In the Simple Past 2 unit we practiced with some of the most common irregular Portuguese verbs in the simple past (pretérito perfeito do indicativo): ir, ser, estar, dar, and querer.
Now let’s continue with a few more!
Indicativo
Ela fez uma tempestade num copo de águaShe made a storm in a teacup
- eu fizI didindicativo > pret. perfeito tu fizesteyou sing.,inf. didindicativo > pret. perfeito ele / ela fezhe / she didindicativo > pret. perfeito você fezyou didindicativo > pret. perfeito nós fizemoswe didindicativo > pret. perfeito eles / elas fizeramthey didindicativo > pret. perfeito vocês fizeramyou didindicativo > pret. perfeito
Indicativo
Eu disse que havia fruta em casaI said there was fruit at home
- eu disseI saidindicativo > pret. perfeito tu dissesteyou sing.,inf. saidindicativo > pret. perfeito ele / ela dissehe / she saidindicativo > pret. perfeito você disseyou saidindicativo > pret. perfeito nós dissemoswe saidindicativo > pret. perfeito eles / elas disseramthey saidindicativo > pret. perfeito vocês disseramyou saidindicativo > pret. perfeito
Indicativo
Nós tivemos um cãoWe had a dog
- eu tiveI hadindicativo > pret. perfeito tu tivesteyou sing.,inf. hadindicativo > pret. perfeito ele / ela tevehe / she hadindicativo > pret. perfeito você teveyou hadindicativo > pret. perfeito nós tivemoswe hadindicativo > pret. perfeito eles / elas tiveramthey hadindicativo > pret. perfeito vocês tiveramyou hadindicativo > pret. perfeito
Indicativo
Tu puseste sal?Did yousing.,inf. put salton it?
- eu pusI putindicativo > pret. perfeito tu pusesteyou sing.,inf. putindicativo > pret. perfeito ele / ela pôshe / she putindicativo > pret. perfeito você pôsyou putindicativo > pret. perfeito nós pusemoswe putindicativo > pret. perfeito eles / elas puseramthey putindicativo > pret. perfeito vocês puseramyou putindicativo > pret. perfeito
As we mentioned before, you may notice that some of the verb endings are the same for irregular and regular verbs, despite the change in the verb stem. For example, the -eram ending for 3rd person plural is seen in both regular and irregular verbs.
The most obvious differences tend to appear in the 1st and 3rd person. Sometimes the 1st and 3rd person even have the exact same (or a very similar) conjugation, as in:
Eu disseI saidindicativo > pret. perfeito Ela disseShe saidindicativo > pret. perfeito
Ver and Vir
This is a tricky pair:
Indicativo
Ela viu o acidente. Aquilo foi horrível.She saw the accident. That was horrible.
- eu viI sawindicativo > pret. perfeito tu visteyou sing.,inf. sawindicativo > pret. perfeito ele / ela viuhe / she sawindicativo > pret. perfeito você viuyou sawindicativo > pret. perfeito nós vimoswe sawindicativo > pret. perfeito eles / elas viramthey sawindicativo > pret. perfeito vocês viramyou sawindicativo > pret. perfeito
Indicativo
Nós viemos do estrangeiroWe came from abroad
- eu vimI cameindicativo > pret. perfeito tu viesteyou sing.,inf. cameindicativo > pret. perfeito ele / ela veiohe / she cameindicativo > pret. perfeito você veioyou cameindicativo > pret. perfeito nós viemoswe cameindicativo > pret. perfeito eles / elas vieramthey cameindicativo > pret. perfeito vocês vieramyou cameindicativo > pret. perfeito
The two conjugations above are different, but only slightly. Aside from the 1st and 3rd person singular, they only differ by the letter e that is present in the vir conjugations. (In the upcoming Lessons, you’ll be able to practice these verbs separately, and then mixed together. 😉)
Derived Verbs
With so many different conjugations, it can be helpful to know a few shortcuts. Certain verbs which derive from other verbs are conjugated in the same way, so there’s no need to memorize them separately. We’ll show you what we mean with a few examples below.
Verbs that derive from “fazer”
- desfazerto undo
- Ele fezHe didindicativo > pret. perfeito Ele desfezHe undid
- liquefazerto liquify
- Eu fizI didindicativo > pret. perfeito Eu liquefizI liquified
- satisfazerto satisfy
- Nós fizemosWe didindicativo > pret. perfeito Nós satisfizemosWe satisfied
Verbs that derive from “dizer”
- contradizerto contradict
- Eu disseI saidindicativo > pret. perfeito Eu contradisseI contradicted
Verbs that derive from “ver”
- anteverto foresee
- Eu viI sawindicativo > pret. perfeito Eu anteviI foresaw
- preverto predict
- Tu visteYou sawindicativo > pret. perfeito Tu previsteYou predictedindicativo > pret. perfeito
- reverto review
- Ele viuHe sawindicativo > pret. perfeito Ele reviuHe reviewed
Verbs that derive from “vir”
Verbs that derive from “pôr”
- comporto compose, fix
- Elas puseramThey putindicativo > pret. perfeito Elas compuseramThey composedindicativo > pret. perfeito
- deporto testify
- Nós pusemosWe putindicativo > pret. perfeito Nós depusemosWe testified
- decomporto decompose, break down
Verbs that derive from “ter”
- manterto maintain, keep
- obterto obtain
- conterto contain, hold back
- entreterto entertain
- reterto retain
- deterto stop, detain, deter
Exceptions
Be careful, you can’t apply the same endings to everything ending in “-ter”, “-ver”, etc. There are some regular verbs that just happen to end that way, but are not derivatives, such as bater, prometer, meter, circundar, envolver, resolver, servir, and so on. You won’t always know for sure, but derived verbs often begin with common prefixes like con-, ob-, de-, entre-, re-, pro-, sobre-, etc., and/or they have a meaning that is closely related to the primary verb.
Let’s Practice!
If you’re a member, move on to the following Lessons to practice fazer, dizer, pôr, ter, ver, and vir. And remember, whenever you need a refresher, you can redo these Lessons or use our Verbs page to search for and quiz yourself on the conjugations of hundreds of verbs.