning Spanish student. The type is easy to read although I agree with the reviewer who writes that the paper quality could be better. Then again, however, the book is rather affordable considering all the information is gives to the person using it. The type is in both red and black with the colors used as necessary to emphasize the points the authors wished to make. This is a helpful addition to previous editions which were completely in black print.

I also think that this book cannot be the only verb book the student ever uses. It's particularly good for the beginner student but more advanced verbs (for the advanced student) are lacking. An example of such a missing verb is "tutear," which means using the "tu" form of the verb (2nd person singular) when speaking to people you know. An advanced student would want such verbs and these are not complete here.

The book does have some verbs quizzes with answers and explanations at the end; this is a plus. It is written is easy to understand English which is also good.

All in all, this actually is an indispensable book for almost every Spanish student but it could be more complete. Typographical errors exist but they are few. I would recommend this book and I have profited from it as a Spanish student.