Ackerlind Sheila R., Jones-Kellogg Rebecca. Portuguese: A Reference Manual

Portuguese

152

PRESENT INDICATIVE: FORMS

1) Regular verbs

A regular present indicative verb derives from its infinitive, with which it shares the same

radical.

falar (1st CONJ.)

comer (2nd CONJ.)

partir (3rd CONJ.)

1st-

PERS.

SING.

falo

como

parto

2nd-

PERS.

SING.

falas

comes

partes

3rd-

PERS.

SING.

fala

come

parte

1st-

PERS.

PLUR.

falamos

comemos

partimos

2nd-

PERS.

PLUR.

falais

comeis

partis

3rd-

PERS.

PLUR.

falam

comem

partem

a)

-a

=

1st-conj.

marker:

found in all forms except the 1st-pers. sing.

-e

=

2nd-conj.

marker:

found in all forms except the 1st-pers. sing.

-i

=

3rd-conj.

marker:

found only in the 1st- / 2nd-pers. plur.;

-e (= 2nd-conj. marker) is found in all other forms

except the 1st-pers. sing.

b)

The following are the markers of their corresponding forms.

-o

1st-

pers.

sing.

-s

2nd-

pers.

sing.

-mos

1st-

pers.

plur.

-is

2nd-

pers.

plur.

-m

3rd-

pers.

plur.

c)

The 1st- / 2nd-persons plural follow the infinitive in vowel and stress pattern.

Grammatical Categories

153

2) Orthography-changing verbs

In order to transcribe correctly the sound of the final consonant in the radical of the

infinitive, the following orthographic changes must be made in the 1st-person singular of

the following verb categories.

INFINITIVE

ORTHOGRAPHIC

INFINITIVE

>

1st-PERS.

ENDING

CHANGE

SING.

-cer

ce

>

ço

conhecer

>

conheço

-ger

ge

>

jo

proteger

>

protejo

-gir

gi

>

jo

dirigir

>

dirijo

-guer

gue

>

go

erguer

>

ergo

-guir

1

gui

>

go

distinguir

>

distingo

3) Radical-changing verbs

Radical-changing (= stem-changing) verbs are those in which a sound in the radical of the

infinitive changes in certain forms of the verb.

a) The 1st- / 2nd-persons plural follow the infinitive in vowel and stress pattern.

b) The verb endings are regular.

c) In the following verbs, a sound in the radical of the infinitive changes only in the

1st-person singular (not in the other verb forms, except as noted).

INFINITIVE

1st-PERS. SING.

requerer

requeiro

(3rd-pers. sing. = requer)

saber

sei

caber

caibo

poder

posso

perder

perco

pedir

peço

medir

meço

ouvir

ouço

2

valer

valho

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1

The radical of seguir and its derived verbs changes (see p. 155: 3f for details).

2

EP: Also oiço (see p. 4n4 for details).

Portuguese

154

d) In the following verb categories, an [e] / [o] in the radical of an -ar / -er infinitive

often changes to [ɛ] / [ɔ], respectively, in certain stressed positions.

INFINITIVE

VERB FORMS

EXAMPLES

ENDING

-ar

1

pesar:

[e]

gostar:

[o]

1st-

pers.

sing.

peso

2

[ɛ]

gosto

2

[ɔ]

2nd-

pers.

sing.

pesas

[ɛ]

gostas

[ɔ]

3rd-

pers.

sing.

pesa

[ɛ]

gosta

[ɔ]

3rd-

pers.

plur.

pesam

[ɛ]

gostam

[ɔ]

-er

1

beber:

[e]

correr:

[o]

bebo

[e]

corro

[o]

2nd-

pers.

sing.

bebes

[ɛ]

corres

[ɔ]

3rd-

pers.

sing.

bebe

[ɛ]

corre

[ɔ]

3rd-

pers.

plur.

bebem

[ɛ]

correm

[ɔ]

e) An [ẽ] / [õ] in the radical of an -ar / -er infinitive does not change.

3

EXAMPLES

lembrar:

[ẽ]

esconder:

[õ]

lembro

[ẽ]

escondo

[õ]

lembras

[ẽ]

escondes

[õ]

lembra

[ẽ]

esconde

[õ]

lembram

[ẽ]

escondem

[õ]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1

= most verbs with [e] / [o] in radical.

2

Note the following homographs:

peso

[ɛ]

("I weigh")

vs.

peso

[e]

("weight")

gosto

[ɔ]

("I like")

vs.

gosto

[o]

("taste")

3

[ẽ] / [õ] transcribe syllable-final letters e / o + m / n (lembrar / assombrar / vender / esconder);

the letters m / n are not pronounced; rather, they indicate the nasalization of the preceding vowel.

Grammatical Categories

155

f) In the following verb categories, an [e] / [o] / [u] in the radical of an -ir infinitive

often changes in certain stressed positions.

INFINITIVE

VERB FORMS

EXAMPLES

ENDING

-ir

1, 2, 5, 6

seguir:

7

[e]

dormir:

7

[o]

1st-

pers.

sing.

sigo

4

[i]

durmo

[u]

2nd-

pers.

sing.

segues

[ɛ]

dormes

[ɔ]

3rd-

pers.

sing.

segue

[ɛ]

dorme

[ɔ]

3rd-

pers.

plur.

seguem

[ɛ]

dormem

[ɔ]

-ir

3

subir:

[u]

subo

[u]

2nd-

pers.

sing.

sobes

[ɔ]

3rd-

pers.

sing.

sobe

[ɔ]

3rd-

pers.

plur.

sobem

[ɔ]

g) An [ẽ] in the radical of an -ir infinitive changes in only one position:

to [ĩ] in the 1st-person singular.

VERB FORM

EXAMPLES

mentir:

7

[ẽ]

sentir:

7

[ẽ]

1st-pers. sing.

minto

[ĩ]

sinto

[ĩ]

mentes

[ẽ]

sentes

[ẽ]

mente

[ẽ]

sente

[ẽ]

mentem

[ẽ]

sentem

[ẽ]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1

= many verbs with [e] in radical.

2

= most verbs with [o] in radical.

3

= most verbs with [u] in radical.

4

Orthographic change:

seguir

>

sigo

5

Radical change in 1st-pers. sing. of:

pedir / medir

>

peço / meço

Notes to Spanish Speakers:

6

1st-pers. sing. of Spanish:

pedir / medir / seguir

>

pido / mido / sigo

7

An [e] / [o] in the radical of a Spanish -ir infinitive makes the following changes in all stressed

positions:

[e] > [i]:

seguir

>

sigo

[e] > [

i

e]:

mentir / sentir

>

miento / siento

[o] > [

u

e]:

dormir

>

duermo

Portuguese

156

h) In the following verb category, an e in the radical of the infinitive changes to ei in

all stressed positions.

INFINITIVE

VERB FORMS

EXAMPLES

ENDING

-ear

1, 2

passear:

[e]

1st-

pers.

sing.

passeio

[e

i

]

2nd-

pers.

sing.

passeias

[e

i

]

3rd-

pers.

sing.

passeia

[e

i

]

3rd-

pers.

plur.

passeiam

[e

i

]

4) Irregular verbs

A number of verbs are irregular in the present indicative. Most of these verbs, however,

are linked by patterns of similar forms (indicated by =).

a) The 1st- / 2nd-persons plural usually follow the infinitive in vowel and stress

pattern.

b) rir / sorrir:

i) -i (not -e) is found in the 2nd- / 3rd-persons singular;

ii) -i is also found in the 1st-person singular / 3rd-person plural;

iii) the 2nd-person plural retains the vestigial -d- (< Latin -t-):

(sor)rio

(sor)ris

(sor)ri

(sor)rimos

(sor)rides

(sor)riem

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1

This change also takes place in five verbs ending in -iar: ansiar / incendiar / odiar / (re)mediar;

all other verbs ending in -iar are regular, as seen in the 1st-pers. sing. of the following infinitives:

elogiar:

elogio

iniciar:

inicio

2

The unstressed e in the radical of the infinitive and the 1st- / 2nd-pers. plur.

(passeamos / passeais) is often pronounced [i].

Grammatical Categories

157

c) In the following verb categories

i) -i (not -e) is found in the 2nd- / 3rd-persons singular;

ii) -i is also found in the 1st-person singular of -air verbs;

iii) an acute accent marks a stressed i preceded by a / u in the radical of the

1st- / 2nd-persons plural:

INFINITIVE ENDING

EXAMPLES

-air

sair:

cair:

saio

caio

sais

cais

sai

cai

saímos

caímos

saís

caís

saem

caem

-uir

constituir:

constituo

constituis

constitui

constituímos

constituís

constituem

exceptions:

construir:

1

destruir:

1

construo

destruo

constróis

destróis

[ɔ

i

]

constrói

destrói

[ɔ

i

]

construímos

destruímos

construís

destruís

constroem

destroem

[o

i

]

-oer

doer:

2

moer:

móis

[ɔ

i

]

dói

mói

[ɔ

i

]

doem

moem

[o

i

]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1

Portuguese usually uses an open o [ɔ] in the radical of the 2nd- / 3rd-pers. sing. and a closed o [o]

in the radical of the 3rd-pers. plur.; these irregular forms are identical to those of -oer infinitives.

Alternative forms of construir / destruir (which follow the model of instruir as well as of most

other -uir verbs) are:

construis

destruis

construi

destrui

construem

destruem

2

doer is normally used only in the 3rd person.

Portuguese

158

d) In the following verbs, the final -e is dropped in the 3rd-person singular.

INFINITIVE

3rd-PERS. SING.

querer

quer

requerer

requer

(1st-pers. sing. = requeiro)

-uzir:

-uz:

conduzir

conduz

introduzir

introduz

(re)produzir

(re)produz

traduzir

traduz

luzir

luz

jazer

jaz

e) In the following verbs (and any derived ones)

i) the radical changes in the 1st-person singular;

ii) the final -e is dropped in the 3rd-person singular:

fazer:

trazer:

dizer:

faço

1

trago

=

digo

fazes

=

trazes

=

dizes

faz

2

=

traz

2

=

diz

2

fazemos

=

trazemos

=

dizemos

fazeis

=

trazeis

=

dizeis

fazem

=

trazem

=

dizem

f) In the following verbs

i) the radical changes in the 1st-person singular;

ii) ê is found in the 2nd- / 3rd-persons singular; ee, in the 3rd-person plural;

3

iii) the 2nd-person plural retains the vestigial -d- (< Latin -t-):

crer:

ler:

ver:

creio

=

leio

vejo

crês

=

lês

=

vês

crê

=

lê

=

vê

cremos

=

lemos

=

vemos

credes

=

ledes

=

vedes

creem

=

leem

=

veem

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1

faço

=

peço / meço / ouço

(< pedir / medir / ouvir)

2

faz / traz / diz

=

jaz / -uz

(< jazer / -uzir)

3

Portuguese no longer uses a circumflex over the first e of ee.

Grammatical Categories

159

g) In the following verbs (and any derived ones)

i) -nh- is found in the 1st-person singular;

ii) the nasal diphthongs [ẽ

ĩ

] // [õ

ĩ

] are found in the 2nd- / 3rd-persons singular

and 3rd-person plural of vir / ter // pôr, respectively;

1

iii) the 2nd-person plural retains the vestigial -d- (< Latin -t-):

vir:

ter:

pôr:

4

venho

=

tenho

=

ponho

vens

=

tens

pões

vem

2, 3

=

tem

3

põe

vimos

temos

pomos

vindes

=

tendes

=

pondes

vêm

2

=

têm

põem

h) Some of the most common verbs are the most irregular.

haver:

5

estar:

dar:

ir:

6

ser:

hei

estou

=

dou

=

vou

=

sou

hás

=

estás

=

dás

vais

és

há

=

está

=

dá

vai

é

havemos

estamos

=

damos

=

vamos

somos

haveis

estais

=

dais

ides

sois

hão

=

estão

=

dão

=

vão

=

são

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1

The nasal diphthongs [ẽ

ĩ

] // [õ

ĩ

] are a vestige of the -n- in the original Latin infinitives

venire / tenere // ponere; however, the -n- disappeared in the respective Portuguese infinitives

vir / ter // pôr.

2

vem and vêm (< vir) are pronounced like veem (< ver) (que confusão!).

3

An acute accent marks the 3rd-pers. sing. of verbs derived from vir / ter:

convém / contém

(vs. vem / tem)

4

Infinitives derived from pôr are not marked with a circumflex (impor / supor, etc.).

5

haver:

(a)

hei = sei (< saber)

(b)

eis is a literary form derived from haveis (and/or perhaps Latin ecce); it means

"there is / are" / "behold."

(c)

hemos / heis are alternative, abbreviated forms of havemos / haveis, respectively;

they also appear in the endings of the future indicative (see p. 175).

6

ir: five of its conjugated forms derive from Latin vadere (> English "wade");

only the 2nd-pers. plur. derives from the Latin synonym ire, the -d- of which it also retains.

Portuguese

160

PRESENT INDICATIVE: USES

1) The present indicative tense is expressed in English by

a) the present tense;

b) "does" / "do" + verb;

c) "is" / "am" / "are" + present participle.

1

2) The present indicative expresses

a) an action that takes place continually, habitually, or routinely in the present:

Vocês cantam? Cantamos, sim.

(do...sing / sing)

Estudamos muito.

(study)

b) a state of being (permanent or not) that exists in the present:

Você sente calor?

(feel)

Estamos no Rio de Janeiro.

(are)

c) the past (in order to make narrative discourse more realistic or vivid):

Os muçulmanos conquistam (= conquistaram) a Península Ibérica

no ano 711. Com o decorrer do tempo, estabelecem (= estabeleceram)

vários reinos no sul da Península. O último deste reinos não é (= foi)

reconquistado pelos cristãos até o ano 1492.

3) The present indicative tense often replaces the future indicative in colloquial Portuguese.

Ele diz que sai.

(= sairá)

(He says that he'll leave.)

Vocês saem se puderem?

(= sairão)

(Will you leave if you can?)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1

This construction more commonly expresses the Portuguese present "progressive" tense

(see p. 212 for details).

Grammatical Categories

161

PRESENT PERFECT INDICATIVE

1) The present perfect indicative consists of the present indicative of ter + masculine singular

past participle.

1

(1st CONJ.)

(2nd CONJ.)

(3rd CONJ.)

falar

comer

partir

1st-

PERS.

SING.

tenho

+

falado

comido

partido

2nd-

PERS.

SING.

tens

+

falado

comido

partido

3rd-

PERS.

SING.

tem

+

falado

comido

partido

1st-

PERS.

PLUR.

temos

+

falado

comido

partido

2nd-

PERS.

PLUR.

tendes

+

falado

comido

partido

3rd-

PERS.

PLUR.

têm

+

falado

comido

partido

2) The present perfect indicative tense

a) expresses an action or state of being that began in the past and continues into the

present;

b) is often used with these adverbs:

ultimamente / recentemente

(lately / recently)

repetidas vezes / muito

(repeatedly / a lot)

c) usually is expressed in English by "has been" / "have been" + present participle and

corresponds to the English and Spanish present perfect "progressive" tense:

2

Portuguese:

i)

A polícia não tem prendido muitos estudantes ultimamente.

ii)

Tenho dito repetidas vezes que iria.

iii)

Recentemente temos estudado muito.

Spanish:

i)

La policía no ha estado prendiendo muchos estudiantes últimamente.

ii)

He estado diciendo repetidas veces que iría.

(= he dicho)

iii)

Recientemente hemos estado estudiando mucho.

English:

i)

The police have not been arresting many students lately.

ii)

I have repeatedly been saying that I would go.

(= have said)

iii)

Recently we have been studying a lot.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1

If a past participle has two forms, the regular one is used.

haver rarely replaces ter.

2

The English and Spanish present perfect often correspond to the Portuguese preterite

rather than to the present perfect (see p. 169: 1 for details).

Ackerlind Sheila R., Jones-Kellogg Rebecca. Portuguese: A Reference Manual

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