As if learning 50 conjugations of each verb wasnât enough, we also have to watch out for the dreaded irregular verbs! đ In previous lessons, you learned the verb serto be - permanent , one of the most common irregular verbs in Portuguese.
But why is it called âirregularâ?
Well, verbs are irregular when they donât follow the same conjugation patterns as regular verbs. If it were regular, it would be â Eu so, Tu ses, Ele se, NĂłs semos, VocĂȘs sem, etc., but instead itâs:
Indicativo
Elas sĂŁo primasThey are cousins fem.
English also has irregular verbs, including âto beâ. You can say I walk, you walk, she walks, but in Standard English (used here for reference), you wouldnât say I be, You be, She bes. The conjugations for irregular verbs must be memorized.
To make sure youâre ready to face more verbs in the coming lessons, letâs get a bit more familiar with irregular verbs in Portuguese.
Hang on to your hats! đ©đ
Irregular Verbs in Portuguese
As a reminder, when you conjugate a regular verb, you take the root (which doesnât change) and you add an ending, which varies according to the subject, number, and tense. The rules for these endings are consistent for each set of regular verbs (i.e. depending on whether the infinitive form of the verb ends in -ar, -er, or -ir).
With irregular verbs, itâs more complicated. Some irregular verbs present changes in the root, others in the ending, and others in both.
Examples of changes in the root:
- medirto measure â Eu meçoI measureindicativo > presente (instead of âEu medoâ)
- trazerto bring â Eu tragoI bringindicativo > presente (instead of âEu trazoâ)
Examples of changes in the ending:
- fazerto do â Ele fazHe does  (instead of âEle fazeâ)
- estarto be â Eu estouI am  (instead of âEu estoâ)
Examples of changes in both:
- fazerto do, to make â eu façoI doindicativo > presente  (instead of âEu fazoâ)
- saberto know â Eu seiI knowindicativo > presente  (instead of âEu saboâ)
How can you tell whether a verb is regular or irregular?
Unfortunately, thereâs no easy way to know if a verb is regular or not just by looking at the infinitive form. You just have to memorize them over time. Que confusĂŁo!What a mess!
One quick tip is that most irregular verbs end in -ir or -er. There are only a handful of -ar verbs that are irregular
But donât worry, in the Verbs section, members can filter by the irregular tag to quickly find and practice the irregular conjugations.
Here are some of the most common verbs that include irregular conjugations:
serto be - permanent | irto go | virto come terto have estarto be | darto give | saberto know | fazerto do | quererto want | poderto be able to | dizerto tell
Being classified as irregular doesnât necessarily mean that the entire conjugation is irregular. Some verbs are only slightly different. It could be irregular in one tense (i.e. present tense) but regular in another, or sometimes only part of a tense is affected. For example, here are 2 verbs that have regular present tense endings for everything except the eu form:
Indicativo
Ela ouve a verdade da sua bocaShe hears the truth from her mouth
- eu ouçoI hearindicativo > presente tu ouvesyou sing.,inf. listenindicativo > presente ele / ela ouvehe / she hearsindicativo > presente vocĂȘ ouveyou hearindicativo > presente nĂłs ouvimoswe hearindicativo > presente eles / elas ouvemthey hearindicativo > presente vocĂȘs ouvemyou hearindicativo > presente
Indicativo
NĂłs damos-vos tudo o que vocĂȘs pedemWe give you pl. everything you ask for
- eu peçoI ask forindicativo > presente tu pedesyou sing.,inf. ask forindicativo > presente ele / ela pedehe / she asks forindicativo > presente vocĂȘ pedeyou ask forindicativo > presente nĂłs pedimoswe ask forindicativo > presente eles / elas pedemthey ask forindicativo > presente vocĂȘs pedemyou ask forindicativo > presente
A Comparison
Hereâs a regular -AR verb, falar:
Indicativo
Eles falam contigoThey talk with you
- eu faloI speakindicativo > presente tu falasyou sing.,inf. speakindicativo > presente ele / ela falahe / she speaksindicativo > presente vocĂȘ falayou speakindicativo > presente nĂłs falamoswe speakindicativo > presente eles / elas falamthey speakindicativo > presente vocĂȘs falamyou speakindicativo > presente
And hereâs an example of one of the most common irregular -AR verbs in Portuguese, estar:
Indicativo
O chĂĄ estĂĄ quenteThe tea is hot
- eu estouI amindicativo > presente tu estĂĄsyou sing.,inf. areindicativo > presente ele / ela estĂĄhe / she isindicativo > presente vocĂȘ estĂĄyou areindicativo > presente nĂłs estamoswe areindicativo > presente eles / elas estĂŁothey areindicativo > presente vocĂȘs estĂŁoyou areindicativo > presente
To compare the present tense endings:
- regular -AR verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -am
- estar: âou, âĂĄs, âĂĄ, âamos, âĂŁo
Extra Tips
As you start memorizing more and more irregular verbs in Portuguese, you may start to notice some similarities. For example, although the verb darto give is also irregular, it happens to be conjugated with the same endings as estarto be - temporary (above).
Indicativo
Tu dås a laranja à criançaYousing.,inf. give the orange to the kid
There are also some patterns within certain tenses of verbs that end in the same way, such as -iar and -ear, âuir, and -zir.
In other words, itâs not all completely random, so you will come across regularity within the irregularity. But itâs quite inconsistent, so trying to memorize these additional patterns and exceptions in advance is typically much more overwhelming than helpful.
As you continue to learn more verbs and verb tenses, youâll also find out that some verbs have spelling variations, even though they are considered âregularâ. For example, chegar is a regular verb, but it becomes eu cheguei in the simple past tense, instead of eu chegei. In other words, itâs phonetically regular (no change in how it sounds), so the u just helps it match the spelling for that particular sound in Portuguese..
Other Common Irregular Portuguese Verbs
Here are a few more present tense conjugations for some common irregular Portuguese verbs:
Indicativo
NĂłs podemos carregar as malas delasWe can carry theirfem. bags
Indicativo
Quer os seus livros?Do yousing.,formal want his books?
- eu queroI wantindicativo > presente tu queresyou sing.,inf. wantindicativo > presente ele / ela querhe / she wantsindicativo > presente vocĂȘ queryou wantindicativo > presente nĂłs queremoswe wantindicativo > presente eles / elas queremthey wantindicativo > presente vocĂȘs queremyou wantindicativo > presente
Indicativo
Tudo quanto ela diz Ă© uma mentiraEverything she says is a lie
Indicativo
Elas tĂȘm casacosThey fem have coats
Indicativo
Eu faço a camaI make the bed
Indicativo
VocĂȘs vĂŁo pintar a vossa casa?Are you pl. going to paint your house?
Indicativo
Tu vens comigo?Are yousing.,inf. coming with me?
Indicativo
Tu odeias carneYousing.,inf. hate meat
- eu odeioI hateindicativo > presente tu odeiasyou sing.,inf. hateindicativo > presente ele / ela odeiahe / she hatesindicativo > presente vocĂȘ odeiayou hateindicativo > presente nĂłs odiamoswe hateindicativo > presente eles / elas odeiamthey hateindicativo > presente vocĂȘs odeiamyou hateindicativo > presente
Help! đ§
Remember, this takes time. Along the way, you can reference our Verbs section for help with conjugating both regular and irregular verbs in different tenses! Phew! đ
Comments
Should ter not be included here?
Hey, Shirley. Oh, it certainly could â âterâ is also a highly irregular verb. This is not an extensive list, though, just a few examples. Iâll add it anyway, since itâs a verb that we use all the time and good to know.
In the third person plural of âverâ and âlerâ you need two âeâs because you need eyes to see and read and âeyesâ has two âeâs; whereas, you donât need eyes to have (ter) something (one âeâ with a circumflex)
Thatâs precisely what Portuguese teachers often say to help students memorize the different conjugations đ Definitely donât take it literally, but keep it in mind as a convenient mnemomic.
God, its much harder than i thought!
I suppose there is no easy way to learn verbs, it just depends upon how good your memory is as to how quickly you can memorise them!
For the irregular ones, it does come down to some memorization. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it!) many of the most common verbs are irregular, which means youâll also often hear certain conjugations in context. That can make it easier to pick some of it up within common phrases without explicitly having to memorize.
I like to learn
Are there any tips on hearing the difference between they see and they come?
Good question â this is a tough one. We actually talk about this in one of our podcasts: As Senhoras Que Bebem Cerveja . Skip to about the 5:50 mark and listen to Ruiâs pronunciations. Itâs hard to hear, but basically with veem, the first e is more like âehâ, whereas with vĂȘm itâs more like a nasalized âayâ.
The difference between the conjugation for ver and those for vir has always been difficult for me. But I like the âyou need two eyes to read, so therefore you need two eâs in the plural conjugations for verâ tip.
A very useful mnemonic!
In the pronunciation of the various forms of the verb « odiarâ i can hear âthâ instead of « d ». Am I hearing right ?
Sometimes you will hear d pronounced this way in Portuguese, with the tongue just a little more forward (sort of in between a d and a th). But you will also hear it pronounced the same as an English d. Just depends on the speaker.
Thank you ! Appreciate your assistance.
I definitely noticed this in one the shorties. The speaker said something that I heard as âde nathaâ. I figured what he meant was âde nadaâ and wondered if it was just poor audio or a regional accent.
This is probably an Iberian speech inflection. In spain it is even stronger as in therabetha for cerveza (beer) and doth for dos (two) Anthaluthia forAndalucĂa (Andalusia). Itâ not just Portuguese that is difficult to understand!đ
Hi!
I am hearing a âthâ sound in the conjugated form of âodiarâ that I do not hear in the infinitive? Am I mishearing??
OlĂĄ, Misha. Yes, the female speaker pronounces it more like a âD/THâ hybrid. This is actually an accepted variation in the pronunciation of the letter D, apart from the standard hard D. Linguists have acknowledged both variations of the D in European Portuguese (harder D and the âThâ hybrid, more plosive vs. more fricative), but the âThâ hybrid is considered more prevalent in central and southern Portugal than up north, which makes some see it as just a regional variation.
For those who pronounce it like this, this variation is more common between vowels, but you might also hear it in other spots, such as at the start of words. In any case, you can always just pronounce a hard D anytime and you will never be wrong or sound odd.
Hi,
I was hoping for some clarification using âvirâ. Apologies for the missing accents as well.
âYou are coming with meâ, in the lesson #9 is translated as âtu vens comigo?â
Is âtu estas a vir comigo?â also correct? If not, can you explain why?
Thanks!
It depends. In a context where âAre you coming with me?â means âWill you come with me?â (i.e. referring to the future/near future), only âTu vens comigo?â is acceptable. If âAre you coming with me?â is describing a currently ongoing action (i.e. the person is following you around at this very moment), then âTu estĂĄs a vir comigo?â would be a grammatically correct alternative.
This is because âestĂĄs a virâ is a structure that corresponds to the English Present Continuous, so itâs only applicable to actions that are already happening right now. On the other hand, the simple present âvensâ can also be used in a future sense, as all other verbs in general. More on that here: Talking About the Future in Portuguese
Boa noite,
Iâve been told that the spelling for the 3rd person plural of ver and ler should have an accent on the first e , so vocĂȘs vĂȘem / vocĂȘs lĂȘem.
Is it also correct to write them without an accent?
OlĂĄ! The spellings with the accent have been dropped after the implementation of our latest spelling reform (Acordo OrtogrĂĄfico). Now, these previously accented forms ending in -eem should be written without an accent, but keeping the double vowel: leem, veem, deemâŠ
Hi everyone
It would be really helpful if on the examples the voiceover could say the conjugations as in âI leaveâ â EU saio, TU sais etc to help me remember them!
Other than that, itâs great (mas muito dificil!!!)
Obrigada
Anne
I second that!
It will be great to download this lists in mp3 to listen a thousand times to memorize !
Iâm hearing vejo as vi show is that right? Also can you help understand when I need an article in front of possession words likeâŠEla encontra as suas chaves
âVi + showâ would not be it! âVejoâ sounds like âbeijoâ (kiss), but with a V: âvei+juâ. It actually varies with the accent. In some regions itâs said âvejoâ without the i sound that you find in beijo. Anyway, the most common pronunciation is that one similar to beijo. Listen to it in repeat until you master it!
As for the other question, I guess itâs safe to say that in European Portuguese youâd always put the article before the possession words. As in any rule, you may come across an exception! However, I canât seem to find one.
Do you have worksheet practice with this? Fill in the blanks?
We donât have worksheets, but we have online Lessons with lots of activities. If youâre a member, you can continue to the Lessons, which include multiple choice, fill in the blanks, type what you hear, speaking practice, etc. To give you an idea of what topics we cover: Units
In the âOUVIRâ example box, the example for ele / ela ouve is described as âhe / she he / shearsâ Was something cut off here?
OlĂĄ! Thank you for noticing that typo â weâve already fixed that đ
Iâd like to know why this phrase âTu dĂĄs a laranja Ă criançaâ doesnât include a definite article â I think. I typed my response as âTu dĂĄs a laranja ao criançaâ but the ao was corrected to Ă . Insight welcomed, thanks!
Happy to help!
The phrase âTu dĂĄs a laranja Ă criançaâ is correct as it stands because âĂ â is a contraction of the preposition âaâ and the definite article âaâ. In Portuguese, the definite article is used before the noun âcriançaâ (which is feminine and singular) to denote a specific child, not just any child. Therefore, âĂ criançaâ translates to âto the childâ in English.
The reason why âaoâ is incorrect in this context is that âaoâ is a contraction of âaâ + âoâ, which is used before masculine singular nouns. Since âcriançaâ is a feminine noun (despite being a boy or a girl), âĂ â is the appropriate contraction.
đ
Wonderful, I didnât realise Ă was the contraction. Thank you.
Add Saber here, please. With its forms. It very useful finally have full material with irregular verbs.
Thanks for your comment! The verb âsaberâ, along with many others, can be found on our Verbs section đ
Should âpreferirâ not be included in here?
Hi Alex! This Learning Note includes just a few examples of irregular verbs, but itâs not a complete list. âPreferirâ does indeed have some irregular conjugations.
Hi there, how do we learn the verbs from this lesson best? This is overwelming for me đ
Donât worry! You donât need to memorize all of them right away. Common irregular verbs will come up many times as you continue to work through the Units, and throughout the Shorties, so some of the process will be learning as you go.
However, I think it can sometimes help to start memorizing a few of them slowly, just to give yourself a stronger base to work from (less mental energy needed if some things are automatic).
Hereâs what I would suggest: 1) Use the Verbs section to quiz yourself on irregular verbs (start with âpresenteâ tense in the âindicativoâ mood for now). These are basically drills that let you focus only on conjugating the verb. Maybe you could start with ser, ir, ter, querer, and poder for now, as those are pretty useful. 2) You can also repeat the Lessons in this Unit as many times as youâd like. 3) Keep listening to Shorties regularly, even if you donât understand much yet. Follow along with the transcript and keep an eye/ear out for irregular verbs.