Regular Brazilian Portuguese Verbs in the Present Tense

In this post we’ll look at regular Portuguese verbs. Regular verbs are verbs that follow a predictable, regular pattern. Portuguese verbs are organized into three categories based on their infinitive endings, and we’ll do the same in this post. First, we’ll begin with an overview of Brazilian Portuguese verbs and subject pronouns. We’ll also cover negation. Then we’ll jump into the verbs themselves. First, we’ll look at –AR verbs, like falar (to speak) or trabalhar (to work). Next, we’ll see –ER verbs like comer (to eat) and beber (to drink). After that we’ll look at –IR verbs like abrir (to open) and partir (to leave). We’ll give plenty of examples and practice throughout.

Note about Brazilian Portuguese Pronouns and Verbs in the Present Tense

Now let’s pause to keep in mind just a few notes in mind when using Portuguese pronouns and conjugating Portuguese verbs:

• The subject pronouns that are most commonly used in Brazil are eu (I), você (you), ele (he), ela (she), nós (we), vocês (you, plural), eles (they, masculine or mixed), and elas (they, feminine).
• To show respect, there are also more polite forms of you: o senhor (you, sir), a senhora (you, ma’am), os senhores (you, gentlemen),and as senhoras (you, ladies). These use the same verb forms as você and vocês.
• There is a casual or intimate pronoun tu, meaning you, but its use is limited in Brazil. You may hear it in the south or northeast of Brazil, but você is more standard.
• The pronoun vós is a plural polite form of you, but it is rarely used in Brazil, where it’s replaced by vocês, os senhores, or as senhoras.
• All Portuguese subject pronouns are typically dropped, unless the speaker is emphasizing the subject, for example in contrast to someone else.
• You can negate a verb by putting não (not) right before the verb.
• Use nunca (or jamais) to mean never, placing it right before the verb.
• Put nao before a verb and mais after it to mean no more or no longer.
• Use nada or não… nada to mean nothing or not anything.

Regular Portuguese -AR Verbs

Fist we’ll cover –AR verbs. The majority of verbs in Portuguese end in -AR, making this the most common conjugation pattern. To conjugate a regular –AR verb, remove –ar from the infinitive and add the following endings.

Some common –ar verbs are: falar (to speak), chegar (to arrive), ficar (to stay, to be located), cantar (to sing), trabalhar (to work), estudar (to study), comprar (to buy), amar (to love), cozinhar (to cook), viajar (to travel), começar (to begin), perguntar (to ask), tomar (to take), pensar (to think), ajudar (to help), jogar (to play), esperar (to wait), desejar (to wish, to desire), enviar (to send), lavar (to wash), chorar (to cry), gostar de (to like), nadar (to swim), pagar (to pay), andar (to walk), arrumar (to tidy up), buscar (to search for), dançar (to dance), lembrar (to remember), ligar (to phone, to turn on), morar (to reside at), compartilhar (to share).

• Falo português todos os dias.
  I speak Portuguese every day.
• Trabalhamos em um escritório.
  We work in an office.
• Estuda para a prova de matemática.
  She studies/He studies for the math test.
• Você canta muito bem!
  You sing very well!
• Compram frutas no mercado.
  They buy fruit at the market.
• Nós amamos viajar para a praia.
  We love traveling to the beach.
• Não gosto dessa música.
  I don’t like this song.
• Eles compartilham fotos nas redes sociais.
  They share photos on social media.

Practice A

Give the full conjugation of each of the following verbs.

1. ficar
2. começar

Regular Portuguese -ER Verbs

Next we’ll look at –ER verbs. Regular verbs ending in -ER follow a very similar pattern, but –e– replaces –a– in the endings.

Spelling Changes in -ER Verbs

There are two minor spelling changes to keep in mind when it comes to regular –er verbs. If the infinitive ends in –cer, the c becomes ç before the eu –o ending to preserve the soft pronunciation. And if the infinitive ends in –ger, the g becomes j for the same reason in the eu form.

Some common –er verbs are: agradecer (to thank), aprender (to learn), atender (to meet, to answer the phone), beber (to drink), conhecer (to know, to be familiar with), correr (to run), depender (to depend), descrever (to describe), entender (to understand), escolher (to choose), escrever (to write), esquecer (to forget), merecer (to deserve), prometer (to promise), proteger (to protect), receber (to receive), responder (to answer, to respond), vender (to sell), viver (to live)

• Eu bebo café toda manhã.
  I drink coffee every morning.
• Ele come pão com queijo.
  He eats bread with cheese.
• Não vivemos mais em São Paulo.
  We don’t live in São Paulo anymore.
• Você aprende rápido.
  You learn quickly.
• Não escrevem muitos e-mails.
  They don’t write a lot of emails.
• Eu corro no parque aos domingos.
  I run in the park on Sundays.

Practice B

Give the full conjugation of each of the following verbs.

1. escrever
2. entender
3. esquecer

Regular Portuguese -IR Verbs

Regular verb ending in -IR are identical to –ER endings, except that –emos becomes –imos in the nós form.

Stem Vowel Changes in -IR Verbs

Many regular –ir verbs undergo a final stem vowel change in the eu form. In many verbs whose final stem vowel is –o-, the –o– changes to –u– in the eu form. And in many verbs whose final stem vowel is –e-, the –e– changes to –i– in the eu form.

Some common –ir verbs are: abrir (to open), admitir (to admit), assistir (to watch), cobrir (to cover) [cubro], decidir (to decide), definir (to define), demitir (to dismiss, to fire someone), descobrir (to discover) [descubro], diverter (to amuse) [divirto], dividir (to divide, to share), dormir (to sleep) [durmo], engolir (to swallow) [engulo], existir (to exist), imprimir (to print), insistir (to insist), investir (to invest) [invisto], mentir (to lie) [minto], partir (to leave, to depart), permitir (to allow, to permit), preferir (to prefer) [prefiro], repetir (to repeat) [repito], sentir (to feel) [sinto], servir (to serve) [sirvo], sugerir (to suggest) [sugiro], surgir (to arise, to emerge) [surjo], tossir (to cough) [tusso], transmitir (to transmit, to broadcast), vestir (to wear) [visto].

• Abro a porta para você.
  I open the door for you.
• Nós partimos amanhã cedo.
  We leave early tomorrow.
• Ela decide o que fazer.
  She decides what to do.
• Assistimos a um filme.
  We’re watching a film.
• Eu sinto muita alegria hoje.
  I feel a lot of joy today.
• Nunca durmo bem em hotéis.
  I never sleep well in hotels.

Practice C

Give the full conjugation of each of the following verbs.

1. assistir
2. sentir

Practice D

Finally, complete each sentence with the missing verb, and then translate. Answers are below.

1. Nós _____ a um filme todo fim de semana. (assistir)
2. Eu _____ na biblioteca todas as tardes. (estudar)
3. Você _____ café da manhã antes de sair? (tomar)
4. Eles _____ futebol no parque aos sábados. (jogar)
5. Ela _____ cartas para os amigos frequentemente. (escrever)
6. Nós _____ música enquanto trabalhamos. (ouvir)
7. Eu _____ francês na escola. (aprender)
8. Você _____ um livro novo todo mês? (comprar)
9. Elas _____ na academia três vezes por semana. (malhar)
10. Nós _____ pizza aos domingos. (comer)
11. Ele _____ a janela quando faz calor. (abrir)
12. Eu _____ cartas para minha família. (enviar)
13. Vocês _____ muito rápido na estrada! (dirigir)
14. Ela _____ roupas coloridas no verão. (vestir)
15. Eles _____ cedo para o trabalho. (chegar)

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Answer Key

A

1. ficar: fico, ficas, fica, ficamos, ficam
2. começar: começo, começas, começa, começamos, começam

B

1. escrever: escrevo, escreves, escreve, escrevemos, escrevem
2. entender: entendo, entendes, entende, entendemos, entendem
3. esquecer: esqueço, esqueces, esquece, esquecemos, esquecem

C

1. assistir: assisto, assistes, assiste, assistimos, assistem
2. sentir: sinto, sentes, sente, sentimos, sentem

D.

1. Nós assistimos a um filme todo fim de semana. – We watch a film every weekend.
2. Eu estudo na biblioteca todas as tardes. – I study in the library every afternoon.
3. Você toma café da manhã antes de sair? – Do you have breakfast before leaving?
4. Eles jogam futebol no parque aos sábados. – They play soccer in the park on Saturdays.
5. Ela escreve cartas para os amigos frequentemente. – She writes letters to friends frequently.
6. Nós ouvimos música enquanto trabalhamos. – We listen to music while we work.
7. Eu aprendo francês na escola. – I learn French at school.
8. Você compra um livro novo todo mês? – Do you buy a new book every month?
9. Elas malham na academia três vezes por semana. – They work out at the gym three times a week.
10. Nós comemos pizza aos domingos. – We eat pizza on Sundays.
11. Ele abre a janela quando faz calor. – He opens the window when it’s hot.
12. Eu envio cartas para minha família. – I send letters to my family.
13. Vocês dirigem muito rápido na estrada! – You all drive very fast on the road!
14. Ela veste roupas coloridas no verão. – She wears colorful clothes in the summer.
15. Eles chegam cedo para o trabalho. – They arrive early for work.

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