Pretérito perfeito — the simple past
The pretérito perfeito describes completed past actions — "I ate", "I went", "I saw". Regular verbs keep their stem and add past endings:
| Person | falar (spoke) | comer (ate) | abrir (opened) |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | falei | comi | abri |
| tu | falaste | comeste | abriste |
| ele/ela | falou | comeu | abriu |
| nós | falámos | comemos | abrimos |
| eles/elas | falaram | comeram | abriram |
High-frequency irregulars worth memorising as whole words:
| Verb | eu (I …) | ele/ela (he/she …) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ir / ser (same past!) | fui | foi | went / was |
| fazer | fiz | fez | did / made |
| ter | tive | teve | had |
| estar | estive | esteve | was (temporary) |
| ver | vi | viu | saw |
| vir | vim | veio | came |
| dizer | disse | disse | said |
| poder | pude | pôde | could |
Past examples
Fui a Lisboa no ano passado.
I went to Lisbon last year.
Comi bacalhau ontem.
I ate cod yesterday.
Falei com o rececionista.
I spoke with the receptionist.
Vi a Torre de Belém.
I saw the Belém Tower.
O que fez ontem?
What did you do yesterday?
Já comeste?
Have you eaten yet?
Já + pretérito perfeito — the everyday Portugal way (Brazil often says 'você já comeu?').
Future — just use ir + infinitive
Portuguese has a synthetic future tense (falarei, comerei) — it's real grammar and you'll meet it eventually, but it is not the main beginner target. In everyday speech, Portugal uses the same construction as English "going to":
ir (conjugated) + infinitive
- Vou viajar amanhã. — I'm going to travel tomorrow.
- Vamos comer agora. — We're going to eat now. / Let's eat.
- Vai chover. — It's going to rain.
- Vão visitar o Porto. — They're going to visit Porto.
Bonus: Vamos comer. doubles as "Let's eat." — the same form does future and suggestion.
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| Vou viajar. | I'm going to travel. |
| Vamos comer. | We're going to eat. / Let's eat. |
| Vai chover amanhã. | It's going to rain tomorrow. |
| Vou ficar três noites. | I'm going to stay three nights. |
Past vs future side by side
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| Comi peixe ontem. | I ate fish yesterday. |
| Vou comer peixe amanhã. | I'm going to eat fish tomorrow. |
| Fui ao mercado. | I went to the market. |
| Vou ao mercado. | I'm going to the market. |
Mini practice
Q1. 'Fui' can mean…
- I go
- I went / I was
- I will go
Answer: I went / I was
Q2. 'Vou viajar' means…
- I travel
- I travelled
- I'm going to travel
Answer: I'm going to travel
Q3. Past of comer (eu) is…
- comi
- comia
- comerei
Answer: comi
Q4. The everyday future in Portugal is…
- synthetic future only
- ir + infinitive
- ter + participle
Answer: ir + infinitive
Q5. 'Vamos comer' can also mean…
- We ate
- Let's eat
- We eat
Answer: Let's eat
