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:
• Portugisiska vanliga verb i presens
• Portugisiska vanliga verb i preteritum
Ser
In Portuguese, we have two equivalents of the English verb to be – ser och estar.
Konjugation
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 och Imperfeito. Learn more about it: Portugisisk perfekt vs. imperfekt tid: Vet när du ska använda antingen.
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.
Passiv form
Also, the Portuguese verb ser, like to be in English, is used to form passive-voice sentences:
Olá! I'm Pedro and I'm your Portuguese teacher.
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