One Form Changes Its Vowel
A family of -ir verbs plays a small trick: in the present tense, ONLY the eu form changes its stem vowel. Everything else is the regular -ir pattern you already know.
Dormir (to sleep) — o becomes u:
| eu | durmo |
| tu | dormes |
| ele / ela / você | dorme |
| nós | dormimos |
| eles / elas / vocês | dormem |
| I sleep eight hours. | Eu durmo oito horas. |
| She sleeps at home; I sleep at the hotel. | Ela dorme em casa; eu durmo no hotel. |
Preferir (to prefer) — e becomes i:
| eu | prefiro |
| tu | preferes |
| ele / ela / você | prefere |
| I prefer tea; she prefers coffee. | Prefiro o chá; ela prefere o café. |
| Do you prefer the train? — No, I prefer the bus. | Preferes o comboio? — Não, prefiro o autocarro. |
The Same Trick Elsewhere
The pattern repeats across common -ir verbs you will meet soon: sentir → sinto (I feel), vestir → visto (I wear), conseguir → consigo (I manage). Whenever a new -ir verb surprises you in the eu-form, suspect this vowel change — and trust the other five forms to stay regular.
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