The Ultimate List of Portuguese Verbs You Can Learn Today
Verbs are essential elements of any language. They allow us to form coherent sentences expressing actions, occurrences, and states.
Thus, as part of your learning process to speak Portuguese, you must know which verbs are most common. Besides, you must also understand their meaning and how to use them properly to maintain a conversation.
Up next, find out the 22 European Portuguese verbs you should learn. You will discover the verb groups and the differences between regular and irregular verbs. Then, explore the verb modes and tenses that define verb conjugation in this beautiful language.
You can find all these verbs and learn their correct pronunciation in our video: TOP 50 most used verbs by the Portuguese. Let’s get started by understanding subject pronouns.
The Subject Pronouns
Portuguese subject pronouns don’t vary that much from English ones. There are eight subject pronouns: “Eu” (I), “Tu” (You), “Ele” (He), “Ela” (She), “Nós” (We), “Vós”/”Vocês” (You), “Eles” (They for male or mixed groups), “Elas” (They for female groups).
Unlike Brazilian Portuguese, Portuguese From Portugal doesn’t use “Você” as much. Contrarily, “Tu” (You) is the most appropriate pronoun for informal conversations. And for formal interexchanges, conjugate the verbs in the third person singular (“Ele”/”Ela”), according to the person’s gender. For more of these curiosities, you will want to check out the blog post: The Portuguese Language – 10 Fascinating Curiosities (You’d Never Guess).
The 3 Main Verb Groups
Similar to other Romance languages, Portuguese has three main regular verb groups. They gather verbs by their termination in the Infinitive form: -ar, -er, or -ir.
Within these groups, there are regular and irregular verbs. If they follow a rule when conjugated, they are classified as regular. Otherwise, if there are changes to the root morphemes of the verbs in conjugation, they are irregular.
-ar
This first group includes verbs like “Andar” (Walk) or “Ficar” (Stay). Regular verbs that end in -ar have the following terminations when conjugated in the Present Tense: -o, -as, -a, -amos, and -am.
-er
This group comprises verbs such as “Aprender” (Learn) or “Correr” (Run). In this case, regular verbs adopt the terminations -o, -es, -e, -emos, and -em when conjugated in the Present Tense.
-ir
This final group contains verbs like “Rir” (Laugh) and “Fugir” (Run Away). Regular verbs in this group have the following terminations when conjugated in the Present Tense: -o; -es; -e; -imos; and -em.
One of the aspects that most complicates Portuguese grammar is that irregular verbs are not exceptions. They are common and don’t follow any rules, so you must know them by memory.
Conjugations – The Portuguese Verb Modes and Tenses
The verb modes and tenses define how to conjugate each verb in Portuguese. Understanding their context will help you know how to use the most common European Portuguese verbs best. There are four verb modes.
The Indicative is the most common mode employed when speaking Portuguese. It indicates a fact, action, or idea that is certain, like a habit or something that will happen in the near future. The Indicative has the most verb tenses out of all other modes. For example, “Nós gostamos de ir à praia.” (We like to go to the beach.)
The Conjunctive expresses a wish or doubt that something might happen. This action is not a fact but a hypothesis. For example, “Talvez consigamos apanhar o comboio.” (We may be able to catch the train.)
The Conditional conveys a hypothetic action that depends on a specific condition to become true. For example, “Se tivermos tempo, poderemos parar para comer um gelado.” (If we have the time, we can stop for ice cream.)
Finally, the Imperative expresses orders, advice, or requests. For example, “Liga
Nominal Forms
Besides the verb modes, Portuguese has three Nominal Forms:
The Infinitive is generic, expressing an idea of the action. It is usually the name by which we refer to the verb.
The Gerund indicates an action happening at this exact moment. The Brazilian Portuguese language makes wide use of this Nominal Form.
The Participle (Present and Past) describes an action completed in the past or related to it. An auxiliary verb often accompanies it.
Top 22 Most Common Portuguese Verbs
You now understand European Portuguese pronouns, verb groups, modes, and tenses. Let’s explore the 20 most common Portuguese verbs.
The Portuguese Verb “To Be”
Like the English verb “To be,” its equivalents “Ser” and “Estar” are two of the most common Portuguese verbs. “Estar” describes a condition or state. “Ser” describes specific characteristics inherent to the subject.
For example, to say you feel happy right now, you would say: Eu estou feliz. Contrarily, to say you are a happy person, you would say: Eu sou feliz. Here is how to conjugate the Ser and Estar verbs in Portuguese in the Present Tense:
Estar
- Eu estou
- Tu estás
- Ele/Ela está
- Nós estamos
- Vós estais or Vocês estão
- Eles/Elas estão
Ser
- Eu sou
- Tu és
- Ele/Ela é
- Nós somos
- Vós sois or Vocês são
- Eles/Elas são
10 Common Regular Verbs
These are some of the most common verbs in Portuguese that follow a specific structure when conjugated. The verbs below include example sentences to help you understand how to use them.
- Beber – To Drink “Se eles forem ao café, ele beberá um chocolate quente.” (If they go to the café, he will drink a hot chocolate.)
- Comer – To Eat “Nós comemos num restaurante.” (We ate at a restaurant.)
- Falar – To Speak “Elas falam português.” (They speak Portuguese.)
- Ficar – To Stay “Elas ficamaquipara jantar.”(They stay here for supper.)
- Gostar (de) – To Like/Enjoy “Elas gostam de ir à praia no fim de semana.” (They like to go to the beach on the weekend.)
- Levar – To Take “Elas levam os sacos para as compras.” (They take the shopping bags.)
- Ligar – To Call (Someone)/Turn On/Connect “Eu vou ligar à minha mãe” (I am calling my mum.)
- Perguntar – To As “Ele perguntou se queres um gelado.” (He asked if you want an icecream.)
- Precisar (de) – To Need “Elas precisam de ajuda para a mudança.” (They need help for the move.)
- Vender – To Sell “Eu vendi a minha casa.” (I sold my house.)
10 Common Irregular Verbs
As you learn Portuguese, you will encounter verbs that don’t follow a rule when conjugated. You will note these irregular verbs are among the most common verbs used by native speakers.
To make them easier to remember, include them in your grammar book. You can also note down other helpful words and everyday vocabulary. Then, keep it with you when talking to Portuguese speakers.
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Here are 10 irregular verbs in Portuguese and their conjugations in the Present Tense of the Indicative Mode.
Dar – To Give
- Eu dou
- Tu dás
- Ele/Ela dá
- Nós damos
- Vós dais/Vocês dão
- Eles/Elas dão
Dizer – To Say
- Eu digo
- Tu dizes
- Ele/Ela diz
- Nós dizemos
- Vós dizeis/Vocês dizem
- Eles/Elas dizem
Fazer – To do/Make
- Eu faço
- Tu fazes
- Ele/Ela faz
- Nós fazemos
- Vós fazeis/Vocês fazem
- Eles/Elas fazem
Poder – Can (To be Able To)
- Eu posso
- Tu podes
- Ele/Ela pode
- Nós podemos
- Vós possais/Vocês podem
- Eles/Elas podem
“Poder” is an irregular verb, usually accompanied by another verbal form that defines the action.
Querer – To Want
- Eu quero
- Tu queres
- Ele quer
- Nós queremos
- Vós quereis/Vocês querem
- Eles/Elas querem
Saber – To Know
- Eu sei
- Tu sabes
- Ele/Ela sabe
- Nós sabemos
- Vós sabeis/Vocês sabem
- Eles/Elas sabem
Ter – To Have
- Eu tenho
- Tu tens
- Ele tem
- Nós temos
- Vós tendes/Vocês têm
- Eles/Elas têm
Trazer – To Bring
- Eu trago
- Tu trazes
- Ele/Ela traz
- Nós trazemos
- Vós trazeis/Vocês trazem
- Eles/Elas trazem
Ir – To Go
- Eu vou
- Tu vais
- Ele/Ela vai
- Nós vamos
- Vós ides/Vocês vão
- Eles/Elas vão
Vir – To Come
- Eu venho
- Tu vens
- Ele/Ela vem
- Nós vimos
- Vós vindes/Vocês vêm
- Eles/Elas vêm
Wrap-up on The Most Common Verbs in Portuguese
Learning Portuguese verbs and their conjugations is crucial for you to communicate effectively. One of the best techniques to learn grammar is to practice with native speakers. But besides the information shared in this post, there is much more you can explore. Sign up and send a free PDF with the Top 500 verbs straight into your inbox!
Did you enjoy this article about the most common Portuguese verbs? What has been your greatest challenge with Portuguese grammar so far? Let us know so we can approach it in a future post!
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