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BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE VERB

tocar

to play an instrument or music

  • #247 most used
  • Regular -ar verb
  • Gerund: tocando
  • Past participle: tocado

Conjugation

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

Present

Presente · now, habits and facts

  1. eu I play an instrument or music
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you play an instrument or music
  3. nós we play an instrument or music
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all play an instrument or music

Past

Pretérito Perfeito · finished actions

  1. eu I played an instrument or music
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you played an instrument or music
  3. nós we played an instrument or music
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all played an instrument or music

Future

Futuro com ir · plans: “going to”

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

Imperfect

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

  1. eu I used to play an instrument or music
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you used to play an instrument or music
  3. nós we used to play an instrument or music
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all used to play an instrument or music

Conditional

Futuro do Pretérito · “would”

  1. eu I would play an instrument or music
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you would play an instrument or music
  3. nós we would play an instrument or music
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all would play an instrument or music

Present subjunctive

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

  1. eu (that) I play an instrument or music
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente (that) you play an instrument or music
  3. nós (that) we play an instrument or music
  4. vocês, eles, elas (that) you all play an instrument or music

Past subjunctive

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

  1. eu (if) I played an instrument or music
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente (if) you played an instrument or music
  3. nós (if) we played an instrument or music
  4. vocês, eles, elas (if) you all played an instrument or music

Future subjunctive

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

  1. eu (when) I play an instrument or music
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente (when) you play an instrument or music
  3. nós (when) we play an instrument or music
  4. vocês, eles, elas (when) you all play an instrument or music

Imperative

Imperativo · requests and orders

  1. você play an instrument or music!
  2. vocês play an instrument or music! (all of you)

How to use tocar

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

  1. Present

    Meu irmão toca violão desde criança.

    My brother has played guitar since he was a kid.

  2. Past

    A banda tocou até as três da manhã.

    The band played until three in the morning.

  3. Future

    Quem vai tocar no casamento de vocês?

    Who's going to play at your wedding?

  4. Imperfect

    Meu pai tocava piano nos bares da cidade.

    My father used to play piano in the city's bars.

  5. Conditional

    Eu tocaria bateria se os vizinhos deixassem.

    I would play drums if the neighbors let me.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Quero que você toque aquela música de novo.

    I want you to play that song again.

  7. Past subjunctive

    Se eu tocasse algum instrumento, seria o violino.

    If I played an instrument, it would be the violin.

  8. Future subjunctive

    Quando o telefone tocar, atenda rápido.

    When the phone rings, answer quickly.

  9. Imperative

    Toque mais baixo, o bebê está dormindo.

    Play more quietly, the baby's sleeping.

Good to know

  • "Tocar" is also to touch, and "tocar a campainha" is to ring the bell; a phone "toca" when it rings.

Where you hear tocar

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

Brazilian Portuguese · Intermediate Level 1

  • A banda toca muito bem. The band plays very well.
  • A banda tocou até as quatro. The band played until four.
  • Eles vão tocar uma música que você conhece. They're going to play a song you know.

Brazilian Portuguese · Intermediate Level 2

  • A banda toca forró a noite inteira. The band plays forro all night.
  • A banda tocou até as três. The band played until three.
  • Quem vai tocar no casamento? Who's going to play at the wedding?
19
Whoever Catches the Bouquet

Intermediate Level 1 · ele toca · eu toco · tocar

Needs a subscription 8
A Dress That Is Simple

Intermediate Level 2 · toque

Needs a subscription 15
We Ended Up Finding a Band

Intermediate Level 2 · tocam · tocava

Needs a subscription 2
Even If I Get Everything Wrong

Intermediate Level 3 · tocava guitarra

Free 24
I'd Barely Lain Down

Intermediate Level 3 · tocou

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

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