Verbs are the heart of every sentence. Each verb guide shows the full conjugation in the tenses you'll actually hear in Brazil, real examples, and a short practice with answers. Tap any form to hear it.
Who's doing it
Brazilian Portuguese needs just four verb forms per tense:
| Person | Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| eu | I | eu falo |
| você, ele, ela, a gente | you, he, she, we (informal) | ela fala |
| nós | we | nós falamos |
| vocês, eles, elas | you all, they | eles falam |
Você means "you" all over Brazil and takes the same form as ele and ela. A gente ("the people") is the everyday way to say "we", and it also takes that form. You may hear tu in the South and parts of the Northeast, but você is understood everywhere.
The tenses in each guide
| Tense | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present · Presente | now, habits and facts | eu falo |
| Past · Pretérito Perfeito | finished actions | eu falei |
| Future · Futuro com ir | plans: "going to" | eu vou falar |
| Imperfect · Pretérito Imperfeito | "used to" and "was …ing" | eu falava |
| Conditional · Futuro do Pretérito | "would" | eu falaria |
| Present subjunctive · Presente do Subjuntivo | wishes and doubts, after que | que eu fale |
| Past subjunctive · Imperfeito do Subjuntivo | imagined situations, after se | se eu falasse |
| Future subjunctive · Futuro do Subjuntivo | "when" or "if" later on, after quando or se | quando eu falar |
| Imperative · Imperativo | commands and requests | Fale mais devagar! |
What about "eu falarei"? Portuguese also has a one-word future (eu falarei, ela falará). You'll see it in writing and formal speech, but in everyday Brazilian Portuguese people say vou falar, so that's the future these guides teach.
New to verbs? Start with Lesson 5: Essential Verbs, then come back here.