Present Tense Verb Conjugation

The present tense is used to describe actions or states that are happening right now or are ongoing. In Portuguese, verbs are conjugated (changed) to agree with the subject of the sentence. Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern, making their conjugation relatively simple.

Conjugating Regular Verbs in the Present Tense

To conjugate regular verbs in the present tense, follow these steps:

1. Identify the infinitive form of the verb. The infinitive form is the base form of the verb, such as falar (to speak) or comer (to eat).
2. Remove the last two letters (ar, er, or ir) to find the verb stem. For example, the verb falar becomes fal and the verb comer becomes com.
3. Add the appropriate ending to the stem based on the subject of the sentence. The endings vary depending on the verb ending (ar, er, or ir) and the subject pronoun.

Conjugation Endings for Regular Verbs

Here are the conjugation endings for regular verbs in the present tense:

• -ar Verbs:

  • Eu (I): -o
  • Tu (you, informal singular): -as
  • Ele/Ela/Você (he, she, you, formal singular): -a
  • Nós (we): -amos
  • Vós (you, informal plural): -ais
  • Eles/Elas/Vocês (they, you, formal plural): -am

• -er Verbs:

  • Eu (I): -o
  • Tu (you, informal singular): -es
  • Ele/Ela/Você (he, she, you, formal singular): -e
  • Nós (we): -emos
  • Vós (you, informal plural): -eis
  • Eles/Elas/Vocês (they, you, formal plural): -em

• -ir Verbs:

  • Eu (I): -o
  • Tu (you, informal singular): -es
  • Ele/Ela/Você (he, she, you, formal singular): -e
  • Nós (we): -imos
  • Vós (you, informal plural): -is
  • Eles/Elas/Vocês (they, you, formal plural): -em

Examples of Regular Verb Conjugation

Here are some examples of regular verb conjugation in the present tense:

• falar (to speak):

  • Eu falo (I speak)
  • Tu falas (You speak)
  • Ele/Ela.Você fala (He/She/You speak)
  • Nós falamos (We speak)
  • Vós falais (You all speak)
  • Eles/Elas/Vocês falam (They/You all speak)

• comer (to eat):

  • Eu como (I eat)
  • Tu comes (You eat)
  • Ele/Ela/Você come (He/She/You eat)
  • Nós comemos (We eat)
  • Vós comeis (You all eat)
  • Eles/Elas/Vocês comem (They/You all eat)

• partir (to leave):

  • Eu parto (I leave)
  • Tu partes (You leave)
  • Ele/Ela/Você parte (He/She/You leave)
  • Nós partimos (We leave)
  • Vós partis (You all leave)
  • Eles/Elas/Vocês partem (They/You all leave)

Practice with Common Verbs

To reinforce your understanding, practice conjugating common verbs in the present tense. Start with regular verbs and gradually move on to irregular verbs.

1. Regular Verbs:

   • amar (to love)
   • trabalhar (to work)
   • viver (to live)

2. Irregular Verbs:

   • ser (to be)
   • ir (to go)
   • ter (to have)

Remember, regular verbs follow a predictable pattern, while irregular verbs have unique conjugations. Regular practice will help you gain confidence in conjugating verbs in the present tense.

Congratulations! You now know how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense and have practiced with common verbs. Keep practicing and incorporating verbs into your conversations to reinforce your skills.