The English simple past tense (e.g. “I went”, “We ate”, “You finished”) corresponds to the Portuguese . As with the present tense, conjugating regular Portuguese verbs in this tense is easier once you learn the patterns for each verb group. Examples of some regular verbs in the -AR group include , , and . Let’s […]
Regular -AR Verbs in the Simple Past
Talking About the Future in Portuguese
Below we will discuss the three main methods to talk about the future in Portuguese: 1. Using Ir + Infinitive Similar to the English construction, to discuss the future, Portuguese uses the verb , followed by a verb in its infinitive form. First let’s see the present tense conjugation for the verb ir, since this […]
The Verb “Pôr”: In a Group of Its Own?
The verb pôr is an unusual Portuguese verb. You may be surprised to learn that all verbs ending in -OR are actually part of the same group as verbs that end in –ER. 🤔 These “-por” verbs are considered part of the -ER group because of their Latin origins: pôr used to be written as […]
Regular -ER Verbs in the Present Tense
As mentioned, Portuguese verbs are split into three groups: -ar verbs -er verbs -ir verbs Now we’ll deal with the 2nd group: -ER verbs! Regular -ER Verb Endings Below are some examples of regular -ER verbs in the present tense. Notice the endings (-o, -es, -e, -emos, -em) which are added after each verb’s stem […]
Regular -AR Verbs in the Present Tense
In Portuguese, verbs are split into three groups: -ar verbs -er verbs -ir verbs In this article, we’ll cover the first group: -AR Verbs! Common regular verbs ending in -AR include , and When the conjugation is regular, the endings of conjugated -AR verbs follow the same pattern. Below, we’ll use the Portuguese regular verb […]
Ser vs. Estar: Two Ways of Being
Are you familiar with the verbs and ? Even with a lot of practice, they are still easy to mix up! Don’t worry: in this unit you’ll learn more about when to use one versus the other. A Basic Distinction: Ser vs Estar Ser is typically used to describe permanent states or conditions. It refers […]
The Verb “Ser”
is one of the most fundamental and important Portuguese verbs. It also happens to be an irregular verb, which helps explain why the conjugations below look quite different from the verb’s infinitive form. For now, we’ll focus on ser in the :
Regular vs. Irregular Verbs
As if learning 50 conjugations of each verb wasn’t enough, we also have to watch out for the dreaded irregular verbs! 🙈 In previous lessons, you learned the verb , one of the most common irregular verbs in Portuguese. But why is it called “irregular”? Well, verbs are irregular when they don’t follow the same […]
Portuguese Verbs and Personal Pronouns
Time for some action! 🕺🏻💃🏻 We’ve covered a few basics already, but we won’t get very far without talking about . This Learning Note is a brief overview of how Portuguese verbs work, as well as the personal pronouns associated with each conjugation. Just like in English, a Portuguese verb expresses an action. For example: […]