Ser And Estar – The Verbs To Be in Portuguese From Portugal

Verb To Be is one of the most used by English speakers. Because it is so frequent, it is also one of the first verbs students learn. It can apply to thousands of situations. This single verb describes something or someone and indicates a permanent or temporary condition. Depending on the context, you can use it to define almost everything, from a location to an emotion.

Yet, European Portuguese verb conjugation has not one but two verb forms to play the same role. Verbs Ser

and Estar split the permanent from the temporary. Discover the difference between these two action words.

Understand Portuguese verb conjugations and explore different tenses of the Indicative Mood. Additionally, practice with realistic examples you can apply in everyday life. Continue reading and dominate the verbs Ser and Estar – the verbs To Be in Portuguese!

Ser Vs. Estar – Two Common Portuguese Verbs

Analyze the difference between the verbs Ser and Estar. Look into which situations you should apply which verb based on the context and meaning. Discover The Secret to Using The Portuguese Verbs “To Be” Like a Native!

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The Portuguese Verb Ser

Verb Ser

 describes permanent traits and states, like jobs, nationalities, and physical characteristics. It also expresses long-lasting features or circumstances that are unlikely to change. You will use it in sentences like Ele é arquiteto

 (He is an architect.), Nós somos portugueses

 (We are Portuguese.), and Eu sou loira

 (I am blond.)

Likewise, you can use the verb Ser for character traits. For instance, saying Eu sou ansioso.

 (I am anxious.) would mean that you are usually an anxious person.

The Portuguese Verb Estar

Verb Estar

 describes temporary states and conditions, like locations, feelings, and changeable circumstances. Contrary to the previous example, you should use the verb Estar to convey emotions that can change. In this case, saying Eu estou ansioso.

 (I am anxious.) would mean that you are feeling some anxiety now, maybe as a result of something.

You will also find it in sentences, such as Ele está na cozinha

 (He is in the kitchen.), Nós estamos com fome

 (We are hungry.), and Eu estou desempregado

 (I am unemployed.).

Both European and Brazilian Portuguese natives often cut the first syllable of the word when speaking. You might hear Ela tá em casa

 (She is at home.) or Teve muito vento hoje

 (It was very windy today.) These forms are not acceptable in writing. Yet, they are common in informal conversations.

To understand how to conjugate these verbs, look further into Portuguese verb conjugation.

Tips and Tricks for Learning Portuguese Verb Conjugation

Understanding Portuguese verb conjugation is essential to communicate more effectively with native speakers. It is one of the keys to making yourself better understood. Like most other languages, Portuguese verb conjugation includes regular and irregular verbs.

According to their endings in the Infinitive form, they can belong to one of three main verb groups: -ar, -er, and -ir. The first aspect to consider is which subject pronoun to use.

Subject Pronouns

As explained in The Ultimate List of Portuguese Verbs You Can Learn Today, the Portuguese language has eight pronouns. They are:

• Eu
   – I
• Tu
  /Você
   – You (singular)
• Ele
  – He
• Ela
   – She
• Nós
   – We
• Vós
  /Vocês
   – You (plural)
• Eles
  – They (for male and mixed groups)
• Elas
  – They (for female-only groups)

Tu, Você, And Vocês – The Portuguese You

The subject pronoun Você

, an alternative to Tu

, is most common in Brazilian Portuguese. Although some native Portuguese people use it, others find it offensive and prefer not to employ it. Instead, in formal situations, they use the conjugated form of the verb in the third person singular (Ele

/Ela

) and drop the pronoun.

In English, there is no difference between the formal and informal forms of you. Thus, English-speaking students often struggle with this aspect. Here is your Ultimate Guide on How to Address a Portuguese Native (levels of formality).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdmdZ6Dqf-k

Curiously, the plural form of Você, Vocês

, is widespread. However, natives don’t pair it with the verb conjugated in the second person plural. Instead, they use the conjugation of the third person plural.

Regular Portuguese Verbs

Like in English, the conjugation of regular verbs in European Portuguese follows a set of patterns. Their endings change with different verb tenses and pronouns, but the root morphemes of the verbs remain unchanged. Analyze some examples of the Indicative Verbal Mood:

The Present Tense

Verbs from the first verbal group ending in -ar have the following terminations in the Present Tense: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, and -am. For example, the verb Falar

 (Speak) is a regular verb. Its conjugation is:

• Eu falo
• Tu falas 
• Você/Ele/Ela fala 
• Nós falamos 
• Vós falais 
• Vocês/Eles/Elas falam 

Verbs from the second verbal group ending in -er have the following terminations in the Present Tense: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -eis, and -em. For instance, the verb Comer

 (Eat) is a regular verb. Its conjugation is:

• Eu como
• Tu comes 
• Você/Ele/Ela come
• Nós comemos 
• Vós comeis
• Vocês/Eles/Elas comem

Verbs from the third verbal group ending in -ir have the following terminations in the Present Tense: -o, -o; -es; -e; -imos; -is, and -em. For example, Partir

 (Break) is also a regular verb. Its conjugation is:

• Eu parto
• Tu partes 
• Você/Ele/Ela parte
• Nós partimos 
• Vós partis
• Vocês/Eles/Elas partem

The Past Simple Tense

In the first verbal group, you will notice the following verb endings in the Past Tense or Preterite: -ei, -aste, -ou, -amos, -astes, and -aram. Looking at the previous example, the verb Falar

 in the Past Simple is:

• Eu falei
• Tu falaste 
• Você/Ele/Ela falou 
• Nós falamos 
• Vós falastes
• Vocês/Eles/Elas falaram 

Verbs from the second verbal group have the following terminations in the Past Tense: -i, -este, -eu, -emos, -estes, and -eram. For example, the verb Comer

 in the Past Simple is:

• Eu comi
• Tu comeste 
• Você/Ele/Ela comeu
• Nós comemos 
• Vós comestes
• Vocês/Eles/Elas comeram

Verbs from the third verbal group have the following terminations in the Past Tense: -i, -iste, -iu, -imos, -istes, and -iram. Again, the verb Partir

 in the Past Simple is:

• Eu parti
• Tu partiste 
• Você/Ele/Ela partiu
• Nós partimos 
• Vós partistes
• Você/Eles/Elas partiram

The Future Tense

Verb conjugation in the Future differs from other verb tenses. You must join the infinitive form of the verb with the corresponding ending, according to the pronoun. Thus, verbs from all verbal groups have the following terminations in the Future Tense: -ei, -ás, -á, -emos, -eis, and -ão.

For example, the verb Falar

 in the Future Simple is:

• Eu falarei
• Tu falarás
• Você/Ele/Ela falará
• Nós falaremos 
• Vós falareis
• Vocês/Eles/Elas falarão 

Verb Comer

 in the Future Simple is:

• Eu comerei
• Tu comerás 
• Você/Ele/Ela comerá
• Nós comeremos 
• Vós comereis
• Vocês/Eles/Elas comerão

Finally, verb Partir

 in the Future Simple is:

• Eu partirei
• Tu partirás 
• Você/Ele/Ela partirá
• Nós partiremos 
• Vós partireis
• Vocês/Eles/Elas partirão

Lately, the Simple Future tense has fallen into disuse. Instead, natives prefer to use the auxiliary verb Ir

 (Go) conjugated in the Present Tense and pair it with the infinitive form of the main action verb.

For example, rather than Eu falarei

, you can say Eu vou falar (I will speak). Instead of Nós comeremos, you can say Nós vamos comer (We will eat). And Eles vão partir as opposed to Eles partirão

 (They will leave).

Irregular Verbs In Portuguese

Unlike regular verbs, irregular verbs don’t follow a pattern in their conjugated form. Instead, the verb conjugation changes the root morphemes of the verbs. For example, the verbs Dormir

 (Sleep), Fugir

 (Run Away), and Medir

 (Measure) are all irregular verbs. You can find some irregular verbs in Portuguese here.

Take a look at the verb Ir

 (Go), mentioned above:

The Present Tense

• Eu vou 
• Tu vais 
• Você/Ele/Ela vai 
• Nós vamos
• Vós ides
• Vocês/Eles/Elas vão

The Past Tense

• Eu fui
• Tu foste
• Você/Ele/Ela foi
• Nós fomos
• Vós fostes
• Vocês/Eles/Elas foram

The Future Tense

• Eu irei
• Tu irás 
• Você/Ele/Ela irá
• Nós iremos 
• Vós ireis
• Vocês/Eles/Elas irão

As you can see, the base morpheme of the verb Ir (Go) is unstable. It changes according to the verb tenses, leading to dissimilar conjugations.

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Portuguese Ser and Estar Verb Conjugations

Verb Ser

As an irregular verb, the conjugation of the verb Ser

 doesn’t follow a set pattern. Here is how you can conjugate it in the Indicative Mood.

The Present Tense

• Eu sou
• Tu és
• Você/Ele/Ela é
• Nós somos
• Vós sois
• Vocês/Eles/Elas são

The Past Tense

• Eu fui
• Tu foste
• Você/Ele/Ela foi
• Nós fomos
• Vós fostes
• Vocês/Eles/Elas foram

The Future Tense

• Eu serei or vou ser
• Tu serás or vais ser
• Você/Ele/Ela será or vai ser
• Nós seremos or vamos ser
• Vós sereis
• Vocês/Eles/Elas serão or vão ser

Verb Estar

Unlike the verb Ser, verb Estar

 is regular. Thus, you must conjugate it in the Indicative Mood as follows:

The Present Tense

• Eu estou
• Tu estás
• Você/Ele/Ela está
• Nós estamos
• Vocês/Eles/Elas estão

The Past Tense

• Eu estive
• Tu estiveste
• Você/Ele/Ela esteve
• Nós estivemos
• Vós estivestes 
• Vocês/Eles/Elas estiveram

The Future Tense

• Eu estarei or vou estar
• Tu estarás or vais estar
• Você/Ele/Ela estará or vai estar
• Nós estaremos or vamos estar
• Vós estareis
• Vocês/Eles/Elas estarão or vão estar

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Using Ser And Estar – The Verbs To Be in Portuguese

Ser

 and Estar

 are the equivalents of the verb To Be in Portuguese. Together, they have the same versatility as their English counterpart. There is no learning Portuguese without exploring these two incredible verbal forms.

Some students might struggle with this aspect of learning Portuguese. Still, you can acquire it easily through exposure and practice. Listen to European Portuguese conversations and try to discern when natives apply each option. You can also use flashcards and other interactive exercises to internalize their correct use.

Were you surprised to know Portuguese verb conjugation has two verbs To Be? If you already knew, have you ever confused the meaning of the verbs Ser and Estar? We would love to hear all about your learning thoughts and experiences!

When you practice speaking, include these verbs in your sentences and notice how they change the meaning. Exploring Portuguese verbs and their conjugation takes you one step closer to reaching your language goals.

Are you ready to explore more Portuguese verbs and conjugations? Explore the TOP 50 most used verbs by the Portuguese!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvRmJHt0ClQ