This guide is for understanding most normal Portuguese sentences without getting buried in grammar terms. It focuses on the verb forms you will see all the time.

The big idea:

Portuguese verbs change depending on who does the action and when it happens.

Example:

• eu falo = I speak
• você fala = you speak
• ele fala = he speaks
• nós falamos = we speak
• eles falam = they speak

English usually changes verbs only a little. Portuguese changes them more.

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1. The three main verb types 🔗

Portuguese verbs usually end in one of these:

-ar verbs 🔗

Examples:

• falar = to speak
• estudar = to study
• olhar = to look
• entrar = to enter
• morar = to live somewhere

These are the most common and usually the easiest.

-er verbs 🔗

Examples:

• comer = to eat
• beber = to drink
• entender = to understand
• escrever = to write
• aprender = to learn

-ir verbs 🔗

Examples:

• abrir = to open
• dormir = to sleep
• assistir = to watch / attend
• partir = to leave

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2. The basic verb form 🔗

The form ending in -ar, -er, -ir means to do something.

Examples:

• falar = to speak
• comer = to eat
• abrir = to open
• estudar = to study
• dormir = to sleep

You use this form after many helper verbs.

Examples:

• Eu quero falar. = I want to speak.
• Eu preciso estudar. = I need to study.
• Eu vou comer. = I am going to eat.
• Eu posso entrar? = Can I enter?
• Eu tenho que dormir. = I have to sleep.

This is very useful because you do not need to change the second verb.

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3. Present: things happening now or generally 🔗

The present is used for:

• things happening now
• things that are generally true
• habits

Example:

• Eu falo português. = I speak Portuguese.
• Ela mora no Brasil. = She lives in Brazil.
• Eles estudam muito. = They study a lot.

Present of -ar verbs: falar 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu falo	I speak
você fala	you speak
ele / ela fala	he / she speaks
nós falamos	we speak
vocês falam	you all speak
eles / elas falam	they speak

Pattern:

• eu: -o
• você / ele / ela: -a
• nós: -amos
• vocês / eles / elas: -am

More examples:

• Eu estudo. = I study.
• Você trabalha. = You work.
• Ela olha. = She looks.
• Nós moramos aqui. = We live here.
• Eles falam inglês. = They speak English.

Present of -er verbs: comer 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu como	I eat
você come	you eat
ele / ela come	he / she eats
nós comemos	we eat
vocês comem	you all eat
eles / elas comem	they eat

Pattern:

• eu: -o
• você / ele / ela: -e
• nós: -emos
• vocês / eles / elas: -em

More examples:

• Eu bebo água. = I drink water.
• Você entende? = Do you understand?
• Ela escreve bem. = She writes well.
• Nós aprendemos português. = We learn Portuguese.
• Eles comem pão. = They eat bread.

Present of -ir verbs: abrir 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu abro	I open
você abre	you open
ele / ela abre	he / she opens
nós abrimos	we open
vocês abrem	you all open
eles / elas abrem	they open

Pattern:

• eu: -o
• você / ele / ela: -e
• nós: -imos
• vocês / eles / elas: -em

More examples:

• Eu abro a porta. = I open the door.
• Você dorme muito. = You sleep a lot.
• Ela assiste TV. = She watches TV.
• Nós abrimos a janela. = We open the window.
• Eles dormem cedo. = They sleep early.

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4. Você, ele, and ela often use the same verb 🔗

In everyday Portuguese, você, ele, and ela usually use the same verb form.

Examples:

• você fala = you speak

• ele fala = he speaks

• ela fala = she speaks

• você come = you eat

• ele come = he eats

• ela come = she eats

• você abre = you open

• ele abre = he opens

• ela abre = she opens

This makes things easier.

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5. “I am doing”: estar + -ando / -endo / -indo 🔗

Use this when something is happening right now.

Examples:

• Eu estou estudando. = I am studying.
• Ela está comendo. = She is eating.
• Eles estão dormindo. = They are sleeping.

How to make it 🔗

For -ar verbs:

• falar → falando = speaking
• estudar → estudando = studying
• olhar → olhando = looking

For -er verbs:

• comer → comendo = eating
• beber → bebendo = drinking
• escrever → escrevendo = writing

For -ir verbs:

• abrir → abrindo = opening
• dormir → dormindo = sleeping
• assistir → assistindo = watching

Examples 🔗

• Eu estou falando. = I am speaking.
• Você está estudando? = Are you studying?
• Ela está escrevendo. = She is writing.
• Nós estamos aprendendo. = We are learning.
• Eles estão assistindo TV. = They are watching TV.

In casual speech, people often shorten estou to tô:

• Eu tô estudando. = I’m studying.
• Você tá comendo? = Are you eating?
• Eles tão dormindo. = They’re sleeping.

Use the full forms in writing. Learn the short forms because people say them constantly.

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6. The two main pasts 🔗

Portuguese has two very common ways to talk about the past.

The simple way to think about them:

Past type 1: a finished action 🔗

This means something happened and ended.

Examples:

• Eu falei. = I spoke.
• Ela comeu. = She ate.
• Eles chegaram. = They arrived.

Past type 2: background, habit, or ongoing past 🔗

This means something was happening, used to happen, or was generally true in the past.

Examples:

• Eu falava português. = I spoke Portuguese / I used to speak Portuguese.
• Ela comia muito pão. = She used to eat a lot of bread.
• Eu estava cansado. = I was tired.

Do not worry about the names at first. Just remember:

• falei = I did it once / finished
• falava = I used to do it / was doing it / background

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7. Past finished action 🔗

Use this for completed actions.

Examples:

• I studied yesterday.
• She arrived.
• They ate.
• We spoke with him.

Finished past of -ar verbs: falar 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu falei	I spoke
você falou	you spoke
ele / ela falou	he / she spoke
nós falamos	we spoke
vocês falaram	you all spoke
eles / elas falaram	they spoke

Pattern:

• eu: -ei
• você / ele / ela: -ou
• nós: -amos
• vocês / eles / elas: -aram

Examples:

• Eu estudei ontem. = I studied yesterday.
• Ela falou comigo. = She spoke with me.
• Nós entramos na sala. = We entered the room.
• Eles chegaram cedo. = They arrived early.

Finished past of -er verbs: comer 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu comi	I ate
você comeu	you ate
ele / ela comeu	he / she ate
nós comemos	we ate
vocês comeram	you all ate
eles / elas comeram	they ate

Pattern:

• eu: -i
• você / ele / ela: -eu
• nós: -emos
• vocês / eles / elas: -eram

Examples:

• Eu comi arroz. = I ate rice.
• Ela bebeu água. = She drank water.
• Nós escrevemos uma carta. = We wrote a letter.
• Eles aprenderam muito. = They learned a lot.

Finished past of -ir verbs: abrir 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu abri	I opened
você abriu	you opened
ele / ela abriu	he / she opened
nós abrimos	we opened
vocês abriram	you all opened
eles / elas abriram	they opened

Pattern:

• eu: -i
• você / ele / ela: -iu
• nós: -imos
• vocês / eles / elas: -iram

Examples:

• Eu abri a porta. = I opened the door.
• Ela dormiu cedo. = She slept early.
• Nós assistimos ao filme. = We watched the movie.
• Eles partiram. = They left.

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8. Past background / “used to” / “was doing” 🔗

Use this when talking about:

• what someone used to do
• what was happening
• background descriptions in the past
• age, feelings, weather, time, location in the past

Examples:

• Eu estudava português. = I used to study Portuguese.
• Ela morava no Brasil. = She lived / used to live in Brazil.
• Eu estava cansado. = I was tired.
• Chovia muito. = It was raining a lot.

Background past of -ar verbs: falar 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu falava	I spoke / used to speak / was speaking
você falava	you spoke / used to speak / were speaking
ele / ela falava	he / she spoke / used to speak / was speaking
nós falávamos	we spoke / used to speak / were speaking
vocês falavam	you all spoke / used to speak / were speaking
eles / elas falavam	they spoke / used to speak / were speaking

Examples:

• Eu morava em São Paulo. = I used to live in São Paulo.
• Ela estudava muito. = She used to study a lot.
• Nós falávamos português. = We used to speak Portuguese.

Background past of -er and -ir verbs 🔗

For -er and -ir, the endings are very similar.

comer 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu comia	I ate / used to eat / was eating
você comia	you ate / used to eat / were eating
ele / ela comia	he / she ate / used to eat / was eating
nós comíamos	we ate / used to eat / were eating
vocês comiam	you all ate / used to eat / were eating
eles / elas comiam	they ate / used to eat / were eating

abrir 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu abria	I opened / used to open / was opening
você abria	you opened / used to open / were opening
ele / ela abria	he / she opened / used to open / was opening
nós abríamos	we opened / used to open / were opening
vocês abriam	you all opened / used to open / were opening
eles / elas abriam	they opened / used to open / were opening

Examples:

• Eu comia pão todo dia. = I used to eat bread every day.
• Ela bebia café. = She used to drink coffee.
• Nós dormíamos cedo. = We used to sleep early.
• Eles assistiam TV à noite. = They used to watch TV at night.

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9. Very important: estava 🔗

Estava means was or were.

It comes from estar, which is used for temporary states, location, and things happening.

Examples:

• Eu estava cansado. = I was tired.
• Ela estava na escola. = She was at school.
• Eles estavam com fome. = They were hungry.
• Eu estava lendo. = I was reading.

Compare:

• Eu estou lendo. = I am reading.
• Eu estava lendo. = I was reading.

So:

• Porque eu estava lendo devagar. = Because I was reading slowly.

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10. Future: the easy way with ir 🔗

The easiest and most common way to talk about the future is:

ir + basic verb

It is like English “going to.”

Examples:

• Eu vou estudar. = I am going to study.
• Ela vai comer. = She is going to eat.
• Nós vamos sair. = We are going to leave / go out.
• Eles vão dormir. = They are going to sleep.

Present of ir = to go 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu vou	I go / I am going
você vai	you go / you are going
ele / ela vai	he / she goes / is going
nós vamos	we go / we are going
vocês vão	you all go / are going
eles / elas vão	they go / are going

Examples:

• Eu vou falar com ela. = I am going to speak with her.
• Você vai estudar hoje? = Are you going to study today?
• Ela vai entrar na sala. = She is going to enter the room.
• Nós vamos aprender português. = We are going to learn Portuguese.
• Eles vão assistir ao filme. = They are going to watch the movie.

This future form covers a huge amount of everyday speech.

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11. “I have to”: ter que + basic verb 🔗

Use ter que for “have to.”

Examples:

• Eu tenho que estudar. = I have to study.
• Ela tem que sair. = She has to leave.
• Nós temos que falar. = We have to speak.
• Eles têm que trabalhar. = They have to work.

Present of ter = to have 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu tenho	I have
você tem	you have
ele / ela tem	he / she has
nós temos	we have
vocês têm	you all have
eles / elas têm	they have

Examples:

• Eu tenho um livro. = I have a book.
• Ela tem uma pergunta. = She has a question.
• Nós temos tempo. = We have time.
• Eles têm dinheiro. = They have money.

With que:

• Eu tenho que ir. = I have to go.
• Você tem que comer. = You have to eat.
• Ela tem que dormir. = She has to sleep.

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12. “I want to”: querer + basic verb 🔗

Use querer for “to want.”

Present of querer 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu quero	I want
você quer	you want
ele / ela quer	he / she wants
nós queremos	we want
vocês querem	you all want
eles / elas querem	they want

Examples:

• Eu quero água. = I want water.
• Eu quero estudar. = I want to study.
• Ela quer comer. = She wants to eat.
• Nós queremos aprender português. = We want to learn Portuguese.
• Eles querem sair. = They want to leave / go out.

Very common question:

• Você quer…? = Do you want…?

Examples:

• Você quer café? = Do you want coffee?
• Você quer entrar? = Do you want to come in?

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13. “I can”: poder + basic verb 🔗

Use poder for “can” or “to be able to.”

Present of poder 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu posso	I can
você pode	you can
ele / ela pode	he / she can
nós podemos	we can
vocês podem	you all can
eles / elas podem	they can

Examples:

• Eu posso entrar? = Can I enter?
• Você pode falar devagar? = Can you speak slowly?
• Ela pode ajudar. = She can help.
• Nós podemos estudar juntos. = We can study together.
• Eles podem vir amanhã. = They can come tomorrow.

Very useful phrase:

• Pode ser. = That works / Maybe / Okay.

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14. “I need to”: precisar + basic verb 🔗

Use precisar for “to need.”

Present of precisar 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu preciso	I need
você precisa	you need
ele / ela precisa	he / she needs
nós precisamos	we need
vocês precisam	you all need
eles / elas precisam	they need

Examples:

• Eu preciso de água. = I need water.
• Eu preciso estudar. = I need to study.
• Ela precisa dormir. = She needs to sleep.
• Nós precisamos sair. = We need to leave.
• Eles precisam aprender. = They need to learn.

Note:

• precisar de + thing
• precisar + verb

Examples:

• Eu preciso de dinheiro. = I need money.
• Eu preciso trabalhar. = I need to work.

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15. “I like”: gostar de + basic verb or thing 🔗

Use gostar de for “to like.”

Present of gostar 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu gosto de	I like
você gosta de	you like
ele / ela gosta de	he / she likes
nós gostamos de	we like
vocês gostam de	you all like
eles / elas gostam de	they like

Examples:

• Eu gosto de café. = I like coffee.
• Eu gosto de estudar. = I like studying / I like to study.
• Ela gosta de música. = She likes music.
• Nós gostamos de português. = We like Portuguese.
• Eles gostam de viajar. = They like traveling.

Do not forget de:

• gosto de café
• gosto de estudar
• gosto de você

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16. Ser and estar: the two “to be” verbs 🔗

Portuguese has two common verbs that can both mean “to be.”

Simple idea:

ser 🔗

Use ser for identity, nature, origin, profession, time, and things that feel more permanent or defining.

Examples:

• Eu sou americano. = I am American.
• Ela é professora. = She is a teacher.
• Ele é alto. = He is tall.
• São duas horas. = It is two o’clock.

estar 🔗

Use estar for temporary state, location, condition, and things happening now.

Examples:

• Eu estou cansado. = I am tired.
• Ela está na escola. = She is at school.
• A porta está aberta. = The door is open.
• Eu estou estudando. = I am studying.

Present of ser 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu sou	I am
você é	you are
ele / ela é	he / she is
nós somos	we are
vocês são	you all are
eles / elas são	they are

Examples:

• Eu sou estudante. = I am a student.
• Você é brasileiro? = Are you Brazilian?
• Ela é inteligente. = She is intelligent.
• Nós somos amigos. = We are friends.
• Eles são professores. = They are teachers.

Present of estar 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu estou	I am
você está	you are
ele / ela está	he / she is
nós estamos	we are
vocês estão	you all are
eles / elas estão	they are

Examples:

• Eu estou aqui. = I am here.
• Você está bem? = Are you okay?
• Ela está cansada. = She is tired.
• Nós estamos na escola. = We are at school.
• Eles estão com fome. = They are hungry.

Quick contrast 🔗

• Ela é feliz. = She is a happy person.

• Ela está feliz. = She is happy right now.

• Ele é do Brasil. = He is from Brazil.

• Ele está no Brasil. = He is in Brazil.

• A comida é boa. = The food is good generally.

• A comida está boa. = The food tastes good right now.

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17. Common “feeling” phrases with estar com 🔗

Portuguese often says estar com where English says “to be.”

Literally it is like “to be with,” but naturally it means “to have / be feeling.”

Examples:

• Eu estou com fome. = I am hungry.
• Eu estou com sede. = I am thirsty.
• Eu estou com sono. = I am sleepy.
• Eu estou com frio. = I am cold.
• Eu estou com calor. = I am hot.
• Eu estou com medo. = I am afraid.

Past:

• Eu estava com fome. = I was hungry.
• Ela estava com sono. = She was sleepy.

Important:

• sono = sleepiness / feeling sleepy
• dormir = to sleep

Examples:

• Eu estou com sono. = I am sleepy.
• Eu quero dormir. = I want to sleep.

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18. Fazer: to do / to make 🔗

Fazer is extremely common.

Present of fazer 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu faço	I do / make
você faz	you do / make
ele / ela faz	he / she does / makes
nós fazemos	we do / make
vocês fazem	you all do / make
eles / elas fazem	they do / make

Examples:

• Eu faço café. = I make coffee.
• Você faz o quê? = What do you do?
• Ela faz comida. = She makes food.
• Nós fazemos isso. = We do this.

Useful phrase:

• O que você está fazendo? = What are you doing?

Past finished:

• eu fiz = I did / made
• você fez = you did / made
• ele fez = he did / made
• nós fizemos = we did / made
• eles fizeram = they did / made

Examples:

• Eu fiz a tarefa. = I did the homework.
• Ela fez café. = She made coffee.

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19. Ir: to go 🔗

Ir is extremely common because it means “to go” and also helps make the future.

Present 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu vou	I go / I am going
você vai	you go / you are going
ele / ela vai	he / she goes / is going
nós vamos	we go / we are going
vocês vão	you all go / are going
eles / elas vão	they go / are going

Examples:

• Eu vou para casa. = I am going home.
• Ela vai à escola. = She goes to school.
• Nós vamos ao mercado. = We are going to the market.

Future use:

• Eu vou estudar. = I am going to study.
• Ela vai dormir. = She is going to sleep.

Past finished:

• eu fui = I went
• você foi = you went
• ele / ela foi = he / she went
• nós fomos = we went
• eles / elas foram = they went

Examples:

• Eu fui ao mercado. = I went to the market.
• Ela foi para casa. = She went home.
• Nós fomos ao Brasil. = We went to Brazil.

Important: fui can mean “I went” or “I was,” depending on context, because it is also used for ser in the past.

Examples:

• Eu fui ao Brasil. = I went to Brazil.
• Eu fui estudante. = I was a student.

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20. Ver: to see 🔗

Present of ver 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu vejo	I see
você vê	you see
ele / ela vê	he / she sees
nós vemos	we see
vocês veem	you all see
eles / elas veem	they see

Examples:

• Eu vejo a casa. = I see the house.
• Você vê? = Do you see?
• Ela vê o professor. = She sees the teacher.
• Nós vemos o filme. = We see / watch the movie.

Past finished:

• eu vi = I saw
• você viu = you saw
• ele viu = he saw
• nós vimos = we saw
• eles viram = they saw

Examples:

• Eu vi Ana ontem. = I saw Ana yesterday.
• Você viu isso? = Did you see that?

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21. Vir: to come 🔗

Present of vir 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu venho	I come
você vem	you come
ele / ela vem	he / she comes
nós vimos	we come
vocês vêm	you all come
eles / elas vêm	they come

Examples:

• Eu venho aqui todo dia. = I come here every day.
• Você vem comigo? = Are you coming with me?
• Ela vem amanhã. = She comes / is coming tomorrow.

Past finished:

• eu vim = I came
• você veio = you came
• ele veio = he came
• nós viemos = we came
• eles vieram = they came

Examples:

• Eu vim cedo. = I came early.
• Ela veio do Brasil. = She came from Brazil.

Careful:

• eu vi = I saw
• eu vim = I came

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22. Dar: to give 🔗

Present of dar 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu dou	I give
você dá	you give
ele / ela dá	he / she gives
nós damos	we give
vocês dão	you all give
eles / elas dão	they give

Examples:

• Eu dou o livro para ela. = I give the book to her.
• Você dá aula? = Do you teach class?
• Ela dá comida ao cachorro. = She gives food to the dog.

Useful phrases:

• Dá para…? = Is it possible to…?
• Dá para entrar? = Is it possible to enter? / Can I enter?
• Não dá. = It’s not possible / It doesn’t work.

Past finished:

• eu dei = I gave
• você deu = you gave
• ele deu = he gave
• nós demos = we gave
• eles deram = they gave

Examples:

• Eu dei o livro para ela. = I gave the book to her.
• Ele me deu água. = He gave me water.

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23. Dizer: to say / tell 🔗

Present of dizer 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu digo	I say / tell
você diz	you say / tell
ele / ela diz	he / she says / tells
nós dizemos	we say / tell
vocês dizem	you all say / tell
eles / elas dizem	they say / tell

Examples:

• Eu digo a verdade. = I tell the truth.
• O que você diz? = What do you say?
• Ela diz que sim. = She says yes.

Past finished:

• eu disse = I said
• você disse = you said
• ele disse = he said
• nós dissemos = we said
• eles disseram = they said

Examples:

• Eu disse isso. = I said that.
• Ela disse que estava cansada. = She said she was tired.

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24. Saber and conhecer: two kinds of “to know” 🔗

Portuguese has two common verbs for “to know.”

saber 🔗

Use saber for facts, information, or how to do something.

Examples:

• Eu sei. = I know.
• Eu sei português. = I know Portuguese.
• Eu sei nadar. = I know how to swim.
• Você sabe? = Do you know?

conhecer 🔗

Use conhecer for being familiar with a person, place, or thing.

Examples:

• Eu conheço Ana. = I know Ana.
• Eu conheço o Brasil. = I know Brazil / I am familiar with Brazil.
• Você conhece este lugar? = Do you know this place?

Present of saber 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu sei	I know
você sabe	you know
ele / ela sabe	he / she knows
nós sabemos	we know
vocês sabem	you all know
eles / elas sabem	they know

Present of conhecer 🔗

Portuguese	English
eu conheço	I know / am familiar with
você conhece	you know / are familiar with
ele / ela conhece	he / she knows / is familiar with
nós conhecemos	we know / are familiar with
vocês conhecem	you all know / are familiar with
eles / elas conhecem	they know / are familiar with

Past examples:

• Eu sabia. = I knew / I used to know.
• Eu soube ontem. = I found out yesterday.
• Eu conheci Ana ontem. = I met Ana yesterday.

Important:

• Eu sabia. = I knew.
• Eu também sabia. = I also knew.

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25. Commands: telling someone to do something 🔗

For casual everyday learning, the most useful command form is the one used with você.

Many common commands look like this:

-ar verbs use -e 🔗

• falar → fale = speak
• estudar → estude = study
• entrar → entre = enter / come in
• olhar → olhe = look

Examples:

• Fale devagar. = Speak slowly.
• Estude mais. = Study more.
• Entre, por favor. = Come in, please.
• Olhe aqui. = Look here.

-er and -ir verbs use -a 🔗

• comer → coma = eat
• beber → beba = drink
• abrir → abra = open
• dormir → durma = sleep

Examples:

• Coma devagar. = Eat slowly.
• Beba água. = Drink water.
• Abra a porta. = Open the door.
• Durma bem. = Sleep well.

Negative commands 🔗

Negative commands often use the same form with não:

• Não fale. = Don’t speak.
• Não coma isso. = Don’t eat that.
• Não abra a porta. = Don’t open the door.
• Não durma aqui. = Don’t sleep here.

Very common irregular commands:

• seja = be
• esteja = be / stay
• vá = go
• venha = come
• faça = do / make
• diga = say / tell
• dê = give

Examples:

• Seja bom. = Be good.
• Vá para casa. = Go home.
• Venha aqui. = Come here.
• Faça isso. = Do this.
• Diga a verdade. = Tell the truth.

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26. “Would” and polite requests 🔗

Portuguese often uses a form like “would” to sound softer or more polite.

Examples:

• Eu gostaria de café. = I would like coffee.
• Você poderia ajudar? = Could you help?
• Eu queria falar com você. = I wanted / would like to speak with you.

Very useful phrases:

• Eu gostaria de… = I would like…
• Eu gostaria de estudar português. = I would like to study Portuguese.
• Você poderia repetir? = Could you repeat?
• Você poderia falar devagar? = Could you speak slowly?

You do not need to master all “would” forms at first. Just memorize these useful phrases.

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27. “If I were / if I had” 🔗

You will see phrases like:

• se eu fosse = if I were
• se eu tivesse = if I had
• se eu pudesse = if I could
• se eu soubesse = if I knew

Examples:

• Se eu fosse rico… = If I were rich…
• Se eu tivesse tempo… = If I had time…
• Se eu pudesse, eu iria. = If I could, I would go.
• Se eu soubesse, eu diria. = If I knew, I would say.

This is useful to recognize, but you do not need to produce it perfectly at the beginning.

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28. How to ask questions with verbs 🔗

Portuguese questions are often easy. Many times, the word order stays the same. Your voice or the question mark shows it is a question.

Examples:

• Você fala português. = You speak Portuguese.

• Você fala português? = Do you speak Portuguese?

• Ela está aqui. = She is here.

• Ela está aqui? = Is she here?

• Você quer café. = You want coffee.

• Você quer café? = Do you want coffee?

Common question words:

• o que = what
• quem = who
• onde = where
• quando = when
• por que = why
• como = how
• quanto = how much

Examples:

• O que você quer? = What do you want?
• Quem é ela? = Who is she?
• Onde você mora? = Where do you live?
• Quando você vai? = When are you going?
• Por que você está cansado? = Why are you tired?
• Como você sabe? = How do you know?

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29. How to make verbs negative 🔗

Put não before the verb.

Examples:

• Eu falo português. = I speak Portuguese.

• Eu não falo português. = I do not speak Portuguese.

• Ela quer café. = She wants coffee.

• Ela não quer café. = She does not want coffee.

• Nós vamos sair. = We are going to leave.

• Nós não vamos sair. = We are not going to leave.

With helper verbs, não usually goes before the first verb:

• Eu não quero estudar. = I do not want to study.
• Ela não pode entrar. = She cannot enter.
• Nós não temos que ir. = We do not have to go.

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30. Reflexive-style verbs: me, se, nos 🔗

Some verbs use little words like me, se, and nos.

Simple idea: the action comes back to the person.

Examples:

• Eu me chamo Ana. = My name is Ana. / I call myself Ana.
• Ele se chama Lucas. = His name is Lucas.
• Eu me levanto cedo. = I get up early.
• Ela se sente bem. = She feels well.

Common words:

• me = myself / to me
• se = himself / herself / yourself / themselves
• nos = ourselves / to us

Examples:

• Eu me lembro. = I remember.
• Ela se lembra. = She remembers.
• Nós nos lembramos. = We remember.

Do not worry too much about this at first. Just recognize common phrases:

• se chama = is called / his name is / her name is
• me chamo = my name is
• se sente = feels
• me sinto = I feel

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31. Short everyday verb phrases to memorize 🔗

These cover a lot of daily speech.

Basic needs 🔗

• Eu quero… = I want…
• Eu preciso de… = I need…
• Eu tenho… = I have…
• Eu tenho que… = I have to…
• Eu posso…? = Can I…?
• Você pode…? = Can you…?

Feelings 🔗

• Eu estou bem. = I am okay.
• Eu estou cansado. = I am tired. / male speaker
• Eu estou cansada. = I am tired. / female speaker
• Eu estou com fome. = I am hungry.
• Eu estou com sede. = I am thirsty.
• Eu estou com sono. = I am sleepy.
• Eu estou com medo. = I am afraid.

Movement 🔗

• Eu vou… = I am going…
• Eu vou para casa. = I am going home.
• Eu vou ao mercado. = I am going to the market.
• Eu venho de… = I come from…
• Eu cheguei. = I arrived.
• Eu saí. = I left / went out.

Speech 🔗

• Eu falo português. = I speak Portuguese.
• Eu não entendo. = I do not understand.
• Eu entendo um pouco. = I understand a little.
• Você pode repetir? = Can you repeat?
• Fale devagar, por favor. = Speak slowly, please.
• Como se diz…? = How do you say…?

Learning 🔗

• Eu estudo português. = I study Portuguese.
• Eu estou aprendendo. = I am learning.
• Eu aprendi uma palavra nova. = I learned a new word.
• Eu não sabia. = I did not know.
• Agora eu sei. = Now I know.

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32. Most important verbs to learn first 🔗

Learn these early. They appear constantly.

Verb	Meaning
ser	to be
estar	to be / to be located
ter	to have
ir	to go
fazer	to do / make
querer	to want
poder	can / to be able to
precisar	to need
gostar de	to like
falar	to speak
dizer	to say / tell
saber	to know facts / know how
conhecer	to know / be familiar with
ver	to see
vir	to come
dar	to give
comer	to eat
beber	to drink
dormir	to sleep
escrever	to write
ler	to read
entender	to understand
aprender	to learn
entrar	to enter
sair	to leave / go out
chegar	to arrive
morar	to live somewhere
trabalhar	to work
estudar	to study
olhar	to look
assistir	to watch / attend

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33. Super common irregular verbs: mini chart 🔗

These are worth memorizing because they appear all the time.

Present 🔗

Verb	eu	você / ele / ela	nós	eles / elas
ser	sou	é	somos	são
estar	estou	está	estamos	estão
ter	tenho	tem	temos	têm
ir	vou	vai	vamos	vão
fazer	faço	faz	fazemos	fazem
querer	quero	quer	queremos	querem
poder	posso	pode	podemos	podem
saber	sei	sabe	sabemos	sabem
dizer	digo	diz	dizemos	dizem
ver	vejo	vê	vemos	veem
vir	venho	vem	vimos	vêm
dar	dou	dá	damos	dão

Finished past 🔗

Verb	eu	você / ele / ela	nós	eles / elas
ser / ir	fui	foi	fomos	foram
estar	estive	esteve	estivemos	estiveram
ter	tive	teve	tivemos	tiveram
fazer	fiz	fez	fizemos	fizeram
querer	quis	quis	quisemos	quiseram
poder	pude	pôde	pudemos	puderam
saber	soube	soube	soubemos	souberam
dizer	disse	disse	dissemos	disseram
ver	vi	viu	vimos	viram
vir	vim	veio	viemos	vieram
dar	dei	deu	demos	deram

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34. A simple way to read Portuguese verbs 🔗

When you see a verb, ask:

1. Is it happening now, generally, or often?
2. Is it a finished past action?
3. Is it background / “used to” / “was doing”?
4. Is it future with vai / vou / vão?
5. Is there a helper verb before it?

Examples:

Eu estudo português. 🔗

• estudo = I study
• present / habit
• “I study Portuguese.”

Eu estudei ontem. 🔗

• estudei = I studied
• finished past
• “I studied yesterday.”

Eu estudava português quando era criança. 🔗

• estudava = I used to study
• background past
• “I used to study Portuguese when I was a child.”

Eu vou estudar amanhã. 🔗

• vou estudar = I am going to study
• future
• “I am going to study tomorrow.”

Eu quero estudar. 🔗

• quero = I want
• estudar = to study
• “I want to study.”

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35. The 80/20 rule for Portuguese verbs 🔗

To understand most everyday Portuguese, focus on these first:

1. Present tense:

   • eu falo
   • você fala
   • nós falamos
   • eles falam

2. Easy future:

   • eu vou falar
   • ela vai comer
   • eles vão sair

3. Present action:

   • eu estou falando
   • ela está comendo
   • eles estão dormindo

4. Finished past:

   • eu falei
   • ela falou
   • eles falaram
   • eu comi
   • ela comeu
   • eles comeram

5. Background past:

   • eu falava
   • ela comia
   • eles dormiam
   • eu estava

6. Helper verbs:

   • quero + verb
   • posso + verb
   • preciso + verb
   • tenho que + verb
   • gosto de + verb

7. The most common irregular verbs:

   • ser
   • estar
   • ter
   • ir
   • fazer
   • querer
   • poder
   • saber
   • dizer
   • ver
   • vir
   • dar

If you know these, you can understand a large amount of normal Portuguese.

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36. Practice sentences 🔗

Try to understand each sentence by finding the verb.

Present 🔗

• Eu falo inglês. = I speak English.
• Ela mora no Brasil. = She lives in Brazil.
• Nós estudamos português. = We study Portuguese.
• Eles trabalham muito. = They work a lot.

Right now 🔗

• Eu estou lendo. = I am reading.
• Ela está escrevendo. = She is writing.
• Nós estamos comendo. = We are eating.
• Eles estão dormindo. = They are sleeping.

Future 🔗

• Eu vou sair. = I am going to leave.
• Ela vai estudar. = She is going to study.
• Nós vamos comer. = We are going to eat.
• Eles vão viajar. = They are going to travel.

Past finished 🔗

• Eu falei com Ana. = I spoke with Ana.
• Ela chegou cedo. = She arrived early.
• Nós comemos arroz. = We ate rice.
• Eles abriram a porta. = They opened the door.

Past background 🔗

• Eu morava aqui. = I used to live here.
• Ela estudava muito. = She used to study a lot.
• Nós comíamos pão. = We used to eat bread.
• Eles dormiam cedo. = They used to sleep early.

Helper verbs 🔗

• Eu quero aprender. = I want to learn.
• Ela precisa dormir. = She needs to sleep.
• Nós temos que sair. = We have to leave.
• Você pode repetir? = Can you repeat?
• Eles gostam de estudar. = They like studying.

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37. Quick survival chart 🔗

English	Portuguese
I am	eu sou / eu estou
I have	eu tenho
I want	eu quero
I need	eu preciso
I have to	eu tenho que
I can	eu posso
I go / I am going	eu vou
I am going to speak	eu vou falar
I speak	eu falo
I am speaking	eu estou falando
I spoke	eu falei
I used to speak / was speaking	eu falava
I know	eu sei
I do / make	eu faço
I did / made	eu fiz
I saw	eu vi
I came	eu vim
I said	eu disse

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38. Final advice 🔗

Do not try to memorize every verb form at once.

Start with these sentence frames:

• Eu quero + verb.
• Eu preciso + verb.
• Eu tenho que + verb.
• Eu posso + verb?
• Eu vou + verb.
• Eu estou + -ando / -endo / -indo.
• Eu + present verb.
• Eu + finished past verb.
• Eu + background past verb.

Examples:

• Eu quero comer. = I want to eat.
• Eu preciso estudar. = I need to study.
• Eu tenho que sair. = I have to leave.
• Eu posso entrar? = Can I enter?
• Eu vou dormir. = I am going to sleep.
• Eu estou lendo. = I am reading.
• Eu leio. = I read.
• Eu li. = I read / I have read / I read it in the past.
• Eu lia. = I used to read / I was reading.

That pattern alone will carry you through a huge amount of Portuguese.