In Portuguese, verbs play a fundamental role in expressing actions, states, or events. They are classified into three main groups based on their infinitive endings: -AR, -ER, and -IR. Understanding how to conjugate verbs in the present indicative tense is essential for communication in Portuguese. In this tense, verbs indicate actions that are happening in the present moment or habitual actions.
Each group of verbs follows a specific conjugation pattern, which involves removing the infinitive ending and adding the appropriate endings according to the subject pronoun. If the verb is irregular, the verb may be completely different.
Let’s start with regular verbs in Portuguese and explore each group and its conjugation patterns in more detail.
1º group – AR verbs: Falar
- “Eu falo” (I speak)
- “Você/Ele/Ela fala” (You/He/She speaks)
- “Nós falamos” (We speak)
- “Vocês/Eles/Elas falam” (You/They speak)
2º group – ER verbs: Comer
- “Eu como” (I eat)
- “Você/Ele/Ela come” (You/He/She eats)
- “Nós comemos” (We eat)
- “Vocês/Eles/Elas comem” (You/They eat)
3º group – IR verbs: Partir
- “Eu parto” (I leave/depart)
- “Você/Ele/Ela parte” (You/He/She leaves/departs)
- “Nós partimos” (We leave/depart)
- “Vocês/Eles/Elas partem” (You/They leave/depart)
Let’s practice present tense in Portuguese:
Eu falo (falar) português. (I speak Portuguese.)
Nós bebemos (beber) água. (We drink water.)
Vocês dormem (dormir) muito. (You sleep a lot.)
"Ter" (To have) and "Vir" (To come)
In Portuguese, verbs play a crucial role in expressing actions, intentions, and states of being. Among the essential verbs are “ter” (to have) and “vir” (to come), each serving distinct purposes in communication. Understanding their conjugations and meanings is fundamental for fluency in the language. Below, we explore the conjugations and meanings of these verbs, highlighting their usage in everyday communication.
Ter (To have)
“Ter” is used to express possession or ownership, as well as to indicate necessity or obligation.
- Eu tenho (I have)
- Você tem (You have, informal)
- Ele/Ela tem (He/She has)
- Nós temos (We have)
- Vocês têm (You have, plural)
- Eles/Elas têm (They have)
Vir (to come)
“Vir” signifies the action of moving towards a particular location, person, or event. It indicates the act of coming from one place to another.
- Eu venho (I come)
- Você vem (You come, informal)
- Ele/Ela vem (He/She comes)
- Nós vimos (We come)
- Vocês vêm (You come, formal/plural)
- Eles/Elas vêm (They come)
Let’s practice verbs “ter” (to have) and “vir” (to come) in Portuguese:
Eu tenho (ter) um amigo brasileiro. (I have a Brazilian friend.)
Nós vimos (ir) ao banco. (We come to the bank.)
Vocês têm (ter) muito dinheiro. (You have a lot of money.)
"Ver" (To see) and "Ler" (To read)
Additionally, among these foundational verbs in Portuguese are “ver” (to see) and “ler” (to read), each playing a vital role in conveying visual perception and intellectual engagement. Understanding their conjugations and nuances is essential for effective expression in Portuguese. Below, we delve into the conjugations and meanings of “ver” and “ler,” shedding light on their usage in various contexts.
Ver (To see/to watch)
“Ver” is employed to denote visual perception, indicating the act of seeing or observing something with the eyes.
- Eu vejo (I see)
- Você vê (You see, informal)
- Ele/Ela vê (He/She sees)
- Nós vemos (We see)
- Vocês veem (You see, formal/plural)
- Eles/Elas veem (They see)
Ler (to read)
“Ler” is used to indicate the act of reading, engaging with written or printed text to comprehend its content.
- Eu leio (I read)
- Você lê (You read, informal)
- Ele/Ela lê (He/She reads)
- Nós lemos (We read)
- Vocês leem (You read, formal/plural)
- Eles/Elas leem (They read)
Let’s practice verbs “ver” (to see or to watch) and “ler” (to read) in Portuguese:
Eu vejo (ver) você. (I see you.)
Nós lemos (ler) jornais. (We read newspapers.)
Vocês veem (ver) televisão. (You watch television.)
"Fazer" (To do/To make), "Dizer" (To say) and "Trazer" (To bring)
Three irregular verbs in Portuguese are “dizer” (to say), “fazer” (to do/make), and “trazer” (to bring), which, despite their irregularities, share similarities in their conjugations. Understanding these irregularities and their commonalities is essential for mastering their usage in conversation and writing. Below, we explore the conjugations and meanings of “dizer,” “fazer,” and “trazer,” highlighting their irregularities and shared characteristics.
Fazer (To do/to make)
“Fazer” denotes the action of performing an activity or creating something.
- Eu faço (I do/make)
- Você faz (You do/make)
- Ele/Ela faz (He/She does/makes)
- Nós fazemos (We do/make)
- Vocês fazem (You do/make, plural)
- Eles/Elas fazem (They do/make)
Dizer (To say)
“Dizer” is used to express the action of speaking or stating something verbally.
- Eu digo (I say)
- Você diz (You say)
- Ele/Ela diz (He/She says)
- Nós dizemos (We say)
- Vocês dizem (You say, plural)
- Eles/Elas dizem (They say)
Trazer (to bring)
“Trazer” indicates the action of carrying or bringing something to a particular place.
- Eu trago (I bring)
- Você traz (You bring, informal)
- Ele/Ela traz (He/She brings)
- Nós trazemos (We bring)
- Vocês trazem (You bring, formal/plural)
- Eles/Elas trazem (They bring)
Let’s practice verbs “fazer” (to do/to make), “dizer” (to say) and “trazer” (to bring) in Portuguese:
Eu faço (make) bolo. (I make a cake.)
Nós dizemos (say) “oi”. (We say “hello”.)
Vocês trazem (bring) a bagagem. (You bring the luggage.)
"Saber" (To know), "Poder" (Can/to be able) and "Perder" (To lose)
Additionally, three important irregular verbs in Portuguese are “saber” (to know), “poder” (can/to be able), and “perder” (to lose), each exhibiting irregularities primarily in the “eu” form while maintaining regular conjugation in other pronouns. Below, we explore the conjugations and meanings of “saber”, “poder” and “perder” in Portuguese highlighting their irregular characteristics and commonalities.
Saber (To know)
“Saber” denotes possessing knowledge or awareness of a fact, subject, or skill.
- Eu sei (I know)
- Você sabe (You know)
- Ele/Ela sabe (He/She knows)
- Nós sabemos (We know)
- Vocês sabem (You know, plural)
- Eles/Elas sabem (They know)
Poder (Can/be able to)
“Poder” indicates the ability, capability, or permission to perform an action.
- Eu posso (I can)
- Você pode (You can)
- Ele/Ela pode (He/She can)
- Nós podemos (We can)
- Vocês podem (You can, plural)
- Eles/Elas podem (They can)
Perder (to lose)
“Perder” signifies the action of no longer possessing something previously held or experienced.
- Eu perco (I lose)
- Você perde (You lose)
- Ele/Ela perde (He/She loses)
- Nós perdemos (We lose)
- Vocês perdem (You lose, formal/plural)
- Eles/Elas perdem (They lose)
Let’s practice verbs “saber” (to know), “poder” (can/be able to) and “perder” (to lose) in Portuguese:
Eu sei (know) falar português. (I know how to speak Portuguese.)
Nós podemos (can) viajar para o Brasil. (We can travel to Brazil.)
Vocês perdem (lose) muito dinheiro. (You lose a lot of money.)
"Querer" (To want) and "Pôr" (To put/to place)
Two important irregular verbs in Portuguese are “querer” (to want) and “pôr” (to put/place), each contributing uniquely to the language’s expressive capabilities. While “querer” holds significant importance in conveying desires and intentions, “pôr” is essential for describing placement and positioning. However, it’s worth noting that one can opt for the synonym “colocar” (which is a regular verb) instead of “pôr,” as it offers the same meaning with a simpler conjugation.
Querer (To want)
“Querer” is a fundamental verb that expresses desires and intentions, playing a crucial role in everyday communication.
- Eu quero (I want)
- Você quer (You want)
- Ele/Ela quer (He/She wants)
- Nós queremos (We want)
- Vocês querem (You want, plural)
- Eles/Elas querem (They want)
Pôr (to put)
“Pôr” is important for describing placement and positioning, although one can choose to use the synonym “colocar” instead for easier conjugation.
- Eu ponho (I put/place)
- Você põe (You put/place, informal)
- Ele/Ela põe (He/She puts/places)
- Nós pomos (We put/place)
- Vocês põem (You put/place, formal/plural)
- Eles/Elas põem (They put/place)
Let’s practice verbs “querer” (to want), “pôr” (to put/to place) and “colocar” (to put/to place) in Portuguese:
Eu quero (want) comer pizza. (I want to eat pizza.)
Nós pomos (put) comida na mesa. (We put food on the table.)
Vocês colocam (put) dinheiro no banco. (You put money in the bank.)