Introduction
The present tense in Portuguese is used to describe actions happening right now, habitual actions, and general truths. Regular verbs are categorized into three groups based on their infinitive endings: -ar, -er, and -ir. Each group follows a consistent pattern of conjugation.
Conjugation Patterns
-AR Verbs
The conjugation pattern for -ar verbs involves removing the "-ar" ending from the infinitive and adding the appropriate present tense endings.
Example Verb: "falar" (to speak)
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | falo |
| Tu | falas |
| Ele/Ela/Você | fala |
| Nós | falamos |
| Vós | falais |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | falam |
-ER Verbs
For -er verbs, remove the "-er" ending and attach the present tense endings specific to this group.
Example Verb: "comer" (to eat)
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | como |
| Tu | comes |
| Ele/Ela/Você | come |
| Nós | comemos |
| Vós | comeis |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | comem |
-IR Verbs
-ir verbs follow a slightly different pattern, although they share similarities with -er verbs.
Example Verb: "abrir" (to open)
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | abro |
| Tu | abres |
| Ele/Ela/Você | abre |
| Nós | abrimos |
| Vós | abris |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | abrem |
Summary
- -AR Verbs: falar - falo, falas, fala, falamos, falais, falam
- -ER Verbs: comer - como, comes, come, comemos, comeis, comem
- -IR Verbs: abrir - abro, abres, abre, abrimos, abris, abrem
The regular verb conjugation patterns in Portuguese provide a solid foundation for understanding how verbs change according to the subject in the present tense.