Spanish · Chapter 47 · Lesson 15 · Grammar primer
Building verbs: -izar, -ecer, -ificar, -ear
The verb-making suffixes: -izar (realizar, memorizar), -ecer for becoming (oscurecer, anochecer), -ificar (simplificar), -ear for repeated action (golpear); and the a-/en- circumfixes (aterrizar, engordar).
The short version
Peel the ending off and find the base
Spanish manufactures verbs rather than memorising them, so strip the ending and hunt for the base word underneath: modernizar gives moderno, purificar gives puro, enjaular gives jaula. Four endings carry most of it, with -izar and -ificar for 'make it that', -ecer for 'come to be' and -ear for repeated or casual action.
puro, purificar
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