The Portuguese Present Progressive ➜ common examples

Portuguese present progressive tense

The Portuguese Present Progressive is one of the first conjugations you will learn, but many students are afraid to actually use it. I was too, until I could really hear/see someone using them!

*Taken from a longer dialog.

The Present Progressive (ing): -ar verbs: ando / -er verbs: endo / -ir verbs: indo

the present progressive tense

Use this to say what’s happening right now: I’m working, He’s surfing, You’re talking, etc. It’s often considered the Portuguese “ing”.

ESTAR + verb without the final “r” + ndo

Eu estou brincando! ➜ I’m kidding!
Ela está correndo. ➜ She’s running.
Estamos dormindo. ➜ We’re sleeping.

~ar verb brincar ➜ brincar
➜ brincando

~er verb correr ➜ correr
➜ correndo

~ir verb dormir ➜ dormir
➜ dormindo

NO IRREGULARS! 🥳 (ever)
CONJUGATION STAYS THE SAME 🥳 🥳 (it’s the same for eu, você, nós…)
ESTAR IS CONJUGATED TO MATCH THE SUBJECT (eu estou, você está…)
LIKE THIS 👀

-ar verbs
portuguese present progressive
brincar
euestou brincando
você, ele, elaestá brincando
nósestamos brincando
vocês, eles, elasestão brincando
-er verbs
portuguese present progressive
correr
euestou correndo
você, ele, elaestá correndo
nósestamos correndo
vocês, eles, elasestão correndo
-ir verbs
portuguese present progressive
dormir
euestou dormindo
você, ele, elaestá dormindo
nósestamos dormindo
vocês, eles, elasestão dormindo

✻ You’ll hear this conjugation called the gerund.

Eu estou trabalhando agora. (I'm working now.)

Você está comendo açúcar? (Are you eating sugar?)

Ele está dirigindo. (He's driving.)