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BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE VERB

ser

to be

  • #1 most used
  • Irregular -er verb
  • Gerund: sendo
  • Past participle: sido

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 ser

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

  1. Present

    Eu sou professora e meu marido é médico.

    I'm a teacher and my husband is a doctor.

  2. Past

    A viagem foi muito melhor do que eu esperava.

    The trip was much better than I expected.

  3. Future

    Minha filha vai ser médica, igual ao pai.

    My daughter is going to be a doctor, like her father.

  4. Imperfect

    Quando eu era criança, a gente morava no Rio.

    When I was a kid, we lived in Rio.

  5. Conditional

    Seria ótimo almoçar com vocês no domingo.

    It would be great to have lunch with you on Sunday.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Espero que você seja muito feliz aqui.

    I hope you're very happy here.

  7. Past subjunctive

    Se eu fosse você, aceitava esse emprego.

    If I were you, I'd take that job.

  8. Future subjunctive

    Se for muito caro, a gente não compra.

    If it's too expensive, we won't buy it.

  9. Imperative

    Seja bem-vindo, fique à vontade!

    Welcome, make yourself at home!

Good to know

  • Ser is for what something is; estar is for how or where it is right now.
  • "Sou de São Paulo" says where you are from; "estou em São Paulo" says where you are now.

Where you hear ser

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

Brazilian Portuguese · Beginner Level 1

  • Eu sou do Rio. I'm from Rio.
  • Ontem foi um dia bom. Yesterday was a good day.
  • Amanhã vai ser um dia bom. Tomorrow is going to be a good day.

Brazilian Portuguese · Beginner Level 2

  • Eu sou do Rio. I'm from Rio.
  • Quando eu era criança, eu era tímida. When I was a child, I was shy.
  • Amanhã vai ser um dia bom. Tomorrow is going to be a good day.
1
Welcome to Brazil

Beginner Level 1 · você é · sou · não sou · é

Free 2
Where Are You From?

Beginner Level 1 · você é · Sou de

Free 3
This Is Your Room

Beginner Level 1 · este é · esta é

Needs a subscription 6
Hot Today, Isn't It?

Beginner Level 1 · não é?

Needs a subscription 10
How Was Your Day?

Beginner Level 1 · foi

Needs a subscription 12
Where Do You Live?

Beginner Level 1 · somos

Needs a subscription 4
Where Do I Sign?

Beginner Level 2 · Pode ser.

Needs a subscription 17
When I Was a Child

Beginner Level 2 · eu era

Needs a subscription 1
I Want You to Apply

Intermediate Level 1 · que você seja

Free 9
Would It Be Possible?

Intermediate Level 1 · seria

Needs a subscription 9
I Would Have Put More Cheese

Intermediate Level 2 · sido

Needs a subscription 14
It's Being Restored

Intermediate Level 2 · sendo

Needs a subscription

And 3 more lessons.

Verbs like this one

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