Portuguese Defective Verbs

Defective verbs are verbs with incomplete conjugation. For instance, Portuguese defective verbs are only conjugated in the 3-person (singular or plural).

Some defective verbs are commonplace so you want to learn how to use them. But before we look at a few examples, I want you to be aware of something.

“Normal” verbs, in opposition to “defective” verbs, not only have complete conjugation but can also accommodate subject and object:

O Rafael come a sopa.
Rafael eats the soup.

In the example above, Rafael is the subject (with agency), comer is the verb (action), and sopa is the object (recipient of the action performed by the subject).

As you’ll soon see, we use defective verbs when there’s no subject or agent (like Rafael above). Instead, something will happen to someone – the person involved is the recipient, not the agent. 

Thus, in the examples below, we’ll be using object pronouns (-me, -te, -lhe,  -nos, -vos, -lhes) instead of subject pronouns (eu, tu, ela, nós, vocês, elas). 

It’s always easier with concrete examples. Read on.

Apetecer

This is how we say that we fancy something or we are in the mood to do something:

A: Apetece–te um gelado?
B: Nem por isso. Apetece–me mais um sumo de laranja.
A: Do you fancy an ice cream?
B: Not really. I’m more in the mood for orange juice.

Calhar

Calhar bem is Portuguese for ‘come in handy’. Calhar mal is the opposite:

A: Não vai haver jogo de futebol este sábado.
B: Calha-nos bem porque este fds não estamos cá.
A: There’s no soccer match this Saturday.
B: That’s actually good because we’re not here this weekend.

Acontecer

Things happen to people… and so people are recipients of what happens to them.