To say, would you add an ia to the verb’s infinitive. The irregulars are not that difficult to learn.
Ele trabalharia hoje mas... (He would work today but...)
O que ele diria? (What would he say?)
Eu falaria, sim. (I would say, yes.)
Use the future subjunctive tense to talk about things that are likely to happen, but that have not yet occurred.
Me liga quando você chegar. (Call me when you arrive.)
Se eu ver ela te aviso. (If I see her I'll let you know.)
Assim que comprar um carro vou lá. (As soon as I buy a car I'll go there.)
Words that almost always trigger this tense:
quando + verb (when you…)
se + verb (if you…)
assim que (as soon as…)
These are the most common irregulars in the future subjunctive tense.
ter » Se voce tiver tempo me liga. If you have time, call me.
fazer » Se voce fizer um bolo vou ficar feliz. If you make a cake I'll be happy!
querer » Se voce quiser eu pago. If you want, I'll pay.
ir » Quando eu for ao centro. When I go downtown.
ser » Se for um bom preço eu compraria. If it were a good price I'd buy it.
estar » Me fala quando voce estiver pronto. Tell me when you're ready.
» For AR regular verbs you just replace the a with an e.
» For ER & IR regular verbs you just replace the e with an a.
-ar regular verbs
| Tell me everything! | Me cont | e tudo! |
| Stop! | Par | e! |
| Think again! | Pens | e bem! |
-er and -ir regular verbs
| Get out of here! | Sum | a daqui! |
| Open this door! | Abr | a essa porta! |
| Learn this! | Aprend | a isso! |
| Answer me! | Me respond | a! |
esperar » Me espera! (Wait for me!)
olhar » Olha só! (Just look!)
escutar » Escuta! (Listen!)
tirar » Tira sua mão! (Hands off!)
falar » Fala tu! (Talk to me!)
ligar » Me liga! (Call me!)
ter » Vem cá! (Come here!)
The imperfect indicative is used when talking about continuous or ongoing action in the past. Something that used to happen or, would (always) happen.
*Also called the Preterit Imperfect tense.
» Eu trabalhava no Banco do Brasil.
Or,
When I was younger I would always drink a few beers before going to a party.
» Quando eu era mais jovem eu sempre bebia umas cervejas antes de sair pra festa.
Things that used to happen or, would (always) happen, entendeu?
Forming
-ar regular verbs
| I used to work | eu trabalh | ava |
| he used to work | ele trabalh | ava |
| we used to work | nós trabalh | ávamos |
| they used to work | eles trabalh | avam |
-er and -ir regular verbs
| I used to eat | eu com | ia |
| he used to eat | ele com | ia |
| we used to eat | nós com | íamos |
| they used to eat | eles com | iam |
ar verbs > Trabalhava nessa empresa. (I used to work at that company.)
er verbs > Eu bebia todos os dias. (I used to drink every day.)
ir verbs > Eu dormia bem. (I used to sleep well.)
*Also called the Preterite Imperfect
Use the imperfect subjunctive tense to talk about things that are extremely unlikely to have happened or happen.
*Also called the Preterit Imperfect or, the Past Subjunctive.
Se eu soubesse... (If I knew / were to know...)
Se você falasse... (If you said / were to say...)
Se você tivessel... (If you had / were to have...)
It’s most often used together with the conditional:
Se eu soubesse tudo seria sábio. If I knew everything I'd be wise.
Se fosse ele eu te contaria. If it were he I would tell you.
Se eu tivesse tempo estudaria mais. If I have time I'd study more.
The imperfect subjunctive tense is used to talk about things that are extremely unlikely to have happened or happen. It’s most often used together with the conditional tense:
Se eu soubesse tudo seria sábio. (If I knew everything I'd be wise.)
Se fosse ele eu te contaria. (If it were he I would tell you.)
Se eu tivesse tempo estudaria mais. (If I have time I'd study more.)
To express was.
When talking about action in the past, use the imperfect indicative tense of estar –> estava.
Eu estava almoçando quando você ligou. (I was having lunch when you called.)
Ela estava ocupada ontem. (She was busy yesterday.)
*Don’t use this to express was for talking about permanent things in the past (I was a young boy; She was a sick baby etc.) – use ser for that.
The imperfect indicative is used when talking about continuous or ongoing action in the past. Something that used to happen or, would (always) happen. Ser is irregular.
The only form you need to know is this: ser > era
Ela era uma criança tranquila. (She was a quiet child.)
Era uma vez. (Once upon a time.)
The imperfect indicative is used when talking about continuous or ongoing action in the past. Something that used to happen or, would (always) happen. Ter is irregular.
The only form you need to know is this: ter > tinha
Eu tinha muito dinheiro. (I had lots of money.)
A past participle is just a verb conjugation that describes something that is over and done: written, said, cooked, closed etc.
A porta está aberta. (The door is opened.)
O projeto é completado. (The project is completed.)
Ela está cansada. (She's tired.)
Ele foi morto. (He was killed.)
*The endings must take the gender of the subject:
a porta está aberta
o escritório está aberto
There are plenty of irregular verbs in the present tense (the present indicative). These are the essential ones that you have to memorize.
| estar | to be | |
| I am | eu estou | |
| you/he/she is | você/ele/ela está | |
| we are | nós estamos | |
| you all/they are | vocês/eles/elas estão |
| dar | to give | |
| I give | eu dou | |
| you/he/she gives | você/ele/ela dá | |
| we give | nós damos | |
| you all/they give | vocês/eles/elas dão |
| dizer | to say, speak | |
| I say | eu digo | |
| you/he/she says | você/ele/ela diz | |
| we say | nós dizemos | |
| you all/they say | vocês/eles/elas dizem |
| fazer | to do, make | |
| I do/make | eu faço | |
| you/he/she does/makes | você/ele/ela faz | |
| we do/make | nós fazemos | |
| you all/they do/make | vocês/eles/elas fazem |
| ler | to read | |
| I read | eu leio | |
| you/he/she reads | você/ele/ela lê | |
| we read | nós lemos | |
| you all/they read | vocês/eles/elas leem |
| poder | to be able, can | |
| I can | eu posso | |
| you/he/she can | você/ele/ela pode | |
| we can | nós podemos | |
| you all/they can | vocês/eles/elas podem |
| querer | to want | |
| I want | eu quero | |
| you/he/she wants | você/ele/ela quer | |
| we want | nós queremos | |
| you all/they want | vocês/eles/elas querem |
| ser | to be | |
| I am | eu sou | |
| you/he/she is | você/ele/ela é | |
| we are | nós somos | |
| you all/they are | vocês/eles/elas são |
| ter | to have | |
| I have | eu tenho | |
| you/he/she has | você/ele/ela tem | |
| we have | nós temos | |
| you all/they have | vocês/eles/elas têm |
| trazer | to bring | |
| I bring | eu trago | |
| you/he/she brings | você/ele/ela traz | |
| we bring | nós trazemos | |
| you all/they bring | vocês/eles/elas trazem |
| ver | to see | |
| I see | eu vejo | |
| you/he/she sees | você/ele/ela vê | |
| we see | nós vemos | |
| you all/they see | vocês/eles/elas veem |
| ir | to go | |
| I go | eu vou | |
| you/he/she goes | você/ele/ela vai | |
| we go | nós vamos | |
| you all/they go | vocês/eles/elas vão |
| vir | to come | |
| I come | eu venho | |
| you/he/she comes | você/ele/ela vem | |
| we come | nós vimos | |
| you all/they come | vocês/eles/elas vêm |
| ouvir | to hear | |
| I hear | eu ouço | |
| you/he/she hears | você/ele/ela ouve | |
| we hear | nós ouvimos | |
| you all/they hear | vocês/eles/elas ouvem |
The Present Perfect is used to talk about action that’s on-going: what has been happening.
For example, to say things like “I’ve been working every weekend” the Present Perfect is the way to go.
Just use TER + the past participle of any verb. TER is always in the present tense.
eu > Eu tenho trabalhado todo dia. (I've been working every day.)
você > Você tem treinado? (Have you been training?)
ele/ela > Ela tem saído muito! (She's been going out a lot!)
Use the present subjunctive tense to talk about things that are plausible yet uncertain to happen right now: in the present.
Eu espero que você pense melhor. (I hope that you think better.)
Você quer que eu dirija? (Do you want me to drive?)
É importante que você aprenda. (It's important that you learn.)
Words that usually trigger this tense:
espero que (I hope that…)
quero que (I want that…)
é importante que (It’s important that…)
Take the 1st-person present root and add an:
+e for ar verbs
+a for er/ir verbs
Example: ACONTECER »
Eu não quero que aconteça novamente.
the 1st-person present is: eu aconteço;
the root is aconteç;
adding an a » aconteça.
Example: FALAR »
Espero que ele fale logo.
the 1st-person present is: eu falo;
the root is fal;
adding an e » fale.
Example: FAZER »
Espero que ele faça.
the 1st-person present is: eu faço;
the root is faç;
adding an a » faça.
SER becomes seja in this tense and is widely used to express that you hope something will be – will come to pass.
| to say, speak | falar | ||
| I say | eu fal | o | |
| you/he/she say(s) | você/ele/ela fal | a | |
| we say | nós fal | amos | |
| they/you all say | eles/elas fal | am | |
* More accurately called, the present indicative tense.
| to eat | comer | ||
| I eat | eu com | o | |
| you/he/she eat(s) | você/ele/ela com | e | |
| we eat | nós com | emos | |
| they/you all eat | eles/elas com | em | |
* More accurately called, the present indicative tense.
COMER É a hora de comer! It's time to eat!
BATER Vamos bater papo online depois. Let's chat online later.
ACONTECER Nunca vai acontecer. It's never going to happen.
There are plenty of irregulars. The most common are:
SER
TER
PODER
FAZER
DIZER
SABER
QUERER
These are best learned with flashcards.
QUERER Quer alguma coisa? Do you want something?
FAZER Não faço ideia. I've no idea.
TER Eu tenho muita coisa para fazer. I have many things to do.
There aren’t many ~ir verbs. The most common include:
ir
vir
sair
cair
abrir
pedir
seguir
dormir
partir
servir
decidir
repetir
proibir
assistir
despedir
permitir
conseguir
| to leave, depart | partir | ||
| I leave | eu part | o | |
| you/he/she leave(s) | você/ele/ela part | e | |
| we leave | nós part | imos | |
| they/you all leave | eles/elas part | em | |
* More accurately called, the present indicative tense.
SAIR Eu quase nao saio a noite. I hardly go out at night.
ASSISTIR Eu nem assisto TV I don't even watch TV.
DORMIR O Bebe dorme a noite toda. The baby sleeps all night long.
REPETIR Você pode repetir (por favor)? Can you repeat that (please)?
Many of these are IRREGULAR.
VIR Vem com a gente. Com with us.
IR Eu vou esperar na minha casa. I'm going to wait at my house.
PEDIR Eu sempre peço a mesma coisa. I always order the same thing.
Ser is very irregular.
| to be (permanent) | ser | ||
| I am | eu | sou | |
| you/he/she are/is | você/ele/ela | é | |
| we are | nós | somos | |
| they/you all are | eles/elas | são | |
* More accurately called, the present indicative tense.
Some popular irregular verbs in the present tense.
| to discover | descobrir | ||
| I discover | eu desc | ubro | |
| you/he/she discover(s) | você/ele/ela desc | obre |
| to go out, leave | sair | ||
| I leave | eu sai | o | |
| you/he/she leave(s) | você/ele/ela sai |
* More accurately called, the present indicative tense.
Some popular irregular verbs in the present tense.
| to lose | perder | ||
| I lose | eu per | co | |
| you/he/she lose(s) | você/ele/ela per | de |
| to ask for, request | pedir | ||
| I ask for | eu pe | ço | |
| you/he/she ask(s) for | você/ele/ela pe | de |
| to sleep | dormir | ||
| I sleep | eu d | urmo | |
| you/he/she sleep(s) | você/ele/ela d | orme |
* More accurately called, the present indicative tense.
PEDIR and OUVIR have similar ~irregulr conjugations in the present and the simple past. These are very common verbs and worth remembering!
pedir > Eu peço desculpas amiga (Excuse me my friend.)
ouvir > Eu ouço bem. (I hear well.)
*this is the preterit indicative tense.
pedir > Eu pedi uma Coca-Cola. (I ordered a Coca-Cola.)
ouvir > Eu ouvi um barulho. (I heard a noise.)
Just like any verb, you can use ser (to be) in it’s infinitive.
It's good to be Brazilian! > É bom ser brasileiro.
It's easy to be happy. > É fácil ser feliz.
SER = to be.
Seria is the conditional form: would be.
Seria um ou dois? (Would that be one, or two?)
Seria mais difícil assim. (It would be more difficult like that.)
Seria uma ótima ideia. (it would be a great idea.)
“simple past” = action that is over and done.
This is called, the preterit indicative tense.
| to speak | falar | ||
| I said | eu fal | ei | |
| you/he/she said | você/ele/ela fal | ou | |
| we said | nós fal | amos | |
| they/you all said | eles/elas fal | aram | |
The “simple past” = action that is over and done. Officially called the Preterit Indicative tense.
| to eat | comer | ||
| I ate | eu com | i | |
| you/he/she ate | você/ele/ela com | eu | |
| we ate | nós com | emos | |
| they/you all ate | eles/elas com | eram | |
(eu) Eu entendi tudo. I understood everything.
(você, ele, ela) Ele nao entendeu. He didn't understand.
The “simple past” = action that is over and done. Officially called the Preterit Indicative tense.
| to leave, depart | partir | ||
| I left | eu part | i | |
| you/he/she left | você/ele/ela part | iu | |
| we left | nós part | imos | |
| they/you all leave | eles/elas part | iram | |
(eu) Eu consegui o apartamento! I got the apartment!
(você, ele, ela) Você conseguiu o emprego! You got the job!
The preterite of ser and ir ~ These two essential verbs are very irregular in the “simple past” tense. BUT – they’re exactly the same! Saying was or went, is usually written the same.
| to be | ser | ||
| I was | eu f | ui | |
| you/he/she were (was) | você/ele/ela f | oi |
| to go | ir | ||
| I went | eu f | ui | |
| you/he/she went | você/ele/ela f | oi |
IR » Foi muito bem. It went really well.
SER » Foi muito bom. It was really good.
IR » Fui! I went!
SER » A festa foi perfeita. The party was perfect.
IR » Nós fomos à praia ontem. We went to the beach yesterday.
SER » Foi um dia daqueles. It was one of those days.
IR » Eles foram fazer compras juntos. They went shopping together.
IR » Para onde ele foi? Where did he go?
* More accurately called, the preterit indicative tense.
Some popular irregular verbs in the simple past tense.
| to have | ter | ||
| I had | eu t | ive | |
| you/he/she had | você/ele/ela t | eve |
| to say, tell | dizer | ||
| I said | eu diss | e | |
| you/he/she said | você/ele/ela diss | e |
| to make, do | fazer | ||
| I did | eu f | iz | |
| you/he/she did | você/ele/ela f | ez |
* More accurately called, the preterit indicative 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
~ar verb brinca
➜ brincando
~er verb correr ➜ corre ➜ brincando
~ir verb dormir ➜ dormi ➜ brincando
NO IRREGULARS! 🥳 (ever)
| I’m arriving | Eu estou cheg | ando |
| Who’s talking? | Quem está fal | ando? |
| I’m eating. | Eu estou com | endo |
| He’s losing. | Ele está perd | endo |
| I’m insisting. | Eu estou insist | indo |
| She’s driving. | Ela está dirig | indo |
Eu estou trabalhando agora. (I'm working now.)
Você está comendo açúcar? (Are you eating sugar?)
Ele está dirigindo. (He's driving.)
In Portuguese, the present tense verbs (formally called the preterite indicative) are divided into three groups: ar verbs, er verbs and ir verbs. All (well, almost!) verbs end in one of these.
| falar | to speak | ||
| I speak | eu fal | o | |
| you/he/she speaks | você/ele/ela fal | a |
| entender | to understand | ||
| I understand | eu entend | o | |
| you/he/she understands | você/ele/ela entend | e |
| partir | to depart | ||
| I depart | eu part | o | |
| you/he/she departs | você/ele/ela part | e |