Regular -ir Verbs
Regular -ir verbs are the third and final group of regular verbs in Portuguese. Their present tense endings are almost identical to -er verbs, differing only in the nós (we) form.
Drop the -ir from the infinitive to find the stem, then add the ending that matches the subject. Here is the pattern for abrir (to open):
| Pronoun | Ending | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| eu | -o | abro |
| tu | -es | abres |
| ele / ela / você | -e | abre |
| nós | -imos | abrimos |
| eles / elas / vocês | -em | abrem |
| I open the door. | Eu abro a porta. |
| Do you open the window? | Abres a janela? |
Talking About Schedules
When talking about schedules, you will often use the preposition a (at/to) combined with a definite article to say "at [time]". For example, a + as becomes às.
| The store opens at nine. | A loja abre às nove. |
| We open the café early. | Abrimos o café cedo. |
These endings apply to all regular -ir verbs, such as partir (to leave / to depart), which is useful for travel schedules.
| The train leaves at eight. | O comboio parte às oito. |
Everyday Tasks
Other common regular -ir verbs include decidir (to decide) and dividir (to share / to divide).
| He decides to study English. | Ele decide estudar inglês. |
| We split the bill. | Dividimos a conta. |
| You share the cake with the girl. | Divides o bolo com a rapariga. |
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