The 20 Most Common Portuguese Verbs (And How To Use Them)

So you want to learn Portuguese, but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, that’s totally normal! The best way to not overload your brain is to focus on the most popular words first, like the most common Portuguese verbs. By starting with these words, you’ll be able to say a whole range of things, even if your vocabulary is small. And you can build up the rest later!

Ready? Let’s take a look at the 20 most common Portuguese verbs — applicable to both Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese — along with their conjugations in the present verb tense and some practical examples.

The Top 20 Portuguese Verbs

1. ser — to be

Example: Nós somos a Ana e o Lucas. (“We are Ana and Lucas.”)

2. estar — to be

Example: Eu estou muito cansado da viagem! (“I’m very tired from the trip!”)

Watch out! Both ser and estar mean “to be” (much like in Spanish). Ser is used for introductions and to name characteristics, occupations, permanent states, nationalities and times. Estar is used for temporary conditions, locations and with the progressive forms.

3. ter — to have

Example: Você tem irmãos? (Do you have siblings?)

When ter is used by itself, it’s almost always in the impersonal form tem, which indicates the existence or availability of things. In this case, tem corresponds to “there is” in English.

Example: Neste restaurante tem muitas mesas livres. (“There are lots of free tables in this restaurant.”)

4. fazer — to make, to do

Example: Eu faço yoga três vezes por semana. (“I do yoga three times a week.”)

5. ir — to go

Example: Hoje à noite eu vou ao cinema com a Gabriela. (“Tonight I’m going to the cinema with Gabriela.”)

6. poder — can

Example: Você pode vir à nossa festa na sexta-feira? (“Can you come to our party on Friday?”)

7. saber — to know

Example: Você sabe onde é o Teatro Nacional? (“Do you know where the National Theater is?”)

8. colocar — to put

Example: Onde eu coloco esse pacote? (“Where do I put this package?”)

9. gostar — to like

Example: Eu não gosto de cerveja quente! (“I don’t like warm beer!”)

10. dizer — to say

Example: Eles sempre dizem o que pensam. (“They always say what they think.”)

11. querer — to want

Example: Nós queremos viajar a Salvador em dezembro. (“We want to travel to Salvador in December.”)

12. falar — to speak

Example: Nós só falamos um pouquinho de inglês. (“We only speak a little English.”)

13. dar — to give

Example: Eu sempre dou 10% de gorjeta. (“I always give a 10% tip.”)

14. ver — to see, to watch

Example: Vocês veem televisão à noite? (“Do you watch TV at night?”)

15. levar — “to take”

Example: Você leva as crianças para casa? (“Could you take the kids home?”)

16. trazer — to bring

Example: Eu trouxe um presente para você. (“I brought you a gift.”)

17. achar — to find, to think

Example: O que você acha dessa roupa? (“What do you think about this outfit?”)

18. precisar — to need

Example: Eu preciso da sua ajuda! (“I need your help!”)

19. ficar — to stay, to be, to become

Example: Você fica aqui? Eu já volto. (“Could you stay here? I’ll be right back.”)

Ficar is also used to indicate a fixed location, like buildings and addresses. In this case, it means “to be.” Meanwhile, when ficar is used with adjectives, it means “to become.”

Examples:

• Onde fica o correio? (“Where is the post office?”)
• Eu fico louca com esse barulho! (“This noise drives me mad!”)

20. vir — to come

Example: Quando você vem me visitar? (“When are you coming to visit me?”)

Regular vs. Irregular Verbs in Portuguese

Verb conjugations generally come in two varieties: regular verbs and irregular verbs. Most of these are irregular, meaning that their conjugations are unique to them. Fortunately, this is not the case for every verb in the Portuguese language. Once you’ve tackled the regular and irregular verbs, then mastering Portuguese is a breeze.

Portuguese has three types of regular verbs, each named for the ending of their infinitives: -ar, -er, and -ir. Here’s an overview of how to conjugate this pattern using some common regular verbs.

-ar verb present tense conjugation

This example uses cantar (to sing)

-er verb present tense conjugation

This example uses comer (to eat)

-ir verb present tense conjugation

This example uses partir (to go)

Practice Portuguese Verbs

Mastering Portuguese verbs is one of the most powerful steps you can take on your language‑learning journey. As you’ve seen, learning the most common verbs gives you the tools to express actions, understand conversations, and build real fluency. Even though verbs change depending on mood, tense, and verb endings, many patterns become easier once you recognize the three main verb groups and notice how regular verbs follow predictable patterns.

Of course, there are many irregular verbs and forms that simply must be memorized, especially when dealing with compound tenses, the subjunctive mood, or combinations of two verbs such as an auxiliary verb plus a main verb. But don’t let these discourage you: every learner develops intuition over time, and the more you speak Portuguese, the more natural these forms will feel.

To keep progressing, try adding short verb exercises to your routine and practicing verbs in the present tense across different tenses and different verb moods (like the indicative mood and the subjunctive). Listening to both European and Brazilian Portuguese will help sharpen your pronunciation and show you how real speakers use these structures in daily life. And remember: learning a language is a marathon, not a sprint. With curiosity, consistency, and plenty of opportunities to practice, you’ll steadily build confidence with Portuguese grammar and unlock more of the language with every step of your Portuguese learning journey.