Usar (To Use) — Full Conjugation

Usar is one of the first workhorse verbs a learner of Portuguese picks up, and it earns its keep: it covers to use (a tool, a method, a language, a word) and to wear (clothing, glasses, accessories). It is a completely regular first-conjugation (-ar) verb in every tense, which makes it a reliable template for the whole class. The only quirk worth memorising in advance is the "hat" accent on usámos in the preterite (we used), which distinguishes it from the present usamos (we use) in European Portuguese spelling.

This page gives you every conjugated form of usar, tense by tense, plus the usage patterns — usar roupa, usar óculos, usar + infinitivo with costumar-style meanings — that learners most often need to pin down.

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Present indicative — presente do indicativo

Use this tense for current actions, habits, and general truths. Uso óculos desde os dez anos = I have worn glasses since I was ten.

Imperfect indicative — pretérito imperfeito

For past habits, background descriptions, and actions in progress in the past. Em miúdo, usava sempre camisolas da equipa. = As a kid, I always used to wear the team's jerseys.

Preterite indicative — pretérito perfeito simples

For completed past actions. Ontem usei o carro do meu pai. = Yesterday I used my father's car.

Note the acute accent on usámos — this is the European Portuguese spelling for the preterite nós form, and it distinguishes it from present usamos. In writing, losing the accent changes the meaning from we used to we use.

Pluperfect indicative, simple — pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples

A synthetic literary tense meaning had used. In speech, replace with the compound pluperfect below.

The third-person plural usaram is identical to the preterite; context disambiguates.

Pluperfect indicative, compound — pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto

The everyday way to say had used — imperfect of ter + usado.

Present perfect — pretérito perfeito composto

Despite the name, this does not match the English present perfect. It describes an action that has been happening repeatedly or continuously up to now. Tenho usado muito o metro nos últimos meses = I have been using the metro a lot lately.

Simple future — futuro do indicativo simples

For future actions, especially in writing and formal speech. In conversation, ir + infinitivo (vou usar) is more common.

Future perfect — futuro perfeito

Will have used — future of ter + usado.

Conditional — condicional

Hypothetical actions and polite requests. Usaria luvas se não fizesse tanto calor. = I would wear gloves if it weren't so hot.

Conditional perfect — condicional composto

Hypothetical past actions: would have used / worn.

Present subjunctive — presente do conjuntivo

Used in subordinate clauses after verbs of wish, doubt, emotion, or command. Espero que uses capacete. = I hope you wear a helmet.

Imperfect subjunctive — imperfeito do conjuntivo

For hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situations. Se usasses o casaco, não apanhavas frio. = If you wore the coat, you wouldn't catch a cold.

Future subjunctive — futuro do conjuntivo

A living tense in Portuguese, used after se, quando, enquanto for future possibilities. Quando usares o carro, avisa-me. = When you use the car, let me know.

Present perfect subjunctive — pretérito perfeito do conjuntivo

Espero que tenhas usado protetor solar. = I hope you've used sunscreen.

Pluperfect subjunctive — pretérito mais-que-perfeito do conjuntivo

Contrary-to-fact past: had used. Se tivesse usado o mapa, não me tinha perdido. = If I had used the map, I wouldn't have got lost.

Future perfect subjunctive — futuro perfeito do conjuntivo

Quando tiveres usado a máquina, desliga-a. = When you've used the machine, turn it off.

Imperative — imperativo

Affirmative:

Negative (present subjunctive with não):

Personal infinitive — infinitivo pessoal

As with all regular verbs, the personal infinitive is identical in form to the future subjunctive. Context distinguishes them.

Compound personal infinitive — infinitivo pessoal composto

Depois de termos usado o forno... = After we had used the oven...

Usage patterns

Usar is transitive — it always takes a direct object (a thing you use, a garment you wear). There is no preposition between the verb and the object.

1. Usar + direct object (use a tool, method, language):

2. Usar roupa / usar óculos (wear clothes, glasses, accessories):

This is the everyday verb for wearing something habitually or at a given moment. Distinct from vestir (to put on, to dress oneself) and pôr (to put on — quick action), which focus on the action. Usar focuses on the state of having it on.

3. Usar por engano / usar sem querer (use by mistake):

4. Usar + a palavra / a expressão (use a word, an expression):

Example sentences in context

Usar vs utilizar

Usar and utilizar are near-synonyms meaning to use. The distinction is register, not meaning:

• usar (neutral, colloquial) — the everyday verb. Appropriate in every register.
• utilizar (formal, academic, technical) — slightly more formal, common in instructions, manuals, academic writing, and bureaucratic contexts.

In spoken Portuguese, usar dominates by a huge margin. You will read utilizar in: instruction manuals (utilize apenas pilhas alcalinas), academic papers (os investigadores utilizaram um método inovador), and signs (utilize o corrimão). In conversation, swapping utilizar for usar sounds stiff.

Usar is also the only option for to wear. You cannot say utilizar óculos to mean "to wear glasses" — it would suggest that you are using the glasses as a tool for some purpose, not wearing them.

Common mistakes

Key takeaways

• Usar is a fully regular -ar verb. No stem changes, no spelling tricks.
• Write usámos (with acute accent) for the preterite nós form in European Portuguese. Without the accent, it reads as the present.
• Usar means both to use and to wear (clothes, glasses, accessories). For wearing, it is the default neutral verb; compare vestir (put on / dress) and pôr (put on — quick action).
• Usar and utilizar are synonyms in the "use" sense; usar is colloquial, utilizar is formal. For clothing, only usar works.
• Usar is transitive — no preposition between the verb and the object.