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BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE VERB

construir

to build

  • #396 most used
  • Irregular -ir verb
  • Gerund: construindo
  • Past participle: construído

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Presente · now, habits and facts

  1. eu I build
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you build
  3. nós we build
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all build

Past

Pretérito Perfeito · finished actions

  1. eu I built
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you built
  3. nós we built
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all built

Future

Futuro com ir · plans: “going to”

  1. eu I am going to build
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you are going to build
  3. nós we are going to build
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all are going to build

Imperfect

Pretérito Imperfeito · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. eu I used to build
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you used to build
  3. nós we used to build
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all used to build

Conditional

Futuro do Pretérito · “would”

  1. eu I would build
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you would build
  3. nós we would build
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all would build

Present subjunctive

Presente do Subjuntivo · wishes, doubts, “que …”

  1. eu (that) I build
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente (that) you build
  3. nós (that) we build
  4. vocês, eles, elas (that) you all build

Past subjunctive

Imperfeito do Subjuntivo · “if I were”, “se …”

  1. eu (if) I built
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente (if) you built
  3. nós (if) we built
  4. vocês, eles, elas (if) you all built

Future subjunctive

Futuro do Subjuntivo · “when” and “if” about the future

  1. eu (when) I build
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente (when) you build
  3. nós (when) we build
  4. vocês, eles, elas (when) you all build

Imperative

Imperativo · requests and orders

  1. você build!
  2. vocês build! (all of you)

How to use construir

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Meu tio constrói casas no interior de Minas.

    My uncle builds houses in the Minas countryside.

  2. Past

    A gente construiu a casa aos poucos.

    We built the house bit by bit.

  3. Future

    Vão construir um shopping perto da minha casa.

    They're going to build a mall near my house.

  4. Imperfect

    Meu avô construía móveis de madeira no quintal.

    My grandpa used to build wooden furniture in the backyard.

  5. Conditional

    Eu construiria uma casa na árvore pras crianças.

    I would build a tree house for the kids.

  6. Present subjunctive

    A prefeitura quer que construam uma ponte nova.

    The city wants a new bridge built.

  7. Past subjunctive

    Se a gente construísse um muro, teria mais privacidade.

    If we built a wall, we'd have more privacy.

  8. Future subjunctive

    Quando eu construir minha casa, vou ter varanda.

    When I build my house, I'll have a porch.

  9. Imperative

    Construam o castelo de areia longe da água.

    Build the sandcastle away from the water.

Where you hear construir

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Brazilian Portuguese · Beginner Level 3

  • Eles constroem casas. They build houses.
  • A ponte foi construída em mil novecentos e oitenta e cinco. The bridge was built in nineteen eighty-five.
  • Eles vão construir uma escola aqui. They are going to build a school here.

Brazilian Portuguese · Intermediate Level 2

  • Aqui a gente constrói tudo com madeira da fazenda. Here we build everything with wood from the farm.
  • O meu pai construiu esta casa. My father built this house.
  • A gente vai construir um palco para a festa. We're going to build a stage for the party.
15
Three Hundred Years Old

Beginner Level 3 · construída · foi construída

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I Insist

Intermediate Level 2 · construiu

Needs a subscription 14
It's Being Restored

Intermediate Level 2 · construído

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What's Still Left to Do

Intermediate Level 2 · sendo construído

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -ir verb.