Portuguese Verb Conjugation: Present Tense Basics
How to conjugate Portuguese verbs in the present tense. The regular -ar, -er, and -ir patterns, the six pronouns, and the irregular verbs you'll meet on day one.
Last updated May 20, 2026.
Portuguese verbs conjugate by person, number, tense, and mood. Present tense is the place to start, since it covers most everyday statements and is the foundation every other tense builds on.
The six pronouns
Portuguese verbs change form for each pronoun. In standard teaching:
| Pronoun | English |
|---|---|
| eu | I |
| tu | you (informal) |
| ele / ela / você | he / she / you (formal) |
| nós | we |
| vós | you all (archaic) |
| eles / elas / vocês | they / you all |
Real-world adjustments:
- Vós is essentially dead in both varieties. You’ll see it in literary or religious contexts. Ignore it for now.
- Tu is used in Portugal and southern Brazil with proper second-person conjugations. Elsewhere in Brazil, “você” replaces it.
- A gente (Brazilian, casual) replaces “nós” in spoken Brazilian Portuguese. It takes third-person singular conjugations.
For practical study, focus on five forms: eu, tu (if relevant for your variety), ele/ela/você, nós, eles/elas/vocês.
Regular -ar verbs: falar (to speak)
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| eu | falo | I speak |
| tu | falas | you speak |
| ele / ela / você | fala | he/she/you speak(s) |
| nós | falamos | we speak |
| eles / elas / vocês | falam | they/you all speak |
The pattern: drop -ar, add -o, -as, -a, -amos, -am.
Other -ar verbs that follow this exact pattern: amar (to love), estudar (to study), trabalhar (to work), morar (to live), comprar (to buy), gostar (to like), cozinhar (to cook), chegar (to arrive).
Regular -er verbs: comer (to eat)
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| eu | como | I eat |
| tu | comes | you eat |
| ele / ela / você | come | he/she/you eat(s) |
| nós | comemos | we eat |
| eles / elas / vocês | comem | they/you all eat |
The pattern: drop -er, add -o, -es, -e, -emos, -em.
Other -er verbs: beber (to drink), aprender (to learn), entender (to understand), correr (to run), escrever (to write), viver (to live).
Regular -ir verbs: partir (to leave)
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| eu | parto | I leave |
| tu | partes | you leave |
| ele / ela / você | parte | he/she/you leave(s) |
| nós | partimos | we leave |
| eles / elas / vocês | partem | they/you all leave |
The pattern: drop -ir, add -o, -es, -e, -imos, -em.
Other -ir verbs: abrir (to open), decidir (to decide), discutir (to discuss), permitir (to permit), assistir (to watch).
The seven irregular verbs to learn first
These don’t follow the patterns above. Each is worth memorising as a unit.
Ser (to be, permanent)
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| eu | sou |
| tu | és |
| ele/ela/você | é |
| nós | somos |
| eles/elas/vocês | são |
Used for identity, profession, nationality, characteristics. “Eu sou americano” (I’m American).
Estar (to be, temporary or location)
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| eu | estou |
| tu | estás |
| ele/ela/você | está |
| nós | estamos |
| eles/elas/vocês | estão |
Used for location, feelings, temporary states. “Eu estou em São Paulo” (I’m in São Paulo). “Eu estou cansado” (I’m tired).
Ter (to have)
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho |
| tu | tens |
| ele/ela/você | tem |
| nós | temos |
| eles/elas/vocês | têm |
Used for possession, age, and as the auxiliary verb in compound tenses. “Eu tenho trinta anos” (I’m thirty years old, literally “I have thirty years”).
Ir (to go)
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| eu | vou |
| tu | vais |
| ele/ela/você | vai |
| nós | vamos |
| eles/elas/vocês | vão |
Used for going to a place, and crucially for the “going-to” future (“vou falar” = “I’m going to speak”). The most-used irregular verb in everyday Portuguese.
Fazer (to do, to make)
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| eu | faço |
| tu | fazes |
| ele/ela/você | faz |
| nós | fazemos |
| eles/elas/vocês | fazem |
Used very broadly: making, doing, performing, time expressions (“faz dois anos” = “two years ago”).
Dar (to give)
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| eu | dou |
| tu | dás |
| ele/ela/você | dá |
| nós | damos |
| eles/elas/vocês | dão |
Poder (to be able to, can)
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| eu | posso |
| tu | podes |
| ele/ela/você | pode |
| nós | podemos |
| eles/elas/vocês | podem |
Common pairing: “posso + infinitive” means “I can do X” or “May I do X.” “Posso falar?” (May I speak?).
What to study next
- Past tenses (preterite and imperfect): you’ll want both for talking about anything that already happened.
- Future: in Brazilian Portuguese, you’ll mostly use “ir + infinitive” rather than the simple future. In European Portuguese, both are common.
- Subjunctive: harder to learn but essential for natural Portuguese; come back to it after the past tenses are solid.
What to read next
- Beginner’s Guide to Learning Portuguese: where conjugation fits in the broader plan.
- Brazilian vs European Portuguese: how the “tu” / “você” choice affects which conjugations you’ll use most.
- Best Anki Decks for Portuguese: decks that drill conjugation by person and tense.
Frequently asked
How many irregular verbs do I need to memorise?
Six or seven get you very far: ser, estar, ter, ir, fazer, dar, and poder. These are the highest-frequency verbs in Portuguese and most early sentences route through one of them. Learn them as full conjugation tables, not as isolated forms.
Do Brazilians actually use 'tu' or just 'você'?
It depends on the region. The south of Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul, parts of Santa Catarina) and parts of the northeast use 'tu' with proper second-person conjugations. Most of Brazil uses 'você' for both formal and informal you, with 'tu' surviving only in casual speech and conjugated like 'você' (third person). European Portuguese keeps 'tu' alive with full second-person conjugations.
Why is there a 'nós' form and a 'a gente' option?
Brazilian Portuguese has largely replaced 'nós' (we) with 'a gente' (literally 'the people') in casual speech. 'A gente' takes third-person singular conjugations: 'a gente fala' instead of 'nós falamos.' European Portuguese sticks with 'nós.' Both forms are correct; pick based on which variety you're learning and how formal you want to sound.