NameError: name '' is not defined

Question

I am trying to make a script in Python that will conjugate Spanish verbs. This is my first time scripting with Python, so it may be a simple mistake. When I run the script, I input "yo tener" and receive an error:

Traceback (most recent call last): File "", line 13, in File "", line 1, in NameError: name 'yo' is not defined

• See more at: http://pythonfiddle.com/#sthash.bqGWCZsu.dpuf

  # Input pronoun and verb for conjugation.
  text = raw_input()
  splitText = text.split(' ')
  conjugateForm = eval(splitText[0]) 
  infinitiveVerb = eval(splitText[1]) 
  
  # Set the pronouns to item values in the list.
  yo = 0
  nosotros = 1
  tu = 2
  el = 3
  ella = 3
  usted = 3
  
  # Conjugations of the verbs.
  tener = ["tengo", "tenemos", "tienes", "tiene", "tienen"]
  ser = ["soy", "somos", "eres", "es", "son"]
  estar = ["estoy", "estamos", "estas", "esta", "estan"]
  
  # List of all of the infinitive verbs being used. Implemented in the following "if" statement.
  infinitiveVerbs = [tener, ser, estar]
  
  # Check to make sure the infinitive is in the dictionary, if so conjugate the verb and print.
  if infinitiveVerb in infinitiveVerbs:
      print("Your conjugated verb is: " + infinitiveVerb[conjugateForm])
  

Answer 1

When you use the eval() function, you're evaluating its arguments as a Python statement. I don't think that's what you want to do...

If you're trying to get the pronoun into the conjugateForm variable, and the verb into the infinitiveVerb variable, just use:

conjugateForm, infinitiveVerb = text.split()

By default, split() splits on whitespace, so the ' ' isn't necessary.

Answer 2

Better than to allow the user access to your program's internals is to store the keys as strings as well. Then you don't need eval at all.

pronouns = { "yo": 0, "nosotros": 1, "tu"; 2, "el": 3, "ella": 3, "usted": 3 }

and similarly

verbs = { "tener": [ "tengo", "tenemos", ... ],
    "ser": [ "soy", "somos", ... ],
    ... }

Now you can just use the user's inputs as keys into the two dictionaries.

(I don't know if there's a separate tradition for Spanish, but a common arrangement is to list the singular forms first, then the plurals, both in first, second, and third person. You seem to be missing the second and third person plural.)