Acima vs Em Cima vs Por Cima in European Portuguese (With Examples)

Comparison of Portuguese expressions acima, em cima, and por cima showing usage differences in European Portuguese

Portuguese prepositions can be tricky, especially when several expressions seem to mean “above” or “over.” In this lesson, you’ll learn the difference between acima, em cima, and por cima and how to use them naturally in European Portuguese. We’ll break down each expression with clear explanations, practical examples, and common mistakes learners make. In this … Read more

When to use SER in Portuguese (without overthinking it)

Explanation of when to use SER in Portuguese grammar.

One of the first verbs people meet in Portuguese is ser, and it can feel intimidating straight away. But at the beginner level, you really don’t need all the theory. Let’s keep it practical. At its core, ser is used to express three very basic things. 1️⃣ QUEM alguém é (WHO someone is) We use … Read more

When to use ESTAR in Portuguese

Explanation of ESTAR usage for location, weather, and temporary states in Portuguese.

After ser, the next verb learners usually meet is estar. And again: no need to overcomplicate it. At the beginner level, estar is mainly used to talk about two things: 👉 how someone is👉 where someone is👉 the weather That’s it. 1️⃣ COMO alguém está (HOW someone is) We use estar to talk about states, … Read more

Dates in European Portuguese

Olá a todos! Welcome back to another lesson in our language-learning journey. Today, we’re diving into another crucial aspect of numbers: saying dates in European Portuguese. This includes how to express the day of the month and talk about years. Knowing how to correctly say dates will help you in everyday conversations and understand others … Read more

há or existe

Both “há” and “existe” can be translated as “there is” or “there are” in English, but they’re used slightly differently and carry different tones. Let’s find out more about the diffrences in this post. ✅“Há” This comes from the verb haver, which is used impersonally (it doesn’t change with singular or plural in this context). … Read more

Mastering the Pretérito Perfeito Composto in European Portuguese

European Portuguese Grammar Lesson on the Verb tense Pretérito Perfeito Composto do Indicativo

As a learner, you’ve probably tried to say something like “I have done the shopping” only to be told that “tenho feito as compras” is wrong. Or perhaps you’re working yourself through a B1/B2 Portuguese course and come across sentences like: Tenho estudado muito ultimamente.Temos saído com os amigos aos fins de semana.Tens dormido bem? … Read more

Understanding Adverbs in Portuguese

Adverbs are an essential part of Portuguese grammar. They add detail and nuance to sentences by modifying verbs, adjectives, and even other adverbs. They help express time, manner, place, frequency, and many other aspects of speech. What Are Adverbs? In simple terms, an adverb (advérbio) provides additional information about how, when, where, or to what … Read more

Irregular Verbs in the Pretérito Perfeito

As we saw in the present tense, some verbs don’t follow regular patterns. It’s the same for this tense too. Here are a few you’ll use frequently. 1. Ser / Ir (to be / to go) Yes, these two completely different verbs have the same conjugation in the Pretérito Perfeito! How you’ll know the difference … Read more

Pretérito Perfeito in European Portuguese

The Pretérito Perfeito is used to talk about actions that started and finished in the past. These actions are complete and often happened at a specific moment. Common time expressions include: Examples: Regular Verbs Endings in the Pretérito Perfeito Regular verbs in the Pretérito Perfeito follow predictable patterns based on their infinitive endings: -AR, -ER, … Read more

Present Tense in Portuguese – Part 2

Portuguese present tense of irregular verbs with flag of Portugal.

Welcome to the Present Tense in Portuguese – Part 2! When learning Portuguese, one of the trickiest things to grasp is irregular verbs. Unlike regular verbs that follow predictable patterns, irregular verbs change their stems or endings in unexpected ways. But don’t worry – you don’t need to memorise them all at once! In this … Read more