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Study Resource: Brazilian Portuguese verbs that change their stem in the present simple

By: Ana Amélia Rodrigues dos Santos
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These activities are part of our Brazilian Portuguese Grammar series. The skills we are practicing here are covered in our article:

This reference resource presents the conjugations of several Brazilian Portuguese verbs that are irregular in the simple present tense, because their stems change in one or more forms.

Verbs that are only irregular in the 1st person singular

The verbs in the table below undergo a stem change in the first person singular, simple present tense, and will therefore be irregular only in the eu(I) form of the verb.

Verb
eu(I)
tu(you)
você(you sg.)
ele(he, it)
ela(she, it)
nós(we)
vós*(you)
vocês(you pl.)
eles, elas(they)
saber(to know)
sei
sabes
sabe
sabemos
sabeis
sabem
dormir(to sleep)
durmo
dormes
dorme
dormimos
dormis
dormem
cobrir(to cover)
cubro
cobres
cobre
cobrimos
cobris
cobrem

tossir(to cough)

tusso
tosses
tosse
tossimos
tossis
tossem
discobrir(to discover)
descubro
descobres
descobre
descobrimos
descobris
descobrem
mentir(to lie)
minto
mentes
mente
mentimos
mentis
mentem
despir(to strip, to undress)
dispo
despes
despe
despimos
despis
despem
preferir(to prefer)
prefiro
preferes
prefere
preferimos
preferis
preferem
repetir(to repeat)
repito
repetes
repete
repetimos
repetis
repetem
seguir(to follow)
sigo
segues
segue
seguimos
seguis
seguem
servir(to serve)
sirvo
serves
serve
servimos
servis
servem
vestir(to dress)
visto
vestes
veste
vestimos
vestis
vestem
consentir(to consent)
consinto
consentes
consente
consentimos
consentis
consentem
refletir(to reflect)
reflito
refletes
reflete
refletimos
refletis
refletem
requerer(to require)
requeiro
requeres
requere
requeremos
requereis
requerem
parir(to give birth)
pairo
pares
pare
parimos
paris
parem
poder(can, to be able to)
posso
podes
pode
podemos
podeis
podem
medir(to measure)
meço
medes
mede
medimos
medis
medem
ouvir(to listen)
ouço
ouves
ouve
ouvimos
ouvis
ouvem
pedir(to ask)
peço
pedes
pede
pedimos
pedis
pedem
perder(to lose)
perco
perdes
perde
perdemos
perdeis
perdem
valer(to be worth)
valho
vales
vale
valemos
valeis
valem
*This is a very formal form of “you” that is rarely used in Brazilian Portuguese.

Verbs that only have a stem change, but use regular endings

The following verbs have a stem change somewhere in their simple present conjugation, but the endings on the verb are regular.

Verb
eu(I)
tu(you)
você(you sg.)
ele(he, it)
ela(she, it)
nós(we)
vós*(you)
vocês(you pl.)
eles, elas(they)
agredir(to assault)
agrido
agrides
agride
agredimos
agredis
agridem
subir(to ride up, to climb)
subo
sobes
sobe
subimos
subis
sobem
*This is a very formal form of “you” that is rarely used in Brazilian Portuguese.

Verbs that have stem changes AND irregular endings

The following Brazilian Portuguese verbs are very irregular in the simple present tense, because they both have a stem change somewhere in their conjugation and take some irregular endings.

Verb
eu(I)
tu(you)
você(you sg.)
ele(he, it)
ela(she, it)
nós(we)
vós*(you)
vocês(you pl.)
eles, elas(they)
dar(to give)
dou
dás
damos
dais
dão
trazer(to bring)
trago
trazes
traz
trazemos
trazeis
trazem
querer(to want)
quero
queres
quer
queremos
quereis
querem
dizer(to say)
digo
dizes
diz
dizemos
dizeis
dizem
fazer(to make, to do)
faço
fazes
faz
fazemos
fazeis
fazem

ver(to see)**

vejo
vês
vemos
vedes
veem
vir(to come)
venho
vens
vem
vimos
vindes
vêm

pôr(to put)***

ponho
pões
põe
pomos
pondes
põem
*This is a very formal form of “you” that is rarely used in Brazilian Portuguese.
**The verb prover(to provide) is conjugated the same way as ver.
***The verbs repor(to replace), compor(to compose), supor(to suppose) are conjugated the same way as pôr.

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