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50 Most Common Verbs in Portuguese
The shortest path to being able to interact in your target language is to focus on high-frequency words first – that is, to prioritize words that are commonly used in day-to-day life.
Here’s a list of 50 commonly used Portuguese verbs with simple usage examples.
! Note that many of the verbs listed below have several meanings and multi-faceted usage. Thus, the usage examples only partially cover the verb’s usage domain.
| 1 | ser be | Eu sou teu amigo. I am your friend. |
| 2 | estar be | Ela está doente. She’s sick. In Portuguese, there are two to be verbs. Learn more about it: Portuguese Verbs Ser vs. Estar: How and When to Use Either |
| 3 | ter have | Tens dinheiro? Do you have any money? |
| 4 | haver there is/are | Há muita gente aqui. There’s a lot of people here. Learn more about haver: The Portuguese Verb “Haver” and All the Things You Say with It. |
| 5 | ir go | Vou a Lisboa. I am going to Lisbon Often, students mistake andar for ir (and vice versa): Portuguese Verbs “Ir” vs. “Andar” – Know When to Use Either. |
| 6 | dar give | Ela deu-lhe um presente. She gave her a present. There are countless Portuguese idioms with this verb: Portuguese Verb “Dar”: An Idiomatic Gem. |
| 7 | fazer make | Ontem fiz um bolo. Yesterday, I made a cake. More on fazer: The Portuguese Verb “Fazer” and All the Things You Say with It. |
| 8 | ficar stay | Ficaste em casa? Did you stay at home? Dive deeper into ficar‘s usage: Portuguese Verb “Ficar”: A Versatile Verb with Several Meanings. |
| 9 | pôr put | Põe o livro na tua mochila. Put the book in your backpack. |
| 10 | poder can | Podes-me ajudar? Can you help me? Poder is a modal verb. Learn more about this and other Portuguese modals: Portuguese Modal Verbs Equivalent to Must, May, Could, Should, and the Like. |
| 11 | conseguir Manage (to do something) | Conseguiste falar com a Joana? Did you manage to speak with Joana? The difference between poder and conseguir is subtle. Learn more about it: Portuguese Verbs “Poder” vs. “Conseguir” – How to Tell One from the Other. |
| 12 | dever should | Ela deve chagar pelas 17h. She should arrive around 5 p.m. |
| 13 | saber know | Já sabes da novidade? Do you know the news already? |
| 14 | conhecer know (people, places) | Conheces a Paula? Do you know Paula? |
| 15 | querer want | Ele quer um gelado. He wants an ice cream. |
| 16 | andar walk | Eu gosto muito de andar. I love to walk. |
| 17 | chegar arrive | O António já chegou ao Porto. António has already arrived in Porto. |
| 18 | vir come | O Mariano vem do Brasil. Mariano comes from Brazil. |
| 19 | partir leave (depart) | A que horas parte o comboio? What time does the train leave? |
| 20 | passar pass | Podes passar-me o sumo? Can you pass me the juice? |
| 21 | parar stop | Para de comer! Stop eating! |
| 22 | costumar used to | Eu costumava correr todos os dias. I used to run everyday. |
| 23 | entrar come in | Podes entrar! Come in! |
| 24 | sair go out; leave | A Joana saiu do trabalho às 16h. Joana left work at 4.p.m. |
| 25 | começar start | O filme começa às 21h. The movie starts at 9 p.m. |
| 26 | acabar finish | Acabei de ler o livro. I’ve finished the book. |
| 27 | mudar change | Nuncas mudas! You never change! |
| 28 | deixar leave | Deixa-me em paz! Leave me alone! |
| 29 | pensar think | Pensa duas vezes antes de tomar alguma decisão. Think twice before you make any decision. |
| 30 | achar think | Acho que estás certo. I think you are right. Achar and pensar are often interchangeable. Watch this video to find out what their differences are. |
| 31 | contar tell; count | Conta-me uma história. Tell me a story. Watch this video to learn more about contar’s usage. |
| 32 | falar speak | Ele fala demais. He speaks too much. |
| 33 | ver see; watch | Queres ver um filme? Do you want to watch a movie? |
| 34 | olhar look | Olha para mim! Look at me! |
| 35 | ouvir hear; listen | O Jorge ouve mal. Jorge doesn’t hear very well. |
| 36 | sentir-se feel | Sentes-te bem? Do you feel well? The verb feel in Portuguese is reflexive. Learn more about Portuguese reflexive verbs: Portuguese Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns. |
| 37 | cheirar smell | Esta rosa cheira tão bem! This rose smells so good! |
| 38 | gostar like | Eu gosto de neve. I like snow. |
| 39 | comer eat | Ela come muito pouco. She eats too little. |
| 40 | beber drink | Preciso de beber mais líquidos. I need to drink more liquids. |
| 41 | tomar take | Queres tomar um duche? Do you want to take a shower? |
| 42 | lembrar-se remember | Lembras-te de mim? Do you remember me? |
| 43 | viver live; | Ela está a viver a vida que sonhou. She’s living the life she dreamed about. |
| 44 | morar live in (places) | Ele mora no Porto. He lives in Porto. |
| 45 | usar use | Eu uso muito o meu carro. I use my car a lot. |
| 46 | levar take | Vou-te levar a Paris. I’ll take you to Paris. |
| 47 | trazer bring | Podes trazer-me um livro? Can you bring me a book? |
| 48 | procurar search; look | Estou à procura de emprego. I am looking for a job. |
| 49 | abrir open | A que horas abre o café? What time does the coffee shop open? |
| 50 | fechar close | A loja já fechou. The store has already closed. |
More on Portuguese verbs!
• Portuguese Irregular Verbs Students Need to Learn as Soon as Possible
• Portuguese Verb Tenses and Moods Explained: A Usage Rundown Anchored to English
• Portuguese Regular Verbs in the Present Tense
• Portuguese Regular Verbs in the Past Tense
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