Regular -ar Verbs
In Portuguese, verbs are grouped into three families based on their endings: -ar, -er, and -ir. The -ar family is the largest.
To conjugate a regular -ar verb in the present tense, drop the -ar from the infinitive (the dictionary form) to find the stem, and then add the ending that matches the subject.
Here is the pattern using the verb falar (to speak):
| Pronoun | Ending | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| eu | -o | falo |
| tu | -as | falas |
| ele / ela / você | -a | fala |
| nós | -amos | falamos |
| eles / elas / vocês | -am | falam |
| I speak Portuguese and English. | Eu falo português e inglês. |
To express who you are speaking with, use the word com.
| The boy speaks with the teacher. | O rapaz fala com o professor. |
More Common -ar Verbs
Many essential daily actions are regular -ar verbs. They all follow the exact same pattern as falar.
Trabalhar (to work):
| He works in the hospital. | Ele trabalha no hospital. |
| We work in the store. | Nós trabalhamos na loja. |
Estudar (to study):
| Do you study here? | Tu estudas aqui? |
| They study a lot. | Elas estudam muito. |
Morar (to live): To make a verb negative in Portuguese, simply place não directly before the verb.
| I live in Lisbon. | Eu moro em Lisboa. |
| They do not live in the new house. | Eles não moram na casa nova. |
Comprar (to buy):
| The student buys a notebook. | O aluno compra um caderno. |
| I buy the bread in the supermarket. | Eu compro o pão no supermercado. |
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