Portuguese Irregular Verbs Students Need to Learn as Soon as Possible

Have you noticed that some of the most frequently used verbs in Portuguese happen to be irregular?

These verbs are not only high-frequency but they also tend to have a wide usage – they mean different things in different contexts. If you develop a good grasp of their conjugation and usage you will considerably improve your speaking skills and idiomatic feel for Portuguese.

I will walk you through 8 must-know Portuguese irregular verbs while explaining how and when to use them.  Read on.

* Note that although these verbs are irregular in the Present tense, some are regular in the Past tense. Learn more about regular conjugation in Portuguese:
• Portuguese Regular Verbs in the Present Tense
• Portuguese Regular Verbs in the Past Tense

Ser 

In Portuguese, we have two equivalents of the English verb to be – ser and estar. 

Conjugation

Here’s what ser’s conjugation in the Present and Past tenses * looks like:

	Present	Preterite  Pretérito perfeito	Imperfect Pretérito imperfeito
eu	sou	fui	era
tu	és	foste	eras
você  ele, ela	é	foi	era
nós	somos	fomos	éramos
vocês  eles, elas	são	foram	eram

* In Portuguese, there are two aspects of the Past tense: Perfeito and Imperfeito. Learn more about it:  Portuguese Perfect vs. Imperfect Tense: Know When to Use Either.

Permanent states

Unlike the verb estar,  ser normally refers to permanent states – things that prevail in time. Here are some examples:

Paris é em França. *  Paris is in France.   Eles são pessoas alegres.  They are cheerful people.   Eu sou Português.  I am Portuguese.

* concerning geographic location, another verb is often used instead of ser, namely ficar. Learn more about it: Making the Most of the Portuguese Verb “Ficar”: Verb Usage and Conjugation.

As you see, the sentences above express facts and traits that wouldn’t change overnight – they are long-lasting.

Passive voice

Also, the Portuguese verb ser, like to be in English,  is used to form passive-voice sentences:

active voice  O Manuel escreveu um livro.  Manuel wrote a book.   passive voice  O livro foi escrito pelo Manuel.  The book was written by Manuel.

Like in English, the verb ser is followed by the past participle * of the action verb. In Portuguese, however, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the passive subject it refers to.

* Learn more about the past participle and passive voice :
Portuguese Past Participle and Auxiliary Verbs that Go with It.
Passive Voice in Portuguese.

Let’s change the passive subject to plural and feminine and see what happens:

passive voice  As cartas foram escritas pelo Manuel.  The letters were written by Manuel.

Here are two articles to learn more about the intricacies of gender and number in Portuguese:

1. Disentangling Gender with Portuguese Masculine-to-Feminine Spelling Patterns
2. Forming the Plural in Portuguese: Singular-to-Plural Conversion Patterns You Need to Care About

Estar 

The Portuguese verb estar is the “other” to be. Unlike ser, estar usually refers to temporary states – things that change over time. 

Conjugation

Let’s start by looking at what estar’s conjugations look like: 

	Present	Preterite  Pretérito perfeito	Imperfect Pretérito imperfeito
eu	estou	estive	estava
tu	estás	estiveste	estavas
você ele, ela	está	esteve	estava
nós	estamos	estivemos	estávamos
vocês  eles, elas	estão	estiveram	estavam

Temporary states

Here are a couple of examples with estar conveying a temporary quality to time:

Hoje, estou bem-disposto.  Today, I am in a good mood.   Nós estamos na Inglaterra.  We are in England.   O chá está super quente.  The tea is super hot.

Read this article to learn more about ser vs estar: Portuguese Verbs Ser and Estar: How and When to Use Either.

Ter 

The Portuguese verb ter is equivalent to the English verb have. 

Conjugation

Here’s what its present and past simple verb forms look like:

	Present	Preterite  Pretérito perfeito	Imperfect Pretérito imperfeito
eu	tenho	tive	tinha
tu	tens	tiveste	tinhas
você ele, ela	tem	teve	tinha
nós	temos	tivemos	tínhamos
vocês  eles, elas	têm	tiveram	tinham

Expressing possession

Let’s look at a couple of examples where ter corresponds to have:

Eu tenho dois filhos.  I have two children.   Ela tem muito dinheiro.  She’s got a lot of money.

Talking about age

We also use ter in contexts where English calls to verbs other than have. That’s the case when we talk about age:

– Que idade tens?  – Tenho 23 anos.  – How old are you?  – I’m 23 years old.

Expressing physiological states

Also, unlike in English, we use ter + noun to express physiological states:

– Tens frio?  – Pelo contrário, tenho calor.  – Are you cold?  – On the contrary, I am hot.   – Tens sede?  – Sim, tenho sede e também tenho fome.  – Are you thirsty?  – Yes, I am thirsty and also hungry.

Forming Perfect tenses

As it happens with have in English, ter is used as an auxiliary to form Perfect Penses:

Tenho trabalhado muito ultimamente.  I have been working a lot lately.

Explore Portuguese equivalents to English tenses and moods: Portuguese Verb Tenses and Moods Explained: A Usage Rundown Anchored to English.

Ter de – must

Finally, the verb ter followed by the preposition de is equivalent to the English modal verb must: 

Tens de deixar de fumar se quiseres ter saúde.  You must quit smoking if you want to stay healthy.

Learn more about Portuguese modal verbs: Portuguese Equivalents of English Modal Verbs.

Haver

The Portuguese verb haver is used to express duration and time flow. It is also used for saying that someone or something exists, or that something happens (much like there is in English). 

Additionally, haver can replace ter (as auxiliary) to form Perfect tenses.

Conjugation

Here’s what haver looks like in the present and Past Simple tenses: 

	Present	Preterite  Pretérito perfeito	Imperfect Pretérito imperfeito
eu	hei	houve	havia
tu	hás	houveste	havias
você ele, ela	há *	houve	havia
nós	havemos	houvemos	havíamos
vocês  eles, elas	hão	houveram	haviam

* Note that those first two haver‘s usage situations mentioned above only use the 3-person singular (highlighted in bold). 

Time flow

Here are a couple of examples where haver (há) is expressing duration and time flow:

Vivo em Lisboa há 3 anos.  I have been living in Lisbon for 3 years.   O José visitou a Rússia há 2 anos.  José visited Russia 2 years ago.

Note that in the first sentence, the main verb is in the Present tense (vivo) –  in that case, há refers to the passage of time concerning a durative action between a point in the past and the present moment (for 3 years). 

In the second sentence, however, the main verb is in the Past tense (visitou) – then, há denotes the passage of time between the present moment and a punctual action that took place in the past (2 years ago).

There is …

Now, look at a few examples of haver (há) pointing to the existence/presence of someone or something:

Há alguém aqui com pressa?  Is there anyone here in a hurry?   Na vida há momentos bons e maus.  In life, there are good and bad moments.

Unlike in English, we continue to use the singular form há even when it refers to a plural noun, as in the second sentence above.

Forming Perfect tenses (instead of ter)

Finally, here’s an example with haver being used as an auxiliary verb to form a Perfect tense (in this case, we conjugate haver to conform with the subject):

Nós havíamos vivido com dificuldades antes de termos ficado ricos.  We had lived with difficulties before we got rich.

There is more to haver. Here’s an article for you if you want to dive into it:  The Portuguese Verb “Haver” and Things You Say with It.

Ir 

The Portuguese verb ir is the equivalent of the English verb go. It is also used as an auxiliary verb to express future time. 

Conjugation

Here’s what it looks like in the Present and Past Simple tenses:

	Presente	Preterite  Pretérito perfeito *	Imperfect Pretérito imperfeito
eu	vou	fui	ia
tu	vais	foste	ias
você ele, ela	vai	foi	ia
nós	vamos	fomos	íamos
vocês  eles, elas	vão	foram	iam

* Note that the Perfeito ir and ser look the same in the Past tense (Pretérito Perfeito).

Here’s an example:

– Onde vais?  –  Vou ao supermercado.  – Where are you going?  – I’m going to the shop.

Future time

Ir is also used as an auxiliary to express a future time, much like the English structure be + going to:

– O que vais fazer logo à noite?  –  Vou fazer um bolo.  – What are you going to do this evening?  – I’m going to bake a cake.

Portuguese language learners often use andar when they want to say ir and vice-versa. Learn how to use them right: Portuguese Verbs “Ir” vs. “Andar” – Know When to Use Either.

Poder 

The Portuguese modal verb poder is used to express permission and possibility, just like can in English.

Conjugation

Here’s what it looks like in the Present and Past Simple tenses:

	Present	Preterite  Pretérito perfeito	Imperfect Pretérito imperfeito
eu	posso	pude	podia
tu	podes	pudeste	podias
você ele, ela	pode	pôde	podia
nós	podemos	pudemos	podíamos
vocês  eles, elas	podem	puderam	podiam

Here are a couple of examples with poder:

Podes-me ajudar?  Can you help me?   Não podes fumar aqui!  You can’t smoke in here!

Learn more about other Portuguese modal verbs:  Portuguese Equivalents of English Modal Verbs.

Fazer

We often use the Portuguese verb fazer where, in English, we say make, do, or take. Besides, the verb fazer is extensively used in colloquial expressions and set phrases.

Conjugation

Here’s what fazer looks like in the present and Past Simple tenses:

	Present	Preterite  Pretérito perfeito	Imperfect Pretérito imperfeito
eu	faço	fiz	fazia
tu	fazes	fizeste	fazias
você ele, ela	faz	fez	fazia
nós	fazemos	fizemos	fazíamos
vocês  eles, elas	fazem	fizeram	faziam

Do, make, take

Here are some examples where fazer corresponds to either do, make, or take:

– O que estás a fazer?  – Estou a fazer o almoço.  – What are you doing?  – I am making lunch.   Faz uma pausa!  Take a break!

Set phrases

And now, a few examples of set phrases with fazer:

Fazer idea (to have a clue)  Não faço ideia!  I have no idea!   Fazer de conta (pretend)  Ela fez de conta que não me viu.  She pretended that she didn’t see me.   Fazer a barba (to shave)  Faço a barba uma vez por semana.  I shave once a week.

Continue to explore the idiomatic riches of fazer: The Portuguese Verb “Fazer” and All the Things You Say with It.

Dar

The Portuguese verb dar – give in English – is used in countless idioms and set phrases. 

Conjugation

Here is what it looks like conjugated in the Present and Past Simple tenses: 

	Present	Preterite  Pretérito perfeito	Imperfect Pretérito imperfeito
eu	dou	dei	dava
tu	dás	deste	davas
você ele, ela	dá	deu	dava
nós	damos	demos	dávamos
vocês  eles, elas	dão	deram	davam

Give

Here are some examples of dar when used as in give:

Ele deu-me uma prenda.  He gave me a gift.   Este problema está a dar-te dores de cabeça!  This problem is giving you a headache!

Expressing possibility

Now, dar followed by the preposition para is often used to express possibility, much like poder above is:

Desculpa, mas não deu para chegar a tempo.  Sorry, but I couldn’t make it in time.   Dá para me ajudares?  Can you help me?

Noticing

We also say dar followed by conta to say that we notice/realize something:

O Joaquim deu conta que se esqueceu do telemóvel em casa.  Joaquim realized that he had forgotten his mobile at home.   Quando me dei conta já passava da meia-noite.  When I realized, it was already past midnight.

Idioms

Here are a few idioms with dar:

Dar um jeito (do a favor)  Podes dar-me um jeito?  Can you do me a favor?  Quem me dera (I wish)  Quem me dera que estivesses aqui.  I wish you were here.   Dar com o gato (finding the culprit)  Já deste com o gato?  Did you already find what was bugging you?

There’s so much more you can say with dar … This one is a giant, really! Learn more about its idiomatic riches: The Portuguese Verb “Dar”: Usage and Idiomatic Expressions.