I am trying to conjugate the verb amare. How would you properly conjugate it? It always trips me up because it doesn't have a voewel before the a like other latin verbs such as portare do. Thanks so much.

Full conjugation involves writing out all the forms in each tense. These should get you started.

http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_verbs_1stconj.htm
http://www.math.ohio-state.edu/~econrad/lang/lv.html

Let us know if you have specific questions once you get started.

To properly conjugate the Latin verb "amare" (to love), you need to consider its stem and add the appropriate endings. The stem of "amare" is "ama-".

Here is the conjugation of "amare" in the present tense indicative mood (active voice) for the singular forms:

- I love: amo
- You love (singular): amas
- He/she/it loves: amat

And for the plural forms:

- We love: amamus
- You love (plural): amatis
- They love: amant

Now, as you mentioned, "amare" does not have a vowel before the "a" in its stem, unlike other Latin verbs that usually have an "a" before the verb endings. So, when conjugating verbs like "amare" without a vowel in the stem, it's important to remember that the first-person singular form (I) will have an "o" instead of an "a" before the "m". This is known as a zero-grade or theme vowel.

To help remember this pattern, you can think of the word "amare" as similar to the English word "amorous." Both words share the same root and have a similar meaning.

I hope this explanation helps you understand how to conjugate the verb "amare." If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!