Portuguese conjugation involves several tenses and moods, and the full list can get rather long depending on how we decide to categorize them. To get an idea of how tricky Portuguese conjugation can be, take a look at the conjugation of the verb dizer (to say) in Portuguese. Nevertheless, we’ve done our best to provide you with a Portuguese conjugation list as complete as possible right below.
In this article, we will share all the best tips and resources for learning how to conjugate verbs in Portuguese. But first, let’s take a look at the essentials of Portuguese conjugation; for diversity’s sake, we have used different verbs for each of the examples.
The Essentials of Portuguese Conjugation (with Examples)
In Portuguese, verbs appear in one of three tenses: present, past, and future. Portuguese conjugation also varies according to mood. The three main moods of the Portuguese language are the passive voice, the imperative voice, and the conditionals.
Present Tense
The present tense is used to express present actions. To illustrate the differences between present tense simple, continuous, and perfect, we will be using the verb escrever (to write).
Conjugation of Escrever in Present Simple
The present simple is used to describe situations that are either happening at the present moment (such as “He writes very well”—Ele escreve muito bem) or that refer to habitual actions (such as “I write to make money”—Eu escrevo para ganhar dinheiro).
| Subject (EN/PT) | Verb in English | Verb in Portuguese |
| I / Eu | Write | Escrevo |
| You / Tu | Write | Escreves |
| He-She / Ele-Ela | Writes | Escreve |
| We / Nós | Write | Escrevemos |
| You / Vocês | Write | Escrevem |
| They / Eles-Elas | Write | Escrevem |
Conjugation of Escrever in Present Continuous
The present continuous is used to describe situations that are happening at the moment of speaking. It’s usually formed using the additional verb estar (to be) to reinforce the present continuous action taking place (such as in “I am writing”—Eu estou escrevendo).
Interestingly enough, Portuguese conjugation of present continuous verbs varies from European Portuguese to Brazilian Portuguese. While in European Portuguese we use the infinitive version (escrever), in Brazilian Portuguese we apply the gerund version (escrevendo).
In the table below, we have listed conjugations in the Brazilian variant:
| Subject (EN/PT) | Verb in English | Verb in Portuguese |
| I / Eu | Am writing | Estou escrevendo |
| You / Tu | Are writing | Estás escrevendo |
| He-She / Ele-Ela | Is writing | Está escrevendo |
| We / Nós | Are writing | Estamos escrevendo |
| You / Vocês | Are writing | Estão escrevendo |
| They / Eles-Elas | Are writing | Estão escrevendo |
Conjugation of Escrever in Present Perfect
The present perfect describes actions completed in the past that have ongoing influence on the present, as in “I have written professionally for many years”—Eu tenho escrito profissionalmente por muitos anos.
Just like the present continuous, the present perfect is signaled using an additional verb (in this case, the verb ter, or “to have”).
| Subject (EN/PT) | Verb in English | Verb in Portuguese |
| I / Eu | Have written | Tenho escrito |
| You / Tu | Have written | Tens escrito |
| He-She / Ele-Ela | Has written | Tem escrito |
| We / Nós | Have written | Temos escrito |
| You / Vocês | Have written | Tendes escrito |
| They / Eles-Elas | Have written | Têm escrito |
Past Tense
The past tense is used to express actions that have already taken place. To illustrate the differences between present tense simple, continuous, and perfect, we will be using the verb comer (to eat).
Conjugation of Comer in Past Simple
The simplest form of the past tense is used to describe events that were completed in the past, as in “I ate pizza yesterday”—Eu comi pizza ontem.
| Subject (EN/PT) | Verb in English | Verb in Portuguese |
| I / Eu | Ate | Comi |
| You / Tu | Ate | Comeste |
| He-She / Ele-Ela | Ate | Comeu |
| We / Nós | Ate | Comemos |
| You / Vocês | Ate | Comeram |
| They / Eles-Elas | Ate | Comeram |
Conjugation of Comer in Past Continuous
Similar to the present continuous, the past continuous is usually formed using the additional verb “to be” and differs from European to Brazilian Portuguese. It refers to events from the past that were ongoing.
| Subject (EN/PT) | Verb in English | Verb in Portuguese |
| I / Eu | Was eating | Estava comendo |
| You / Tu | Were eating | Estavas comendo |
| He-She / Ele-Ela | Was eating | Estava comendo |
| We / Nós | Were eating | Estávamos comendo |
| You / Vocês | Were eating | Estavam comendo |
| They / Eles-Elas | Were eating | Estavam comendo |
Conjugation of Comer in Past Perfect
The past perfect tense is used to express actions that were completed before a specific point in the past, and is reinforced by the verb ter (to have).
| Subject (EN/PT) | Verb in English | Verb in Portuguese |
| I / Eu | Had eaten | Tinha comido |
| You / Tu | Had eaten | Tinhas comido |
| He-She / Ele-Ela | Had eaten | Tinha comido |
| We / Nós | Had eaten | Tínhamos comido |
| You / Vocês | Had eaten | Tinham comido |
| They / Eles-Elas | Had eaten | Tinham comido |
Future Tense
The future tense is used to describe actions that are yet to take place. To illustrate the differences between future tense simple, continuous, and perfect, we will be using the verb ganhar (to win).
Conjugation of Ganhar in Future Simple
The simplest form of the future tense indicates actions that will happen in the future.
| Subject (EN/PT) | Verb in English | Verb in Portuguese |
| I / Eu | Will win | Ganharei |
| You / Tu | Will win | Ganharás |
| He-She / Ele-Ela | Will win | Ganhará |
| We / Nós | Will win | Ganharemos |
| You / Vocês | Will win | Ganharão |
| They / Eles-Elas | Will win | Ganharão |
Conjugation of Ganhar in Future Continuous
The future continuous tense is used to describe actions that will be in progress at a specific point in the future, and reinforced by the verb estar (“to be). Like all continuous tenses in Portuguese conjugation, the future continuous can be formed using the indicative (European Portuguese) or the gerund (Brazilian Portuguese).
| Subject (EN/PT) | Verb in English | Verb in Portuguese |
| I / Eu | Will be winning | Estarei ganhando |
| You / Tu | Will be winning | Estarás ganhando |
| He-She / Ele-Ela | Will be winning | Estará ganhando |
| We / Nós | Will be winning | Estaremos ganhando |
| You / Vocês | Will be winning | Estarão ganhando |
| They / Eles-Elas | Will be winning | Estarão ganhando |
Conjugation of Ganhar in Future Perfect
The future perfect tense is used to express actions that will be completed by a specific point in the future, and is formed using the verb ter (to have).
| Subject (EN/PT) | Verb in English | Verb in Portuguese |
| I / Eu | Will have won | Terei ganho |
| You / Tu | Will have won | Terás ganho |
| He-She / Ele-Ela | Will have won | Terá ganho |
| We / Nós | Will have won | Teremos ganho |
| You / Vocês | Will have won | Terão ganho |
| They / Eles-Elas | Will have won | Terão ganho |
Passive Voice
In Portuguese verb conjugation, passive voice is a grammatical construction used to emphasize the action performed on the subject (the receiver of the action) rather than the doer of the action. To express passive voice in the present, past, and future tenses, we must use the reinforcing verb ser (to be), as in “The cake was eaten by me”—O bolo foi comido por mim.
Here are three examples of sentences in the present, past, and future passive:
- Present passive: “The movie Titanic is loved by many.”—O filme Titanic é apreciado por muitos.
- Past passive: “The movie Titanic was released in 1997.”—O filme Titanic foi lançado em 1997.
- Future passive: “The movie Titanic will be watched for many years.”—O filme Titanic será visto por muitos anos.
Imperative Voice
In Portuguese conjugation, the imperative voice is the mood used to provide commands or instructions. The imperative voice changes depending on the tone used (which can be casual or formal) and the number of people instructed.
Here are three examples of sentences in the casual, formal, and plural imperative:
- Casual imperative: “Go to work.”—Vai trabalhar.
- Formal imperative: “Go to work.”—Vá trabalhar.
- Plural imperative: “Go to work.”—Vão trabalhar.
Conditionals
Conditional is the mood used to express hypothetical or uncertain actions or events, typically in relation to a specific condition or situation. The basic formula for a conditional sentence involves a main clause and a what-if clause; there are three main types of conditionals:
- Realistic conditional: Used to express actions or events that are possible or likely to happen in the future but depend on a certain condition being met. For example: “If you work hard, you will get a promotion”—Se trabalhares arduamente, vais obter uma promoção.
- Unrealistic conditional: Used to express actions or events that are unlikely or hypothetical. For example: If you had worked hard, you would have gotten a promotion.”—Se tivesses trabalhado arduamente, terias obtido uma promoção.
- Lost cause conditional: Used to express actions or events that were impossible to happen. For example: “If you had not worked so hard, you would have a better social life.”—Se não tivesses trabalhado tão arduamente, terias uma melhor vida social.
Tips for Learning Portuguese Conjugation
Learning Portuguese can be tricky. Even something as simple as saying “thank you” can get complicated in Portuguese, so it’s important to get a hold of some nice tips for Portuguese conjugation practice.
Here are some of the best strategies to improve your Portuguese knowledge and master Portuguese conjugation:
- Practice regularly: Consistency is key. Dedicate a specific time each day or week to practice verb conjugation. Even short daily practice sessions can be very effective.
- Create personalized flashcards: They can have the infinitive form of a verb on one side and its conjugations on the other. Quiz yourself to test your knowledge.
- Read in Portuguese: Reading books, articles, or websites in Portuguese exposes you to various verb conjugations in context. Pay attention to how verbs are used in different tenses and moods.
- Watch Portuguese movies and TV series: Watching Portuguese-language movies and TV shows allows you to hear verb conjugations in spoken language. It also helps with understanding context.
- Find Portuguese friends: Practice with native speakers or language exchange partners. They can correct your conjugations and provide valuable feedback.
- Keep a journal: Write a daily journal in Portuguese, using various tenses and moods. This can help you practice and reinforce what you’ve learned.
- Memorize the conjugations of ser (to be) and ter (to have) verbs: Memorizing the ser and ter conjugations will be of great help to conjugate Portuguese verbs in the continuous and perfect tenses more quickly and easily.
In the age of the Internet, learning Portuguese can also be achieved by using language-learning websites, apps, and other online tools. But what are the best resources for Portuguese conjugation practice?
Best Resources for Portuguese Conjugation Practice
Learning Portuguese can be facilitated through a variety of websites, apps, and online tools that cater to different learning styles and preferences. Here are some of the best resources for practicing Portuguese conjugation:
Duolingo
Duolingo is all about interactive exercises and lessons, and it has been recognized as one of the most popular language-learning resources in the world. Think of it as a fun and gamified option for learning Portuguese conjugation.
The Duolingo apps can be used for free, but there’s also a premium subscription plan available for $6.99 per month.
Memrise
Memrise provides user-generated content, including courses for Portuguese that cover vocabulary, grammar – including verb conjugation – and more. If you like using flashcards for learning, then you’ll surely love Memrise’s content!
The pro version of Memrise costs $14.99 per month, but the contents on their website can (for the most part) be used entirely for free.
Clozemaster
Who said Portuguese conjugation practice needs to be boring? With Clozemaster, language learning is turned into a gap-filling game that will keep you entertained for hours. In the process, you’ll start getting more and more accustomed to how Portuguese verbs are spelled in certain contexts.
Clozemaster is free to sign up and play, but you can learn Portuguese even faster with a Clozemaster Pro subscription, which unlocks additional features and unlimited practice.
Practice Portuguese
Practice Portuguese is a Portuguese-learning website mainly focused on European Portuguese. This PT-exclusive language-learning resource offers fun and engaging videos, podcasts, and games.
To use Practice Portuguese to the fullest, you need to buy a subscription for $15.92. However, there is a lot of free content on the website that can be accessed by signing in with your e-mail address.
Conjuguemos
Conjuguemos provides verb conjugation exercises for various languages, including Portuguese. It may not be the most complete alternative out there, but it does come rather cheap, with its annual subscription costing just $25. Accounts are divided into teacher and student versions.
Conclusion
If you master Portuguese conjugation, you’ll have no problem mastering the entire Portuguese language. Internalize all the tenses and moods listed above by practicing routinely and accessing online resources that will both improve and put your knowledge to the test.
For additional Portuguese learning content, check out our guides for Portuguese numbers and Portuguese days of the week.
Challenge yourself with Clozemaster
Learning Portuguese conjugation might seem daunting at first, but don’t worry, it comes naturally with practice.
Test your skills and see what you’ve learned from this article by playing a selection of sentences with conjugated Portuguese verbs.
Sign up here to save your progress and start getting fluent with thousands of Portuguese sentences at Clozemaster.
Clozemaster has been designed to help you learn the language in context by filling in the gaps in authentic sentences. With features such as Grammar Challenges, Cloze-Listening, and Cloze-Reading, the app will let you emphasize all the competencies necessary to become fluent in Portuguese.
