A1 · Unit 2 · Lesson 2
Regular present: -ar verbs
The biggest verb family in Portuguese. Falar, morar, trabalhar — one pattern unlocks hundreds of verbs.
Most Portuguese verbs end in -ar, and they all bend the same way — learn one pattern and you unlock hundreds of verbs.
The -ar endings
Drop the -ar and add the ending for the subject: eu -o, você/ele/ela -a, nós -amos, eles/vocês -am. Take “falar” (to speak): falo, fala, falamos, falam.
Build it, step by step
Conjugate it — falar
Present · reveal each person, then keep the cheat card.
Eu trabalho muito.
I work a lot.
Ela canta bem.
She sings well.
Nós dançamos no sábado.
We dance on Saturday.
One present tense, several English meanings
“Eu estudo” can mean “I study”, “I'm studying”, or “I do study”. Portuguese leans on a single form where English uses several.
Eu moro aqui.
I live here.
Eles viajam muito.
They travel a lot.
Você fala devagar.
You speak slowly.
Making it negative with “não”
Just drop “não” right in front of the verb. There's no extra helper word like the English “don't”.
Eu não fumo.
I don't smoke.
Ela não trabalha aos sábados.
She doesn't work on Saturdays.
Nós não moramos longe.
We don't live far.
Common mistakes
- — The endings already carry the subject, so you can drop “eu/ele”: “falo português” stands alone.
- — “Não” goes immediately before the verb — don't hunt for a “don't” equivalent.
- — Watch the “nós” ending: for -ar verbs it's “-amos” (falamos), never “-emos”.
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