Present Tense Verbs: Your First Conjugations
Portuguese verbs conjugate more than English ones — but the pattern is completely predictable once you see it. Here is everything you need to start forming real sentences today.
What You will Learn
- Conjugate regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs in the present tense
- Use the three most common irregular verbs: ter, ir, and fazer
- Drop unnecessary pronouns like a native speaker
- Build full sentences using verbs you already know
The Three Verb Families
Every Portuguese verb ends in -ar, -er, or -ir in its dictionary form (the infinitive). Once you know which family a verb belongs to, its present-tense pattern is fully predictable.
| Pronoun | -AR: falar (to speak) | -ER: comer (to eat) | -IR: partir (to leave) |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | falo | como | parto |
| tu | falas | comes | partes |
| ele/ela | fala | come | parte |
| nós | falamos | comemos | partimos |
| eles/elas | falam | comem | partem |
| vocês | falam | comem | partem |
Notice the pattern: the ending changes, but the stem (fal-, com-, part-) stays the same. Learn this pattern once and you can conjugate hundreds of regular verbs.
Three Irregular Verbs You Need Immediately
| Pronoun | ter (to have) | ir (to go) | fazer (to do/make) |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | tenho | vou | faço |
| tu | tens | vais | fazes |
| ele/ela | tem | vai | faz |
| nós | temos | vamos | fazemos |
| eles/elas | têm | vão | fazem |
| vocês | têm | vão | fazem |
These three verbs alone let you build hundreds of common phrases: tenho vinte anos (I am twenty years old — literally "I have twenty years"), vou trabalhar (I am going to work), faço compras (I do shopping).
You Can Usually Drop the Pronoun
Because each verb ending already tells you who is doing the action, Portuguese speakers frequently drop "eu," "nós," etc. Falo português and Eu falo português both mean "I speak Portuguese" — the second just adds emphasis. Keep the pronoun while you are still learning the endings, then drop it once it feels automatic.
Talking About Right Now
One more thing worth knowing early: to say "I am doing something" (happening right now), Brazilian Portuguese uses the gerund — Estou comendo (I am eating). European Portuguese uses "estar a" plus the infinitive instead — Estou a comer. Same meaning, different structure — and one of the clearest giveaways of which dialect someone learned.
Practice What You Just Learned
- Conjugate "comer" (to eat) for "nós" (we).
Show answer
"Comemos" — "Nós comemos" (We eat).
- How do you say "I am going to work"?
Show answer
"Vou trabalhar."
- How do you say "She has two brothers"?
Show answer
"Ela tem dois irmãos." ("Ter" is used for age and possession, similar to "have.")