This page is a rapid reference / cheat sheet for all Portuguese compound tenses. It lists every tense in which ter combines with a past participle — present perfect, pluperfect, future perfect, conditional perfect, their subjunctive counterparts, the compound personal infinitive and the compound gerund. For each one you get the formation formula, a conjugation snapshot, one natural example, and a link to the dedicated teaching page (which has the depth and the edge cases). If you need to learn compound tenses from zero, start with compound tenses overview — this page assumes you've met them before and need a quick look-up.
The core recipe
Every compound tense in Portuguese has the same structure:
ter (conjugated) + past participle (invariable when used with ter)
The variation lies entirely in which form of ter you use. That single choice produces all seven finite compound tenses, plus two non-finite ones. Learn ter's paradigms cold and you have the whole system.
ter — full paradigm at a glance
| Tense | eu | tu | ele | nós | eles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present indicative | tenho | tens | tem | temos | têm |
| Imperfect indicative | tinha | tinhas | tinha | tínhamos | tinham |
| Future indicative | terei | terás | terá | teremos | terão |
| Conditional | teria | terias | teria | teríamos | teriam |
| Present subjunctive | tenha | tenhas | tenha | tenhamos | tenham |
| Imperfect subjunctive | tivesse | tivesses | tivesse | tivéssemos | tivessem |
| Future subjunctive | tiver | tiveres | tiver | tivermos | tiverem |
| Personal infinitive | ter | teres | ter | termos | terem |
1. Present perfect compound (pretérito perfeito composto)
Formula: ter (present) + past participle.
Key meaning: action repeated or continuing over a period reaching up to the present. This is a false friend for English speakers — it is NOT the English "I have done" (that is the Portuguese preterite, fiz).
| Person | falar | comer | ir | ser |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eu | tenho falado | tenho comido | tenho ido | tenho sido |
| tu | tens falado | tens comido | tens ido | tens sido |
| ele | tem falado | tem comido | tem ido | tem sido |
| nós | temos falado | temos comido | temos ido | temos sido |
| eles | têm falado | têm comido | têm ido | têm sido |
Tenho trabalhado imenso esta semana.
I've been working loads this week. (repeated, ongoing)
Ultimamente tens andado muito calado.
You've been very quiet lately.
O tempo tem estado horrível.
The weather has been awful. (referring to a recent stretch)
Avoid for single completed past events: say Comi o bolo (I ate the cake / I have eaten the cake), NOT *tenho comido o bolo.
Full teaching: present perfect overview. Critical comparison: vs Spanish present perfect.
2. Pluperfect compound (pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto)
Formula: ter (imperfect) + past participle.
Key meaning: past-before-past. The everyday "had done" of spoken and written Portuguese.
| Person | falar | comer | ir | ver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eu | tinha falado | tinha comido | tinha ido | tinha visto |
| tu | tinhas falado | tinhas comido | tinhas ido | tinhas visto |
| ele | tinha falado | tinha comido | tinha ido | tinha visto |
| nós | tínhamos falado | tínhamos comido | tínhamos ido | tínhamos visto |
| eles | tinham falado | tinham comido | tinham ido | tinham visto |
Quando cheguei, o filme já tinha começado.
When I arrived, the film had already started.
Ela disse que nunca tinha visto tanta neve.
She said she had never seen so much snow.
Se tivesses chegado a tempo, terias apanhado o comboio.
If you had arrived on time, you would have caught the train. (pluperfect subjunctive + conditional perfect)
Compare with the rare simple pluperfect (tinha falado ~ falara): see simple vs compound. In everyday Portuguese, stick to the compound; the simple form is mostly literary.
Full teaching: compound pluperfect.
3. Future perfect (futuro perfeito / futuro anterior)
Formula: ter (future) + past participle.
Key meaning: an action completed before a future reference point, or a conjecture about a past action.
| Person | falar | fazer | ser |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | terei falado | terei feito | terei sido |
| tu | terás falado | terás feito | terás sido |
| ele | terá falado | terá feito | terá sido |
| nós | teremos falado | teremos feito | teremos sido |
| eles | terão falado | terão feito | terão sido |
Até ao fim do mês, terei terminado o projecto.
By the end of the month, I will have finished the project.
Ele terá saído mais cedo — a casa está às escuras.
He must have left earlier — the house is in darkness. (conjecture about a past event)
Quando leres isto, já terei partido.
When you read this, I will already have left.
Full teaching: future perfect.
4. Conditional perfect (condicional composto)
Formula: ter (conditional) + past participle.
Key meaning: "would have done" — counterfactual past or future-in-the-past of an anterior event.
| Person | falar | ir | ter |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | teria falado | teria ido | teria tido |
| tu | terias falado | terias ido | terias tido |
| ele | teria falado | teria ido | teria tido |
| nós | teríamos falado | teríamos ido | teríamos tido |
| eles | teriam falado | teriam ido | teriam tido |
Se tivesse sabido, teria avisado a tempo.
If I'd known, I'd have warned you in time.
Nessa altura, ela já teria nascido.
By then, she would already have been born.
Tê-lo-ia feito, se tivesses pedido.
I would have done it, had you asked. (formal, with mesoclise)
The conditional perfect pairs obligatorily with the pluperfect subjunctive in counterfactual se-clauses about the past: Se tivesse estudado, teria passado ("If I'd studied, I'd have passed"). This is the structural backbone of regret in Portuguese.
Full teaching: conditional perfect.
5. Present perfect subjunctive (pretérito perfeito composto do conjuntivo)
Formula: ter (present subjunctive) + past participle.
Key meaning: an action completed (or expected to be completed) in a subjunctive-triggering present-reference context.
| Person | falar | chegar | ser |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | tenha falado | tenha chegado | tenha sido |
| tu | tenhas falado | tenhas chegado | tenhas sido |
| ele | tenha falado | tenha chegado | tenha sido |
| nós | tenhamos falado | tenhamos chegado | tenhamos sido |
| eles | tenham falado | tenham chegado | tenham sido |
Espero que já tenhas comido.
I hope you've already eaten.
É pena que não tenha podido vir à festa.
It's a pity he couldn't come to the party.
Duvido que ele tenha percebido tudo.
I doubt he understood everything.
Triggered by the same expressions as the simple present subjunctive (espero que, duvido que, é pena que, talvez), but used when the action is already completed.
Full teaching: subjunctive compound tenses.
6. Pluperfect subjunctive (pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto do conjuntivo)
Formula: ter (imperfect subjunctive) + past participle.
Key meaning: past counterfactual in subordinate clauses. This is the if I had done in "if I had done this, things would have been different."
| Person | falar | saber | ver |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | tivesse falado | tivesse sabido | tivesse visto |
| tu | tivesses falado | tivesses sabido | tivesses visto |
| ele | tivesse falado | tivesse sabido | tivesse visto |
| nós | tivéssemos falado | tivéssemos sabido | tivéssemos visto |
| eles | tivessem falado | tivessem sabido | tivessem visto |
Se tivesse estudado mais, teria passado no exame.
If I had studied more, I would have passed the exam.
Gostava que me tivesses avisado antes.
I wish you'd warned me earlier.
Pensei que já tivesses chegado.
I thought you'd already arrived.
Full teaching: pluperfect subjunctive and contrary-to-fact.
7. Future perfect subjunctive (futuro perfeito do conjuntivo)
Formula: ter (future subjunctive) + past participle.
Key meaning: an action expected to be completed before a future reference point, in a subjunctive-triggering subordinate clause.
| Person | falar | acabar |
|---|---|---|
| eu | tiver falado | tiver acabado |
| tu | tiveres falado | tiveres acabado |
| ele | tiver falado | tiver acabado |
| nós | tivermos falado | tivermos acabado |
| eles | tiverem falado | tiverem acabado |
Quando tiveres acabado o trabalho, avisa-me.
When you've finished the work, let me know.
Assim que tiverem chegado, jantamos.
As soon as they've arrived, we'll have dinner.
Se ele tiver mentido, não lhe dou nada.
If he has lied, I won't give him anything. (future-referring)
Triggered by quando, logo que, assim que, depois que, se and similar, all referring to a future action whose completion is anticipated.
8. Compound personal infinitive (infinitivo pessoal composto)
Formula: ter (personal infinitive) + past participle.
Key meaning: "having done X" — a completed action attached to a specified subject. This is one of Portuguese's unique constructions; Spanish and English don't have a grammaticalised equivalent.
| Person | falar | ir | ver |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | ter falado | ter ido | ter visto |
| tu | teres falado | teres ido | teres visto |
| ele | ter falado | ter ido | ter visto |
| nós | termos falado | termos ido | termos visto |
| eles | terem falado | terem ido | terem visto |
Obrigado por me teres ajudado.
Thank you for having helped me.
Lamento muito o facto de ele ter mentido.
I very much regret the fact that he lied.
Apesar de termos chegado tarde, ainda havia comida.
Despite our having arrived late, there was still food.
Depois de eles terem saído, fechámos a loja.
After they had left, we closed the shop.
When the subject of the infinitive is the same as the main clause subject, you often use the impersonal ter + participle. When the subject is different or needs emphasis, the personal form (teres, termos, terem) is preferred. See personal infinitive.
9. Compound gerund (gerúndio composto)
Formula: tendo + past participle.
Key meaning: "having done X" in adverbial position, indicating a completed action that precedes the main verb's action.
Tendo acabado o jantar, foram para a sala.
Having finished dinner, they went to the living room.
Tendo sido avisado, ele não deveria ter feito isso.
Having been warned, he shouldn't have done that.
Tendo visto o filme duas vezes, percebi-o melhor.
Having seen the film twice, I understood it better.
This form is more common in writing than in speech, where a past clause with depois de + compound personal infinitive often replaces it.
See gerund overview.
Participle agreement — a critical rule
When the past participle follows ter (any compound tense), it is invariable — always the masculine singular form.
Elas têm feito muitas viagens.
They have been taking many trips. (feito, not *feitas)
As chaves tinham caído no chão.
The keys had fallen on the floor. (caído, not *caídas)
When the participle follows ser (passive) or estar (resultant state), it agrees with the subject in gender and number. This is NOT a compound tense; it's passive voice or a stative construction.
A porta foi fechada às oito.
The door was closed at eight. (feminine singular)
As janelas estão abertas.
The windows are open. (feminine plural)
See past participle in compound tenses and agreement.
Side-by-side: picking the right compound tense
| Want to say… | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I've been working (ongoing / repeated) | tenho + part. | Tenho trabalhado |
| I had already finished | tinha + part. | Já tinha acabado |
| By tomorrow I'll have finished | terei + part. | Terei acabado amanhã |
| I would have finished (if…) | teria + part. | Teria acabado |
| I hope you've eaten | tenha + part. | Espero que tenhas comido |
| If I had studied | tivesse + part. | Se tivesse estudado |
| When you've finished | tiver + part. | Quando tiveres acabado |
| Thanks for having helped | ter + part. | Obrigado por teres ajudado |
| Having finished, … | tendo + part. | Tendo acabado, … |
Clitic placement in compound tenses
Clitic pronouns (me, te, lhe, se, o, a…) attach to the auxiliary ter, not to the participle. Placement follows the usual proclisis / enclisis rules.
Tenho-te visto no café.
I've been seeing you at the café. (enclitic on tenho)
Não te tenho visto ultimamente.
I haven't been seeing you lately. (proclitic after não)
Quando o tiver visto, digo-te.
When I've seen him, I'll tell you. (proclitic after quando)
In European Portuguese, mesoclise can also appear in the future perfect and conditional perfect (formal / literary): tê-lo-ei feito ("I will have done it"). See mesoclise with different pronouns. Very formal — avoid in speech.
Common mistakes
❌ Tenho comido o pequeno-almoço às oito hoje.
Wrong: a single completed event uses the preterite.
✅ Comi o pequeno-almoço às oito hoje.
Correct: tenho comido is for repeated/ongoing action, not single events.
❌ Tinha escrevido a carta ontem à noite.
Wrong: escrever has an irregular participle.
✅ Tinha escrito a carta ontem à noite.
Correct: escrito is the irregular past participle.
❌ Elas têm feitas muitas coisas.
Wrong: the participle is invariable after ter.
✅ Elas têm feito muitas coisas.
Correct: feito stays masculine singular with ter.
❌ Se eu saberia, teria avisado.
Wrong: counterfactual requires pluperfect subjunctive in the se-clause.
✅ Se eu tivesse sabido, teria avisado.
Correct: se tivesse + teria pairing.
❌ Quando tenho acabado, ligo-te.
Wrong: future reference after quando requires the future subjunctive.
✅ Quando tiver acabado, ligo-te.
Correct: future perfect subjunctive after quando.
❌ Ter chegado a casa, liguei-lhe.
Wrong: an impersonal past infinitive needs a preposition (depois de, ao) or a personal form with subject agreement.
✅ Depois de ter chegado a casa, liguei-lhe.
Correct: depois de + compound infinitive.
Key takeaways
- All Portuguese compound tenses use ter
- past participle (ter, not haver, in modern European usage).
- Variation is entirely in the tense/mood of ter — the participle never changes after it.
- The present perfect compound (tenho feito) is distinct from English / Spanish present perfect: it means repeated / ongoing, not a single completed event.
- The pluperfect compound is the everyday "had done" — the simple pluperfect (fizera) is a literary alternative.
- Subjunctive compound tenses match the trigger: tenha feito in present contexts, tivesse feito in past counterfactuals, tiver feito for future anteriority.
- The compound personal infinitive and compound gerund give you "having done X" with or without subject marking.
- When in doubt about a specific tense, go to the dedicated teaching page linked above.
Related Topics
- Compound Tenses OverviewA2 — The complete inventory of European Portuguese compound tenses built with ter + past participle, across indicative, subjunctive, infinitive, and gerund.
- Pretérito Perfeito Composto OverviewB1 — The Portuguese present perfect and why it's different from English or Spanish
- Compound Pluperfect (Mais-que-Perfeito Composto)B1 — The everyday pluperfect: tinha + past participle, for actions completed before another past action
- Futuro Perfeito Composto (Future Perfect)B2 — Terei feito — the Portuguese future perfect, used both for actions completed before a future moment and, very idiomatically, for conjecture about the past.
- Condicional Composto (Conditional Perfect)B2 — Teria feito — the Portuguese conditional perfect, used for counterfactual pasts, past speculation, softened criticism, and journalistic hedging. Includes the very common EP colloquial replacement with tinha + participle.
- Compound Subjunctive Tenses (Overview)B2 — Portuguese has three compound subjunctive tenses — present perfect (tenha feito), pluperfect (tivesse feito), and future perfect (tiver feito). This page walks through the formation, meaning, and triggering contexts of each.