The most basic form of verbs is the infinitive form, which has three kinds of ends, -ar, -er and -ir, which determine in part the form they take when conjugated, that is, changed to reflect certain qualities:
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-ar |
-er |
-ir |
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Of course, exceptions exist to that rule, since the language also has verbs like “por” (to put) and “opor” (to oppose) that don’t fit these categories.
Verbs can vary in many ways according to the person and number of the subject—that is, the person or thing carrying out the action—and the tense and mood, which indicate more information about the action, state or phenomenon to which the verb refers.
Brazilian Portuguese does not have a specific, neutral word for "it." "Ele" or "ela" must be used when referring to objects or animals, according to the grammatical gender.
Eu ando no parque. (I walk in the park.)
Você bebe água. (You drink water.)
Ela cozinha o jantar. (She cooks dinner.)
Nós comemos salada. (We eat salad.)
Vocês ligam para suas mães. (You call your mothers.)
Eles veem pássaros. (They see birds.)
Mood refers to the speaker’s attitude toward the occurrence that the verb expresses. Portuguese verbs have three moods:
Indicative — action is presented as fact.
Eu faço macarrão. (I make noodles.)
Subjunctive — action is presented as a hypothetical or possibility.
Ela assistiria o filme, se tivesse tempo. (She would watch the movie if she had time.)
Imperative — action is presented as an order, request or suggestion.
Leia este livro. (Read this book.)
Regular verbs - follow a pattern of conjugation based on their infinitive endings.
- Ela ama sua família. (She loves her family.)
- Nós corremos de manhã. (We run in the morning.)
- Eu assisto TV. (I watch TV.)
Irregular verbs - deviate from the standard conjugation.
- Eles dão chocolates para as crianças. (They give chocolates to the kids.)
- Eu vejo três patos. (I see three ducks.)
- Você vai ao shopping. (You go to the mall.)
