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 post, we’ll go over some of the most important irregular verbs in the present tense, the ones you’ll use all the time in daily conversations.
Why Are Some Verbs Irregular?
Irregular verbs don’t follow the standard conjugation patterns of -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs. Instead, they change in different ways, often because of pronunciation rules or historical changes in the language. While they might seem overwhelming at first, they become second nature with practice!
Essential Irregular Verbs
Here are some of the most common irregular verbs in the present tense that you’ll hear and use frequently.
1. Ser (to be – what/who)
Used for permanent states, characteristics, professions, and nationalities.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | sou |
| Tu | és |
| Ele/Ela/Você | é |
| Nós | somos |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | são |
Example: Eu sou explicadora. (I am a tutor.)
2. Estar (to be – where /how)
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
| Eu | estou |
| Tu | estás |
| Ele/Ela/Você | está |
| Nós | estamos |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | estão |
Example: O café está quente. (The coffee is hot.)
3. Ter (to have)
Essential for expressing possession and age.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
| Eu | tenho |
| Tu | tens |
| Ele/Ela/Você | tem |
| Nós | temos |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | têm |
Example: Eu tenho um gato. (I have a cat.)
4. Ir (to go)
Used to talk about movement and future intentions.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
| Eu | vou |
| Tu | vais |
| Ele/Ela/Você | vai |
| Nós | vamos |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | vão |
Example: Vamos ao mercado. (We are going to the market.)
5. Fazer (to do/make)
A very common verb in everyday speech.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
| Eu | faço |
| Tu | fazes |
| Ele/Ela/Você | faz |
| Nós | fazemos |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | fazem |
Example: O que fazes no fim de semana? (What do you do on the weekend?)
6. Dizer (to say/tell)
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
| Eu | digo |
| Tu | dizes |
| Ele/Ela/Você | diz |
| Nós | dizemos |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | dizem |
Example: Ele diz sempre a verdade. (He always tells the truth.)
7. Poder (can/be able to)
Used for expressing ability and permission.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
| Eu | posso |
| Tu | podes |
| Ele/Ela/Você | pode |
| Nós | podemos |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | podem |
Example: Podes ajudar-me? (Can you help me?)
8. Querer (to want)
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
| Eu | quero |
| Tu | queres |
| Ele/Ela/Você | quer |
| Nós | queremos |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | querem |
Example: Quero um café, por favor. (I want a coffee, please.)
9. Ver (to see)
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
| Eu | vejo |
| Tu | vês |
| Ele/Ela/Você | vê |
| Nós | vemos |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | veem |
Example: Nós vemos um filme. (We are watching a film.)
10. Dar (to give)
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
| Eu | dou |
| Tu | dás |
| Ele/Ela/Você | dá |
| Nós | damos |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | dão |
Example: Ela dá um presente ao irmão. (She gives a present to her brother.)
Tips for Learning Irregular Verbs
- Practice with common sentences – The more you use them, the more natural they’ll feel.
- Look for patterns – Some irregular verbs follow similar changes (e.g. dizer, fazer and trazer / ter, vir and pôr.
- Listen to native speakers – Pay attention to how these verbs are used in real conversations.
- Use flashcards – This and the vocabulary list strategies only work if you then write sentences with the words to establish context and practice. Otherwise, you have to rely on memory alone and it’s harder in the long run to retain the words.
Final Thoughts
Irregular verbs might seem overwhelming at first, but focusing on the most important ones will help you gain confidence in your Portuguese. Start by practising these in everyday sentences, and soon they’ll feel like second nature!
Which of these verbs do you find the trickiest? Let me know in the comments!