50 Most Common Portuguese Verbs | Portuguese (Portugal) Grammar

If you learn how to conjugate the fifty verbs on this page, you can produce and understand the overwhelming majority of everyday European Portuguese. Frequency studies of spoken and written Portuguese consistently put the top fifty verbs at roughly 60-70% of all finite verb tokens in running text. The top ten alone — ser, ter, estar, haver, fazer, dizer, ir, ver, dar, saber — account for about a quarter of all verb uses. Master these, and you have most of the spine of the language.

This page is ranked by frequency of spoken PT-PT. For each verb you get: the English gloss, whether it is regular or irregular, the 1sg and 3sg present indicative, the 3sg preterite, the past participle, and one natural example sentence. Every verb has its own dedicated reference page with the full paradigm linked at the end of the row.

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Frequency is not the same as difficulty. Several of the top ten are the most irregular verbs in the language. That is not a coincidence: irregular forms survive precisely because they are used often enough that they never get sanded down by analogy. The trade-off is that learning the first ten irregulars is your biggest return on investment in all of Portuguese grammar.

How to read this table

Rank: approximate frequency rank in spoken and written PT-PT.
Verb / English: infinitive and its most central meaning.
Class: regular -ar/-er/-ir, irregular, or stem-changer.
eu / ele: 1sg and 3sg present indicative. These two forms plus the infinitive are the best diagnostic trio — if you know them, you can almost always work out the rest.
3sg preterite: tells you the past tense stem and whether the verb has a "strong" (irregular) preterite.
Past participle: needed for compound tenses (tenho + participle) and for passive voice.
Example: a natural European Portuguese sentence a real speaker might say.

Forms marked (irr.) are irregular — memorise them individually; the regular pattern does not predict them.

The top 10 — learn these first

These ten verbs dominate every conversation. Nine of the ten are irregular.

#	Verb / English	Class	eu	ele	3sg pret.	Participle
1	ser — to be (essence)	irregular	sou (irr.)	é (irr.)	foi (irr.)	sido
2	ter — to have	irregular	tenho (irr.)	tem (irr.)	teve (irr.)	tido
3	estar — to be (state)	irregular	estou (irr.)	está (irr.)	esteve (irr.)	estado
4	haver — there is / there are	irregular	hei (irr.)	há (irr.)	houve (irr.)	havido
5	fazer — to do, to make	irregular	faço (irr.)	faz (irr.)	fez (irr.)	feito (irr.)
6	dizer — to say, to tell	irregular	digo (irr.)	diz (irr.)	disse (irr.)	dito (irr.)
7	ir — to go	irregular	vou (irr.)	vai (irr.)	foi (irr.)	ido
8	ver — to see	irregular	vejo (irr.)	vê (irr.)	viu	visto (irr.)
9	dar — to give	irregular	dou (irr.)	dá (irr.)	deu	dado
10	saber — to know (a fact)	irregular	sei (irr.)	sabe	soube (irr.)	sabido

Ela é a melhor amiga que eu tenho — conhecemo-nos desde o liceu.

She's the best friend I have — we've known each other since secondary school.

Não sei se vou conseguir estar em casa a tempo para o jantar.

I don't know if I'll manage to be home in time for dinner.

Havia muita gente na praia apesar do vento.

There were a lot of people at the beach despite the wind.

Faço um café forte de manhã e já fico logo desperto.

I make a strong coffee in the morning and I wake right up.

A minha avó diz sempre que o segredo é ter paciência.

My grandmother always says the secret is having patience.

Vou ao supermercado daqui a bocado — queres alguma coisa?

I'm going to the supermarket in a bit — do you want anything?

Vi o teu irmão na baixa esta manhã, a correr para apanhar o metro.

I saw your brother downtown this morning, running to catch the metro.

Dou-te o meu número se quiseres combinar um café.

I'll give you my number if you want to arrange to meet for coffee.

Soube ontem que foste promovido — parabéns!

I found out yesterday that you were promoted — congratulations!

Verbs 11-20 — core modals and movement

#	Verb / English	Class	eu	ele	3sg pret.	Participle
11	poder — to be able to, can	irregular	posso (irr.)	pode	pôde (irr.)	podido
12	querer — to want	irregular	quero (irr.)	quer (irr.)	quis (irr.)	querido
13	dever — must, should; to owe	regular -er	devo	deve	deveu	devido
14	vir — to come	irregular	venho (irr.)	vem (irr.)	veio (irr.)	vindo (irr.)
15	ficar — to stay, to become	regular -ar (c→qu)	fico	fica	ficou	ficado
16	passar — to pass; to happen; to spend (time)	regular -ar	passo	passa	passou	passado
17	encontrar — to find; to meet	regular -ar	encontro	encontra	encontrou	encontrado
18	pensar — to think	regular -ar	penso	pensa	pensou	pensado
19	achar — to think, to find, to be of the opinion	regular -ar	acho	acha	achou	achado
20	parecer — to seem, to appear	regular -er	pareço	parece	pareceu	parecido

Não posso sair hoje — tenho de ficar em casa à espera do canalizador.

I can't go out today — I have to stay home waiting for the plumber.

Quero muito ver o novo filme, mas ainda não encontrei bilhetes para o fim de semana.

I really want to see the new film, but I haven't found tickets for the weekend yet.

Deves passar pela nossa casa uma destas noites para jantares connosco.

You should come by our place one of these nights to have dinner with us.

O meu irmão vem cá a Lisboa na próxima semana — ficamos com ele uns dias.

My brother's coming to Lisbon next week — we'll stay with him for a few days.

Acho que o Rui tem razão desta vez, por estranho que pareça.

I think Rui is right this time, strange as that may seem.

Penso em ti todos os dias — já sabes.

I think about you every day — you know that.

Verbs 21-30 — carrying, bringing, helping

#	Verb / English	Class	eu	ele	3sg pret.	Participle
21	deixar — to leave, to let, to allow	regular -ar	deixo	deixa	deixou	deixado
22	levar — to take (with), to carry away	regular -ar	levo	leva	levou	levado
23	falar — to speak, to talk	regular -ar	falo	fala	falou	falado
24	pôr — to put, to place	irregular	ponho (irr.)	põe (irr.)	pôs (irr.)	posto (irr.)
25	ajudar — to help	regular -ar	ajudo	ajuda	ajudou	ajudado
26	começar — to begin, to start	regular -ar (ç→c)	começo	começa	começou	começado
27	continuar — to continue, to keep (doing)	regular -ar	continuo	continua	continuou	continuado
28	gostar — to like (gostar de)	regular -ar	gosto	gosta	gostou	gostado
29	trabalhar — to work	regular -ar	trabalho	trabalha	trabalhou	trabalhado
30	viver — to live	regular -er	vivo	vive	viveu	vivido

Deixa-me ajudar-te com os sacos — parecem pesados.

Let me help you with the bags — they look heavy.

Leva o guarda-chuva, que o tempo não me está a parecer famoso.

Take the umbrella — the weather isn't looking great to me.

Falo um bocadinho de francês, mas nada que se aproveite.

I speak a little French, but nothing to write home about.

Ponho a chaleira ao lume e faço-nos um chá.

I'll put the kettle on and make us a tea.

Trabalho em casa às terças e quintas, o resto da semana vou ao escritório.

I work from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the rest of the week I go to the office.

Já comecei a ler o livro que me emprestaste — está ótimo.

I've already started reading the book you lent me — it's great.

Gosto muito deste restaurante, é onde venho sempre aos sábados.

I really like this restaurant — it's where I always come on Saturdays.

Vivemos em Alfama há dez anos e nunca nos cansámos do bairro.

We've lived in Alfama for ten years and we've never tired of the neighbourhood.

Verbs 31-40 — daily life, home, food

#	Verb / English	Class	eu	ele	3sg pret.	Participle
31	morar — to live, to reside	regular -ar	moro	mora	morou	morado
32	comer — to eat	regular -er	como	come	comeu	comido
33	beber — to drink	regular -er	bebo	bebe	bebeu	bebido
34	dormir — to sleep	stem-changer o→u	durmo (irr.)	dorme	dormiu	dormido
35	acordar — to wake up	regular -ar	acordo	acorda	acordou	acordado
36	sair — to go out, to leave	irregular	saio (irr.)	sai	saiu	saído
37	entrar — to enter, to come in	regular -ar	entro	entra	entrou	entrado
38	chegar — to arrive, to reach	regular -ar (g→gu)	chego	chega	chegou	chegado
39	ler — to read	irregular	leio (irr.)	lê (irr.)	leu	lido
40	voltar — to return, to come back	regular -ar	volto	volta	voltou	voltado

Moro em Campo de Ourique há uns três anos — gosto imenso do bairro.

I've lived in Campo de Ourique for about three years — I love the neighbourhood.

Como peixe duas vezes por semana, é a dieta que funciona comigo.

I eat fish twice a week — it's the diet that works for me.

Bebeu dois galões e meio ao pequeno-almoço e ficou com o coração aos pulos.

He drank two and a half galão coffees at breakfast and ended up with his heart pounding.

Durmo mal nas noites antes de um voo — é sempre assim.

I sleep badly the nights before a flight — it's always like that.

O comboio sai de Santa Apolónia às sete e meia em ponto.

The train leaves Santa Apolónia at seven-thirty on the dot.

Cheguei atrasado porque o trânsito estava impossível na Segunda Circular.

I arrived late because the traffic on the Second Ring Road was impossible.

Li esse livro em duas noites — não conseguia pousá-lo.

I read that book in two nights — I couldn't put it down.

Voltamos a Lisboa no domingo à noite, se tudo correr bem.

We come back to Lisbon on Sunday night, if all goes well.

Verbs 41-50 — buying, paying, communicating

#	Verb / English	Class	eu	ele	3sg pret.	Participle
41	comprar — to buy	regular -ar	compro	compra	comprou	comprado
42	vender — to sell	regular -er	vendo	vende	vendeu	vendido
43	pagar — to pay	regular -ar (g→gu)	pago	paga	pagou	pago (double)
44	receber — to receive, to get	regular -er	recebo	recebe	recebeu	recebido
45	esperar — to wait; to hope; to expect	regular -ar	espero	espera	esperou	esperado
46	chamar — to call; chamar-se — to be named	regular -ar	chamo	chama	chamou	chamado
47	perguntar — to ask (a question)	regular -ar	pergunto	pergunta	perguntou	perguntado
48	responder — to answer, to reply	regular -er	respondo	responde	respondeu	respondido
49	aprender — to learn	regular -er	aprendo	aprende	aprendeu	aprendido
50	ensinar — to teach	regular -ar	ensino	ensina	ensinou	ensinado

Comprei os bilhetes para o concerto há uma semana — que sorte!

I bought the concert tickets a week ago — what luck!

A minha mãe vendeu a casa do Alentejo no verão passado.

My mother sold the Alentejo house last summer.

Já pagaste a renda deste mês?

Have you already paid this month's rent?

Ontem recebi uma carta da câmara a dizer que tenho de pagar o IMI.

Yesterday I got a letter from city hall saying I have to pay the property tax.

Espero que tudo te corra bem no exame de amanhã.

I hope everything goes well for you in tomorrow's exam.

Chamo-me Sofia e sou de Coimbra — muito prazer.

My name is Sofia and I'm from Coimbra — pleased to meet you.

Se te perguntarem pela tua profissão, responde que és engenheira, está bem?

If they ask you about your profession, answer that you're an engineer, alright?

Aprendi a nadar aos seis anos na praia de Carcavelos — ainda me lembro do dia.

I learned to swim at six on Carcavelos beach — I still remember the day.

A avó ensinou-me a fazer pastéis de nata quando era pequena.

Grandma taught me how to make pastéis de nata when I was little.

How to memorise these efficiently

A simple ordering that pays off:

Top 10 first. Nine out of ten are irregular, but you use them so constantly that you will internalise them from exposure in weeks, not months. Focus on getting 1sg, 2sg, 3sg present, plus the preterite, solid.
Then modals (poder, querer, dever, ter de, haver de, vir). These combine with infinitives and let you say huge amounts (posso ir, quero comer, tenho de trabalhar).
Then the daily-life verbs (ficar, passar, encontrar, pensar, achar). These are mostly regular -ar — quick wins.
Finally fill in the motion and daily-routine verbs (ir, vir, sair, entrar, chegar, voltar, acordar, dormir). These anchor any basic story you want to tell.

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Don't try to memorise the full conjugation of all fifty at once. Learn present + preterite + participle for each one, and a single example sentence. Once those are automatic, add imperfect, then future/conditional, then subjunctive. The total investment is large but the return is enormous — fifty verbs cover roughly two-thirds of everything you will hear.

Verbs on this list by class

Class	Verbs (of the top 50)	Count
Regular -ar	ficar, passar, encontrar, pensar, achar, deixar, levar, ajudar, falar, começar, continuar, gostar, trabalhar, morar, acordar, entrar, chegar, voltar, comprar, pagar, esperar, chamar, perguntar, ensinar	24
Regular -er	dever, parecer, viver, comer, beber, vender, receber, responder, aprender	9
Stem-changing -ir	dormir (o→u)	1
Fully irregular	ser, ter, estar, haver, fazer, dizer, ir, ver, dar, saber, poder, querer, vir, pôr, sair, ler	16

The ratio — 16 irregulars out of 50 — tells the core story of Portuguese verb frequency. Irregular verbs are over-represented at the top of the frequency list by a factor of three or four, and the more common a verb is, the more likely it is to be irregular.

Common mistakes

❌ Eu sei Lisboa muito bem.

Incorrect: *saber* means to know a fact or how to do something. For knowing a place or person, use conhecer.

✅ Eu conheço Lisboa muito bem.

Correct: conhecer = to be acquainted with. Saber = to know information or a skill. See saber vs conhecer.

❌ Eu estou engenheiro.

Incorrect: profession, identity, nationality takes ser — the permanent copula.

✅ Eu sou engenheiro.

Correct: ser for profession. Estar is for temporary states (estou cansado, estou doente).

❌ Nós tinhamos muita fome ontem.

Incorrect: imperfect *tínhamos* needs an acute accent on the stressed í.

✅ Nós tínhamos muita fome ontem.

Correct: the imperfect 1pl of -er/-ir verbs ends in -íamos, with a written acute.

❌ Eu vou para o supermercado agora.

Potentially misleading: *ir para* suggests a longer-term destination ('I'm going to live at / settle at the supermarket'). For a brief errand, use ir a.

✅ Eu vou ao supermercado agora.

Correct: vou ao supermercado = brief errand. Vou para o supermercado = moving there to stay. See ir a vs ir para.

❌ Ela faz anos amanhã, portanto vou dar-lhe um presente.

Correct Portuguese but tricky for learners: *fazer anos* = to have a birthday. Not to be translated word-for-word from English.

✅ Ela faz anos amanhã, portanto vou dar-lhe um presente.

Correct: fazer anos (literally 'to make years') is the standard Portuguese idiom for having a birthday. Learn it as a block.

Beyond the top 50

The next tier — verbs ranked roughly 51 through 200 — is covered in verb frequency list. For irregular verbs grouped by their shared patterns (so you can learn them in families rather than one-by-one), see irregular verb groups. For the full conjugation of any individual verb on this list, each has a dedicated reference page linked from its entry.