For example, the Spanish verb descansar is a regular verb and the Spanish verb cerrar is an irregular verb. Just by looking at the two verbs alone, I would'nt know which one was regular or irregular when conjugating.

Unfortunately that is something that you will have to memorize. You will learn that many irregular verbs have similar endings, so they will be easier to spot. I have included a translation website that might help. It gives definitions in both Spanish and English, along with other languages and it will also conjugate verbs so you can see if they are irregular.

Which verbs are regular and which are irregular does have to be learned by rote; however, there are some hints that will make it easier to remember:

1. The irregular verbs tend to be words that are in everyday, common use. Works like to do, to make, to be, to be able, to say, to sleep, etc.

2. There are predictable patterns: yo-go verbs (like tengo, vengo, digo), three categories of stem-changing verbs
(e->ie, e->i, o/u->ue), and a small handful of verbs whose yo forms end with oy). Very few verbs follow no predictable pattern or have no resemblance to other verbs.

3. Remember that when a verb IS stem-changing ,the stem change is always on the accented syllable. (I.E. despertarseto wake up: yo despIErto (the 'e' that changed was the one that got the stress).

Hope it helps!

Troy

There is no point in trying to find an easy way out of this.
Memory and study, those are the answers.

there is a trick: if this can't you follow the verb pattern while conjugating is irregular.
descansar: yo descanso, tu descansas , el/ella descansa, nosotros descansamos, vosotros descansais, ustedes descansan, ellos descansan.
cerrar: according to the pattern it is supposed to be yo cerro, tu cerras, el cerra, etc, but it does not,
it changes into yo cierro, tu cierras, el /ella cierra, nosotros CERRAMOS, vosotros CERRAIS, ustedes cierran, ellos .cierran. you also have to learn this verbs by heart. good luck

the irregular verbs have to be memorized. but it becomes easy when the language is regularly used and heard.

case in point, there are irregular tenses for English verbs. for most verbs, we add "ed" at the end for past tense and perfect tense:

ex: I talk, I talked, I have talked

irregular verbs like: speak, spoke, spoken; run, ran, run, etc.

at first we all have to memorize them, but after regular day to day use, it becomes natural.

You can't tell, you have to learn it by heart! However, often verbs which are similar have the same irregularity! E.g cerrar and serrar, both have the e > ie pattern (Yo cierro and yo sierro)

You'll just have to memorize it, just like in English! Or how would you know that to go has an irregular past tense and to walk doesn't ?

yes i can!! i've been waiting for this question.

you know that we have 3 conjugations, -ar,
-er and -ir.

a verb from the -er conjugation: COMER

if we take (-er) out from the rest, the verb will stand as (com). so, then let's conjugate it.

(-er verbs present conjugation)
stem+o
stem+es
stem+e
stem+emos
stem+éis
stem+en

yo COM+o = como
tu COM+ es= comes
el/ella COM+e= come
nosotros/as COM+emos= comemos
vosotros/as COM+éis = coméis
ellos/as COM+en = comen

you see , the STEM ( com) doesn't change when we conjugate it, so it's a regular verb.

the verb descansar is also a regular verb because its stem doesn't change if we conjugate them following the -ar regular verbs pattern:
-descanso, descansas, descansa, descansamos, descansais, descansan.



let's see now an irregular verb
ex: (recordar)-(to remmember)
the stem is ( record), remmember we've taken out the (ar) ending.

then we see that when we conjugate it the stem changes,

yo reCUErdo
tu reCUErdas
el/ella reCUErda
nosotros/as recordamos
vosotros/as recordáis
ellos/as reCUErdan

you see! the stem ( record) has completely changed in more than one form and it's become (recuerd).

-the irregular verbs are the verbs that their stem changes when we conjugate them.

The verb cerrar is also an irregular verb,
we can't say ( yo cerro, tu cerras...) we say
(yo cierro, tu cierras...) so it doesn't follow the -ar regular verbs pattern.

-the regular vebs are the verbs that their stem doesn't change when we conjugate them.


no hace falta que te lo aprendas de carrerilla, lo puedes aprender leyendo poco a poco y eso..., los nativos , nunca lo aprendimos empollandonos nada, simplemente escuchando como hablaban en nuestra casa, etc. Conforme vayas aprendiendo Español, te darás cuenta de que al conjugar los verbos, te sonarán peor o mejor. Es fácil, ya verás!