Brazilian Portuguese Grammar

Verb tenses 1

Indicative Mood

Modo indicativo

Presente do indicativo
Use	Example	English	English verb tense equivalent
Habitual present actions	Eu trabalho de segunda a sexta.	I work from Monday to Friday.	Present simple
Permanent actions, states and processes; qualities; general truths and scientific facts	Eu moro no Brasil. A Terra gira em torno do Sol. Eu tenho trinta e quatro anos.	I live in Brazil. The earth revolves around the sun. I am thirty-four years old.	Present simple
Future intentions, plans and arrangements	Eu me caso em janeiro. Eu volto logo. Ela vai a uma festa hoje à noite.	I'm going to get married in January. I'll be back soon. She's going to a party tonight.	Future simple (will) Future be going to Present continuous meaning future
Transportation schedule	O avião parte às sete.	The plane leaves at seven.	Present simple
Historic present (used in narratives for dramatic effect)	Num dado momento do filme, Chris beija Jean...	At a certain point in the movie, Chris kisses Jean...	Present simple
Actions that started in the past and continue into the present	Ele estuda russo desde 2002. Os avós dela moram no País de Gales há três anos.	He's been studying Russian since 2002. Her grandparents have lived in Wales for three years.	Present perfect & Present perfect continuous
You can use the verb phrase estar + gerúndio to talk about: 1. Temporary present actions 2. Actions happening at the very moment (now, at this moment) See Verb Phrases for further info	1. Um amigo meu está vivendo na Bélgica. 2. Você está aprendendo português nesse momento.	1. A friend of mine is living in Belgium. 2. You're learning Portuguese right now.	Present continuous

Pretérito imperfeito do indicativo
Use	Example	English	English verb tense equivalent
Habitual past actions	Eu jogava futebol aos sábados.	I used to play soccer on Saturdays.	Past simple (used to)
Unfinished past action	Eles estavam cansados.	They were tired.	Past simple
A past action that was in progress when another past action happened	Eu dormia quando ela chegou em casa.	I was sleeping when she got home.	Past continuous
You can also use the verb phrase estar + gerúndio to talk about: 1. Simultaneous past actions 2. Actions that were happening at a certain moment in the past 3. An action that was in progress when another action happened See Verb Phrases for further info	1. Eu estava assistindo ao noticiário enquanto Mário e Lucas estavam jogando xadrez. 2. Eu estava dormindo às cinco da manhã. 3. Eu estava tomando banho quando você chegou.	1. I was watching the news while Mário and Lucas were playing chess. 2. I was sleeping at five in the morning. 3. I was taking a shower when you arrived.	Past continuous

Pretérito perfeito do indicativo
Use	Example	English	English verb tense equivalent
Finished past actions with or without time reference	Ela foi ao cinema (ontem à noite).	She went to the movies (last night).	Past simple
Past actions with present results	Eu fui roubado.	I've been robbed.	Present perfect
Life experiences	Você já foi a Lisboa?	Have you ever been to Lisbon?	Present perfect
Inventions and discoveries	O Brasil foi descoberto em 1.500.	Brazil was discovered in 1500.	Past simple

Pretérito perfeito composto do indicativo

Use

Example

English

English verb tense equivalent

An action or state that started in the past and is still true in the present

Eu tenho trabalhado muito.

Eles têm lido muitos livros recentemente.

I have been working a lot.

They have read a lot of books recently.

Present perfect continuous

and

Present perfect

*Pretérito mais-que-perfeito do indicativo and* pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto do indicativo**
Use	Example	English	English verb tense equivalent
A past action that happened before another past action.	Ela já dormira quando cheguei. Ela já tinha dormido quando cheguei.	She had already fallen asleep when I got home.	Past perfect
Brazilians prefer to use *the pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto* do indicativo to pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples do indicativo in everyday speech.**

Futuro do presente do indicativo
Use	Example	English	English verb tense equivalent
All kinds of future actions (intentions, plans, hopes, promises, threats, predictions, transportation schedule)	Eu me casarei com ela no ano que vem. Eu sempre te amarei. Eu irei ao dentista hoje à tarde. Choverá amanhã. O ônibus partirá às 5.	I'm going to get married to her next year. I will always love you. I'm seeing the dentist this afternoon. It will rain tomorrow. The bus leaves at 5.	Future simple Future be going to Present continuous meaning future Present simple for transportation schedule
Biblical commandments (orders)	Não matarás.	Thou shall not kill.	Future with shall
In everyday speech, Brazilians prefer to use ir + infinitivo to talk about all kinds of future actions. See Verb Phrases for further info	Eu vou viajar amanhã à noite. Eu sempre vou te amar. Olhe! Ele vai cair da bicicleta!	I'm traveling tomorrow evening. I will always love you. Look! He's going to fall off the bike!	Future simple Future be going to Present continuous meaning future

Futuro do presente composto do indicativo
Use	Example	English	English verb tense equivalent
An action that will have finished by a certain point in the future.	Eu terei me formado quando você tiver quinze anos.	I will have graduated when you are fifteen years old.	Future perfect

Futuro do pretérito do indicativo
Use	Example	English	English verb tense equivalent
Imaginary actions	Se eu fosse mais alto, eu seria jogador de basquete.	If I were taller, I would be a basketball player.	Conditional (would)
Neutral statements to express a possibility	A polícia disse que ele seria um assassino em série.	The police said he might be a serial killer.	Modality: might + verb
Polite requests	Você poderia me emprestar a sua caneta? Você diria a seu pai que estou pronto?	Could you lend me your pen? Would you tell your father I'm ready?	Could or would + infinitive in polite requests

Futuro do pretérito composto do indicativo
Use	Example	English	English verb tense equivalent
An action that would have happened, something you would have done if things had been different or if things were different.	Eu teria dito a verdade a você se você tivesse me ajudado.	I would have told you the truth if you had helped me.	Conditional perfect (would have + past participle)