Portuguese Irregular Verbs Students Need to Learn as Soon as Possible

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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.

Lesson #32 Ser v. Estar - Portuguesepedia

Idiomatically Rich Verbs

Verb Gems

* 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:
• Portuguese Regular Verbs in the Present Tense
• Portuguese Regular Verbs in the Past Tense

Ser

In Portuguese, we have two equivalents of the English verb to be – ser and estar.

Conjugation

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 and Imperfeito. Learn more about it: Portuguese Perfect vs. Imperfect Tense: Know When to Use Either.

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.

Passive voice

Also, the Portuguese verb ser, like to be in English, is used to form passive-voice sentences:

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