Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Quiero memorizar cada verbo irregular antes del examen final. - I want to memorize each irregular verb before the final exam.

In Spanish, when one verb expresses desire, intention, ability, obligation, etc., and is followed by another action, the second verb normally appears in the infinitive form:

Quiero memorizar – I want to memorize
Puedo ir – I can go
Necesito estudiar – I need to study

You never conjugate both verbs in this structure. It’s:

[conjugated verb] + [infinitive]
quiero memorizar, puedo memorizar, tengo que memorizar

So quiero memorizo is incorrect; it’s like saying “I want I memorize.”

Could I say Yo quiero memorizar… instead of Quiero memorizar…?

Yes, Yo quiero memorizar… is grammatically correct.

Spanish is a pro‑drop language, which means subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, etc.) are often omitted because the verb ending already tells you who the subject is:

Quiero = I want (yo)
Quieres = you want (tú)
Quiere = he/she/you (usted) want(s)

You usually add yo only to emphasize contrast, for example:

Yo quiero memorizar cada verbo irregular, pero ellos no quieren.
I want to memorize every irregular verb, but they don’t.

In a neutral sentence like yours, Quiero memorizar… is more natural.

Why is it cada verbo irregular and not cada verbos irregulares?

In Spanish, cada (each/every) is always followed by a singular noun:

cada verbo – each verb / every verb
cada estudiante – each student / every student

You never say cada verbos or cada estudiantes.

So the correct structure is:

cada + singular noun (+ adjective)
cada verbo irregular, cada libro interesante

What’s the difference between cada verbo irregular and todos los verbos irregulares?

Both can be translated as every irregular verb or all the irregular verbs, but the nuance is slightly different:

cada verbo irregular – looks at them one by one, “each irregular verb individually.”
todos los verbos irregulares – looks at them as a group, “all the irregular verbs (as a set).”

In practice, in your sentence, both are fine:

Quiero memorizar cada verbo irregular antes del examen final.
Quiero memorizar todos los verbos irregulares antes del examen final.

The meaning is almost the same: you want to know them all.

Why is irregular after verbo (verbo irregular) and not before, like in English (“irregular verb”)?

In Spanish, adjectives usually go after the noun:

verbo irregular – irregular verb
examen final – final exam
clase importante – important class

So verbo irregular is the normal, neutral order.

There are cases where adjectives go before the noun (for emphasis, style, or special meanings), but irregular as a normal descriptive adjective stays after: verbo irregular, not irregular verbo.

Why is it antes del examen final and not antes de el examen final?

In Spanish, the preposition de + the masculine singular article el always contract to del:

de + el = del

So:

antes del examen final = before the final exam
(literally: before of the final exam)

Writing antes de el examen final is considered incorrect in standard Spanish.

Why is it antes del examen final and not antes de que el examen final or something similar?

There are two different structures:

antes de + noun / infinitive
- antes del examen final – before the final exam
- antes de cenar – before having dinner
antes de que + clause (with a conjugated verb, usually subjunctive)
- antes de que empiece el examen – before the exam starts
- antes de que llegues – before you arrive

In your sentence, “the final exam” is just a noun phrase, not a whole clause with a verb, so you use:

antes de + [article] + noun → antes del examen final

Why is examen final and not examen finale or something? How do gender and agreement work here?

Examen is a masculine noun in Spanish:

el examen – the exam

Final is an adjective here, and it has the same form for masculine and feminine in the singular:

el examen final – the final exam
la prueba final – the final test

Some adjectives change form (e.g., bueno/buena), but final does not change in the singular:

masc. sing.: final
fem. sing.: final
masc. pl.: finales
fem. pl.: finales

So examen final is correct. There is no finale form in Spanish.

Could I say para el examen final instead of antes del examen final?

Yes, but it changes the nuance:

antes del examen final – focuses on time: you want to do it before the final exam takes place.
para el examen final – focuses on purpose/goal: you want to be ready for the final exam.

Both are natural, and you could even combine them:

Quiero memorizar cada verbo irregular antes del examen final para estar preparado.
I want to memorize every irregular verb before the final exam to be prepared.

Is memorizar the only or most natural verb here? What about aprender or aprender de memoria?

All of these are possible, but they have slightly different nuances:

memorizar – to memorize; focuses on committing something to memory, often a bit mechanical.
aprender – to learn; broader, not necessarily by rote.
aprender de memoria – literally to learn by memory, very close to English to learn by heart / to memorize.

Your sentence could be:

Quiero memorizar cada verbo irregular… – common and natural.
Quiero aprender de memoria cada verbo irregular… – emphasizes “by heart.”
Quiero aprender cada verbo irregular… – could mean “learn (understand and know) each irregular verb,” not just rote memorization.

In the context of an exam, memorizar or aprender de memoria both sound very natural.

Why is quiero in the present tense? Could I say something like memorizaré cada verbo irregular instead?

Quiero memorizar… literally means “I want to memorize…”, expressing a desire/intention now.

You could also use the future:

Memorizaré cada verbo irregular antes del examen final.
I will memorize every irregular verb before the final exam.

Differences in feel:

Quiero memorizar… – highlights your want/intention.
Memorizaré… – sounds more like a promise or prediction (“I will do it”).

Both are correct; your original sentence just emphasizes your current desire/plan.

Is the word order fixed, or could I move things around, like Quiero memorizar antes del examen final cada verbo irregular?

Spanish word order is somewhat flexible, but not everything sounds natural.

Your version:

Quiero memorizar antes del examen final cada verbo irregular – understandable, but a bit awkward and less natural.

Most natural orders are:

Quiero memorizar cada verbo irregular antes del examen final.
Antes del examen final quiero memorizar cada verbo irregular.

Generally, keep:

[subject] + [conjugated verb] + [infinitive + its object] + [time expression]

How is quiero different from English “I want to” in terms of politeness?

Quiero is a direct translation of I want, but in Spanish it can sometimes sound more direct or blunt than in English, especially in requests.

In your sentence (about yourself):
Quiero memorizar cada verbo irregular… – totally fine and neutral.
In requests (talking to others):
- Quiero un café. – I want a coffee. (Can sound a bit blunt.)
- More polite: Quisiera un café. / Me gustaría un café.

So for statements about your own goals, quiero is perfectly natural. You just need to be more careful with quiero when asking for things from other people.

How is z pronounced in memorizar in Latin American Spanish?

In most of Latin America, z is pronounced like s in English:

memorizar → [me-mo-ri-sar]

So:

z and s sound the same in Latin America:
casa, caza → both pronounced with an “s” sound.

In Spain (many regions), z is pronounced like the English th in think: memorizar → [me-mo-ri-thar]. Since you asked about Latin American Spanish, think of memorizar as memori-sar.