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fluentbyear

BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE VERB

estar

to be, right now

  • #2 most used
  • Irregular -ar verb
  • Gerund: estando
  • Past participle: estado

Conjugation

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

Present

Presente · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Pretérito Perfeito · finished actions

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

Future

Futuro com ir · plans: “going to”

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

Imperfect

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

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

Conditional

Futuro do Pretérito · “would”

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Past subjunctive

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

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

Future subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Imperativo · requests and orders

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

How to use estar

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

  1. Present

    Eu estou com muita fome, vamos almoçar?

    I'm really hungry, shall we have lunch?

  2. Past

    Ontem eu estive no mercado com a minha mãe.

    Yesterday I was at the market with my mother.

  3. Future

    A gente vai estar em casa depois das oito.

    We're going to be home after eight.

  4. Imperfect

    O restaurante estava cheio, então a gente foi embora.

    The restaurant was full, so we left.

  5. Conditional

    Sem você, eu estaria perdido nessa cidade.

    Without you, I'd be lost in this city.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Tomara que ele esteja melhor amanhã.

    I hope he's better tomorrow.

  7. Past subjunctive

    Se eu estivesse de férias, ia com vocês.

    If I were on vacation, I'd go with you.

  8. Future subjunctive

    Quando você estiver pronta, a gente sai.

    When you're ready, we'll leave.

  9. Imperative

    Esteja aqui às nove em ponto, por favor.

    Be here at nine sharp, please.

Good to know

  • In speech "estou" and "está" often shrink to "tô" and "tá": tô cansado, tá bom.
  • "Estar com" says how you feel right now: estou com fome, estou com frio, estou com pressa.

Where you hear estar

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

Brazilian Portuguese · Beginner Level 1

  • Eu estou em casa. I'm at home.
  • Eu estive no Rio no ano passado. I was in Rio last year.
  • Eu vou estar aqui amanhã. I'll be here tomorrow.

Brazilian Portuguese · Beginner Level 2

  • Os meus amigos estão na praia. My friends are at the beach.
  • Eles estavam em casa ontem. They were at home yesterday.
  • Eles vão estar aqui amanhã. They'll be here tomorrow.
3
This Is Your Room

Beginner Level 1 · você está · estou · Estou, sim.

Needs a subscription 5
Eight Reals

Beginner Level 1 · Aqui está.

Needs a subscription 14
Can I Speak to Marcos?

Beginner Level 2 · Ele não está.

Needs a subscription 19
I Have a Booking

Beginner Level 2 · estão

Needs a subscription 4
These Are My Parents

Beginner Level 3 · nós estamos

Needs a subscription 3
It's Important That You Arrive Early

Intermediate Level 1 · que você esteja

Needs a subscription 23
It Will Be Sent by Post

Intermediate Level 1 · estará

Needs a subscription 28
As If Nothing Were Happening

Intermediate Level 1 · estivesse

Needs a subscription 10
If We Had Known

Intermediate Level 2 · estaria

Needs a subscription 28
I'd Never Seen My Father Dance

Intermediate Level 2 · estado

Needs a subscription 21
It Hasn't Sunk In Yet

Intermediate Level 3 · você esteja

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

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