VII. VERBS
Reading edition
103. The Portuguese verbs are either transitive or intransitive, reflexive, or impersonal. They have voice, mood, tense, number, and person.
CONJUGATIONS
104. The verbs have three conjugations which are distinguished by the endings of the infinitives.
Example
ENDING INFINITIVE MEANING
First conjugation: -ar andar to walk
Second conjugation: -er receber to receive
Third conjugation: -ir punir to punish
105. Regular and Irregular Verbs.—Those verbs which are conjugated like one of the three types are called regular; those which are not so conjugated, or lack some of the parts, are called irregular verbs.
GENERAL TERMINATIONS OF THE REGULAR VERBS
(See Exercise XXI, page 141)
106. The following are the terminations of all the forms of the regular verbs. These are to be added to the roots of the verbs, except in the cases of the future and conditional of the indicative where the infinitive is used as the root.
Indicative Mood
TENSES 1ST CONJUG. 2D CONJUG. 3D CONJUG.
Present o o o
as es es
a e e
amos emos imos
aes eis is
am[34] em em
Imperfect ava ia ia
avas ias ias
ava ia ia
avamos iamos iamos
aveis ieis ieis
avam[34] iam iam
Preterit ei i i
aste este iste
ou eu iu
amos emos imos
astes estes istes
áram[34] êram iram
Future ei ei ei
ás ás ás
á á á
emos emos emos
eis eis eis
ão[34] ão ão
The future endings are added to the infinitive.
Conditional ia ia ia
ias ias ias
ia ia ia
íamos íamos íamos
ieis ieis ieis
iam iam iam
The conditional endings are added to the infinitive.
Pluperfect ara era ira
aras eras iras
ara era ira
aramos eramos iramos
areis ereis iraes
aram[35] eram iram
Subjunctive Mood
Present e a a
es as as
e a a
emos ámos âmos
eis aes aes
em am am
Imperfect asse esse isse
asses esses isses
asse esse isse
assemos êssemos issemos
asseis esseis isseis
assem essem issem
Future ar er ir
ares eres ires
ar er ir
armos ermos irmos
ardes erdes irdes
arem erem irem
Imperative Mood
Present a e e
ae ei i
Infinitive
Impersonal ar er ir
Personal ar er ir
ares eres ires
ar er ir
armos ermos irmos
ardes erdes irdes
arem erem irem
Participles
Pres. Part. ando endo indo
Past Part. ado ido ido
MODEL VERBS
107. The tone vowels in this table are indicated by italics.
Indicative
Present falo (I speak) devo (I owe) parto (I depart)
falas deves partes
fala deve parte
falamos devemos partimos
falaes deveis partis
falam devem partem
Imperfect[36] falava (I spoke or was speaking) devia (I owed or was owing) partia (I departed or was departing)
falavas devias partias
falava devia partia
falavamos deviamos partiamos
falaveis devieis partieis
falavam deviam partiam
Preterit[36] falei (I spoke or have spoken) devi (I owed) parti (I departed)
falaste deveste partiste
falou deveu partiu
falámos devemos partimos
falastes devestes partistes
falaram deveram partiram
Future falarei (I shall speak) deverei (I shall owe) partirei (I shall depart)
falarás deverás partirás
falará deverá partirá
falaremos deveremos partiremos
falareis devereis partireis
falarão deverão partirão
Conditional falaria (I should or would speak) deveria (I should or would owe) partiria (I should or would depart)
falarias deverias partirias
falaria deveria partiria
falariamos deveriamos partiriamos
falarieis deverieis partirieis
falariam deveriam partiriam
Pluperfect falára (I had spoken) devêra (I had partíra (I had
faláras devêras owed) partíras departed)
falára devêra partíra
faláramos devêramos partíramos
faláreis devêreis partíreis
faláram devêram partíram
Subjunctive
The subjunctive is to be translated into English according to the context, by may, can, must, might, could, would, and should. When it is used in place of the imperative it is translated as a command or request.
Present fale (I may speak) deva (I may owe) parta (I may depart)
fales devas partas
fale deva parta
falemos devámos partamos
faleis devaes partaes
falem devam partam
Imperfect falasse (I should speak) devesse (I should owe) partisse (I should depart)
falasses devesses partisses
falasse devesse partisse
falassemos devêssemos partissemos
falasseis devesseis partisseis
falassem devessem partissem
Future falar (I should dever (I should owe) partir (I should depart)
falares speak) deveres partires
falar dever partir
falarmos devermos partirmos
falardes deverdes partirdes
falarem deverem partirem
Imperative
Present fala (speak) deve (owe) parte (depart)
falae (pl.) devei parti
Infinitive
Impersonal falar (to speak) dever (to owe) partir (to depart)
Personal falar dever partir
falares deveres partires
falar dever partir
falarmos devermos partirmos
falardes deverdes partirdes
falarem deverem partirem
Participles
Pres. Part.[37] falando (speaking) devendo (owing) partindo (departing)
Past Part. falado (spoken) devido (owed) partido (departed)
OBSERVATIONS ON THE REGULAR VERBS
(See Exercise XXII, page 142)
108. Formerly the third person plural of the indicative present of the first conjugation ended in ão; now it is written am; only the future indicative retains the ão ending except in short words where the ão is the predominant sound as são, dão, hão.
The following changes (a. to g.) are required by the necessity of preserving the hard or soft sounds.
Verbs ending in
a. car change the c to qu before e: arrancar, pret. arranquei, pres. sub. arranque; ficar, pret. fiquei.
b. gar change the g to gu before e: apagar, apague; jogar, jogue; cegar, pret. ceguei; julgar, pret. julguei.
c. ger and gir change the g to j before o and a: abranger, abranjo; fugir, fujo, fuja.
d. guer and guir drop the u before a and o: erguer, ergo; distinguir, distingo (except arguir).
e. çar drop the cedilla before e: alcançar, alcance.
f. cer change c to ç before a and o: adoecer, adoeço, adoeça.
g. In the third conjugation verbs that have u in the final syllables change it to o in the present:
consume, 3d per. consome
destruo, ” ” destroe
acudo, ” ” acode
fujo, ” ” foge
cuspo, ” ” cospe
engulo, ” ” engole
tusso, ” ” tosse
bulo, ” ” bole
cubro, ” ” cobre
subo, ” ” sobe
sumo, ” ” some
Analogous changes are made in the first person of the present indicative of the following: dormir becomes durmo; servir, sirvo; seguir, sigo; impedir (formerly impido, now) impeço.
AUXILIARY VERBS
(See Exercise XXIII, page 143)
109. The principal auxiliary verbs are ter, to have, and haver, ser, and estar, to be. These verbs, however, are not used exclusively as auxiliaries, while other verbs are often used as such, especially andar and ir, to go, and vir, to come. Ando procurando uma casa, I am looking for a house.
a. Ter and haver when used with an infinitive require the preposition de: tenho de escrever, or hei de escrever, I have to write. In such uses of these verbs, ter shows that the thing is done by necessity, as temos de morrer, we must die; while haver is used to indicate that it will be done with certainty, or the resolution to do it.
Ter sometimes means to have in the sense of possession, as tenho um cavallo, I have a horse; teve razão, he had reason or he was right, but it is also used as an auxiliary verb just as it is in English.
b. These particular auxiliaries are often used in place of the regular future forms of the verbs: hei-de ir for irei, ha-de ir for irá, etc. The hyphen is not always used before the de; it may be written ha de ir.
c. In the use of haver with the preposition de the latter is joined to the verb form: hei-de escrever; hão-de dizer.
d. In general ter is used more than haver.
e. When andar is used as an auxiliary it is either followed by the present participle of another verb or by a and the infinitive, and conveys the idea that the subject of the first verb constantly practises the action implied by the second: José anda vadeando or José anda a vadear means that Jose is idling constantly.
f. The verbs ir and vir followed by the present participle of another verb expresses the gradual realization of the action of the second verb: vou acabando, I am gradually finishing, I am nearing the end.
g. The verb ir followed by the infinitive expresses immediate future action: vou passear, I am going to take a walk.
h. Haver is generally defined as meaning to have, but in the third person it is more nearly equivalent to the verb to be. For example: não ha agua, there is no water; houve um temporal, there was a storm; se houvesse tempo, if there were time.
i. Ser means to be in a permanent sense: sou Americano, I am an American. It is used as an auxiliary, but only in the passive voice: a terra é cultivada, the land is cultivated.[38]
j. Estar means to be, in a transitory or temporary sense: estou aqui, I am here; estou com fome, I am hungry; estou doente, I am ill; but sou doente means I am ill beyond recovery, that is, I am an invalid. Estou cego, I am blind (temporarily); sou cego, I am blind (permanently).
k. Estar is sometimes used to indicate nearness in point of time where ser indicates remoteness, as elle está morto means he has just died, whereas elle é morto implies that he died long ago. Sometimes either ser or estar can be used with equal propriety as: é claro que or está claro que, it is evident that....
l. The verb estar followed by the preposition a or para and an infinitive means that the action of the second verb is to take place shortly: Carlos está para casar, Charles is on the point of marrying; o vapor está a partir, the steamer is about to start.
m. Estar a indicates an act in process at the time of the remark: ha mais de meia hora está aquelle menino a chorar, for more than half an hour that boy has been crying.
n. Vir followed by the preposition a and an infinitive expresses the same idea as would be expressed by the second verb and por fim: estas palavras veem a significar or estas palavras por fim significam, in the end these words mean, or these words amount to.
o. The English auxiliary do has no equivalent in Portuguese.
Conjugation of the Auxiliary Verbs
to have to be to be to be
to have
Indicative
Present tenho (I have) hei sou (I am) estou (I am)
tens has és estas
tem ha é[42] está
temos havemos[41] somos estamos
tendes haveis sois estaes
têm hão são[43] estão
Imperfect tinha (I had) havia era (I was) estava (I was)
tinhas havias eras estavas
tinha havia era estava
tinhamos haviamos éramos estavamos
tinheis havieis ereis estaveis
tinham haviam eram estavam
Preterit tive (I had) houve fui (I was) estive (I was)
tiveste houveste foste estiveste
teve houve foi esteve
tivemos houvemos fomos estivemos
tivestes houvestes fostes estivestes
tiveram houveram foram estiveram
Future terei haverei serei estarei
terás haverás serás estarás
terá haverá será estará
teremos haveremos seremos estaremos
tereis havereis sereis estareis
terão haverão serão estarão
terias haverias serias estarias
teria haveria seria estaria
teriamos haveriamos seriamos estariamos
terieis haverieis serieis estarieis
teriam haveriam seriam estariam
Pluperfect[44] tivera houvera fôra estivera
tiveras houveras fôras estiveras
tivera houvera fôra estivera
tiveramos houvéramos foramos estiveramos
tivereis houvereis foreis estivereis
tiveram houveram foram estiveram
Subjunctive
Present tenha haja seja esteja
tenhas hajas sejas estejas
tenha haja seja esteja
tenhamos hajamos sejamos estejamos
tenhaes hajaes sejaes estejaes
tenham hajam sejam estejam
Imperfect tivesse houvesse fosse estivesse
tivesses houvesses fosses estivesses
tivesse houvesse fosse estivesse
tivessemos houvessemos fossemos estivessemos
tivesseis houvesseis fosseis estivesseis
tivessem houvessem fossem estivessem
Future tiver houver fôr estiver
tiveres houveres fôres estiveres
tiver houver fôr estiver
tivermos houvermos fôrmos estivermos
tiverdes houverdes fôrdes estiverdes
tiverem houverem fôrem estiverem
Imperative
Present (sing.) tem ha sê esta
(pl.) tende havei sêde estae
Infinitive
Impersonal ter haver ser estar
Personal ter haver ser estar
teres haveres seres estares
ter haver ser estar
termos havermos sermos estarmos
terdes haverdes serdes estardes
terem haverem serem estarem
Participles
Pres. Part. tendo havendo sendo estando
Past Part. tido havido sido estado
IRREGULAR VERBS
(See Exercise XXIV, page 144)
110. Some of the irregular verbs are so nearly regular that they are omitted from the following reference list of the verbs most commonly regarded as irregular. Such are verbs ending in ahir and air. These follow the succeeding models in the Present Indicative and Subjunctive but are otherwise regular.
Sahir, to go out Esvair, to disperse
Indicative Present Indicative Present
saio esvaio
saes esvais
sae esvae
sahimos esvaimos
sahis esvais
saem esváem
Subjunctive Present Subjunctive Present
saia esvaia
saias esvais
saia esvaia
saiâmos esvaiâmos
saiaes esvaiaes
saiam esváiam
a. Note.—The verbs sahir, cahir, and their compounds are generally written with h in those forms in which the sa and ca are followed by accented i or ir, in which cases the h is used to indicate that the a and i do not form diphthongs.
b. Verbs ending in uzir take uz instead of use in the third person of the present indicative: produzir, to produce, produz; reluzir, to shine, reluz.
Reference List of the Irregular Parts of Irregular Verbs
111. FIRST CONJUGATION
Dar, to give.
Indic. Pres. dou, das, da, damos, daes, dão.
Pret. dei, deste, deu, demos, destes, déram.
Plup. déra, déras, etc.
Subj. Pres. dê, dês, dê, dêmos, deis, dêem.
Imp. désse, désses, etc.
Fut. dér, déres, dér, dermos, derdes, derem.
112. SECOND CONJUGATION
Caber, to hold, contain.
Indic. Pres. caibo, cabes, cabe, cabemos, etc.
Pret. coube, coubeste, coube, coubemos, etc.
Plup. coubera, couberas, etc.
Subj. Pres. caiba, caibas, caibâmos, etc.
Imp. coubesse, coubesses, etc.
Fut. couber, couberes, etc.
Crer, to believe.
Indic. Pres. creio, crês, crê, cremos, credes, creem.
Subj. Pres. creia, creias, creia, creiamos, creiaes, creiam.
Imperative. crê, crede.
Dizer, to say.
Indic. Pres. digo, dizes, diz, dizemos, etc.
Pret. disse, disseste, dissemos, etc.
Fut. direi, diras, dirá, etc.
Condit. diria, dirias, etc.
Plup. dissera, disseras, disseramos, etc.
Subj. Pres. diga, digas, digâmos, etc.
Imp. dissesse, dissesses, disséssemos, etc.
Fut. dissér, disséres, etc.
Pres. Part. dito.
Note.—The following compounds of dizer are conjugated in the same way: bemdizer, condizer, contradizer, maldizer and predizer.
Estar, to be, see page 79.
Fazer, to do, to make (Lat. facere).
Indic. Pres. faço, fazes, faz, fazemos, etc.
Pret. fiz, fizeste, fez, fizemos, etc.
Fut. farei, farás, fará, etc.
Condit. faria, farias, faria, fariamos, etc.
Plup. fizera, fizeras, fizéramos, etc.
Subj. Pres. faça, faças, faça, façâmos, etc.
Imp. fizesse, fizesses, fizesse, fizéssemos, etc.
Fut. fizer, fizeres, etc.
Past Part. feito.
Note.—The following compounds of fazer are similarly conjugated: afazer, contrafazer, desfazer, perfazer, refazer, and satisfazer.
Haver, see page 79.
Jazer, to lie, to repose.
Indic. Pres. jazo, jazes, jaz, jazemos, jazeis, jazem.
Pret. jouve (antiquated).
Ler, to read.
Indic. Pres. leio, lés, lê, lemos, ledes, leem.
Subj. Pres. leia, leias, leia, leiamos, leiais, leiam.
Perder, to lose.
Indic. Pres. perco, perdes, perde, perdemos, etc.
Subj. Pres. perca, percas, perca, percamos, etc.
Poder, to be able.
Indic. Pres. posso, podes, póde, podêmos, etc.
Pret. pude, podeste, pôde or poude, podémos, etc.
Subj. Pres. possa, possas,possa, possâmos, etc.
Imp. podesse, podesses, podesse, etc.
Fut. poder, poderes, etc.
The Imperative of this verb is wanting.
Por, to put, to place.
This word and its compounds have the peculiar infinitive ending or;[46] it is, however, only a modification of its ancient form poer.
Indic. Pres. ponho, pões, põe, pômos, pondes, põem.
Pret. pus, poseste, pôs, posémos, posesetes, pozeram.[47]
Fut. porei, porás, porá, poremos, poreis, porão.
Imper. punha, punhas, punha, punhamas, punheis, punham.
Condit. poria, porias, poria, poriamos, etc.
Plup. posera, poseras, etc.[48]
Subj. Pres. ponha, ponhas, ponhamos, etc.
Imp. posesse, posesses, posessemos, etc.[48]
Fut. poser, poseres, posermos, etc.
Pres. Part. pondo.
Past Part. pôsto.
Similarly are conjugated the compounds antepôr, oppôr, compôr, contrapôr, dispôr, impôr, etc.
Prazer, to please (Impersonal).
Indic. Pres. praz.
Pret. prouve.
Plup. prouvera.
Subj. Imp. prouvesse.
Fut. prouvera.
Querer, to wish.
Indic. Pres. quero, queres, quer, queremos, etc.
Pret. quis, quiseste, quis, quisemos, etc.,
or quiz, quizeste, quiz, quizemos, etc.
Plup. quisera, quiseras, quiseramos, etc.
Subj. Pres. queira, queiras, queirâmos, etc.
Imp. quisesse, quisesses, quiséssemos, etc.
Fut. quiser, quiseres, quisermos, etc.
This verb has no Imperative form and the Subjunctive is used in its stead.
Requerer, to request.
Indic. Pres. requeiro, requeres, requer, requeremos, etc.
Subj. Pres. requeiras, etc.
Imperative. requere, requerei.
Saber, to know.
Indic. Pres. sei, sabes, sabe, sabemos, etc.
Pret. soube, soubeste, soube, soubémos, etc.
Subj. Pres. saiba, saibas, saibâmos, saibaes, etc.
Imp. soubesse, soubesses, soubessemos, etc.
Fut. souber, souberes, etc.
Ser, to be. See page 79.
Ter, to have. See page 79.
The following compounds of ter are similarly conjugated: abster, ater, center, deter, entreter, manter, obster, reter, and suster.
Trazer, to bring.
Indic. Pres. trago, trazes, traz, trazemos, etc.
Pret. trouxe, trouxeste, trouxemos, etc.
Plup. trouxera, trouxeras, trouxéramos, etc.
Fut. trarei, trarás, trará, etc.
Condit. traria, trarias, trariamos, etc.
Subj. Pres. traga, tragas, tragamos, tragaes, etc.
Imp. trouxesse, trouxesses, trouxessemos, etc.
Fut. trouxer, trouxeres, etc.
Valer, to be worth.
Indic. Pres. valho, vales, vale, valemos, etc.
Subj. Pres. valha, valhas, valhâmos, valhaes, etc.
Ver, to see (Lat. videre).
Indic. Pres. vejo, vês, vê, vêmos, vêdes, vêem.
Pret. vi, viste, viu, vimos, vistes, viram.
Plup. vira, viras, viramos, vireis, etc.
Subj. Pres. veja, vejas, vejâmos, vejaes, etc.
Imp. visse, visses, vissemos, etc.
Fut. vir, vires, virmos, etc.
Past Part. visto.
Similarly conjugated are the compounds antever, entrever, prever and rever.
113. THIRD CONJUGATION
Despedir, Expedir. See Pedir below.
Frigir, to fry.
Indic. Pres. frijo, friges, frege, frigimos, frigis, fregem.
Past Part. frigido and frito.
Ir,[49] to go.
Indic. Pres. vou, vaes, vae, vamos or imos, ides, vão.
Pret. fui, foste, foi, fômos, fostes, fôram.
Fut. irei, iras, irá, iremos, ireis, irão.
Imp. ia, ias, ia, iamos, ieis, iam.
Condit. iria, irias, iria, iriamos, etc.
Plup. fôra, fôras, fôra, fôramos, etc.
Subj. Pres. vá, vás, vá, vâmos, vades, vão.
Imp. fôsse, fôsses, fôsse, fôssemos, etc.
Fut. fôr, fôres, fôr, etc.
Imper. Pres. vae, ide.
Pres. Part. indo.
Past Part. ido.
Medir, to measure.
Indic. Pres. meço, medes, mede, medemos, medem.
Subj. Pres. meça, meças, meça, meçamos, etc.
Ouvir, to hear.
Indic. Pres. ouço, ouves, ouve, ouvimos, ouvis, ouvem.
Subj. Pres. ouça, ouças, ouça, ouçamos, ouçaes, ouçam.
Pedir, to ask.
Indic. Pres. peço, pedes, pede, pedimos, etc.
Subj. Pres. peça, peças, peça, peçamos, peçaes, peçam.
The compounds despedir and impedir are conjugated in the same way.
Remir,[50] to redeem.
Indic. Pres. redimo, redimes, redime, remimos, remis, redimem.
Subj. Pres. redima, redimas, redima, redimâmos, etc.
Rir, to laugh.
Indic. Pres. rio, ris, ri, rimos, rides, riem.
Subj. Pres. ria, rias, ria, riâmos, riaes, riam.
Vir, to come.
Indic. Pres. venho, vens, vem, vimos, vindes, vêm.
Pret. vim, vieste, veio, viemos, viestes, vieram.
Imp. vinha, vinhas, vinha, vinhamos, vinheis, etc.
Plup. viera, vieras, vieramos, viereis, etc.
Subj. Pres. venha, venhas, venhâmos, etc.
Imp. viesse, viesses, viéssemos, etc.
Fut. vier, vieras, viermos, etc.
Past Part. vindo.
In the same way are conjugated the compounds: advir, avir-se, contravir, convir, desavir, intervir, sobrevir.
VARIABLE PARTICIPLES OF REGULAR VERBS
(See Exercise XXV, page 145)
114. Many verbs that are otherwise regular have two forms of the past participle. These participles are not always interchangeable, however, as will be seen from the following examples:
Naquelle tempo já meu irmão era morto, at that time my brother was already dead.
Naquelle tempo já meu irmão tinha morrido, at that time my brother had already died.
Muitos povos eram sujeitos a Roma, many people were subject to Rome.
Roma tinha sujeitado muitos povos, Rome had subjected many people.
In general when a verb has two forms of the past participle one of them is commonly used in the active voice and the other in the passive voice as in the examples above; some of them, however, are used in either voice, though preference is generally given to the short forms: elle tem gasto, pago, ganho. It should be observed that one form is regular and the other irregular or rather contracted.
115. List of Verbs having Two Forms of the Past Participle.—[In this list (a.) indicates that the preceding form is used in the active voice, (p.) that it is used in the passive, (a. and p.) that it is used in both voices.]
FIRST CONJUGATION
acceitar, to accept acceitado (a. p.) acceito (p.)
assentar, to sit assentado (a. p.) assento (p.)
dispersar, to disperse dispersado (a. p.) disperso (p.)
entregar, to deliver entregado (a. p.) entregue (p.)
enxugar, to dry enxugado (a. p.) enxuto (p.)
expressar, to express expressado (a. p.) expresso (p.)
expulsar, to expel expulsado (a.) expulso (p.)
fartar, to satiate fartado (a.) farto (p.)
findar, to finish findado (a. p.) findo (p.)
ganhar, to gain ganhado (a. p.) ganho (a. p.)
gastar, to spend gastado (a.) gasto (a. p.)
isentar, to exempt isentado (a.) isento (p.)
juntar, to collect juntado (a. p.) junto (a. p.)
limpar, to clean limpado (a.) limpo (a. p.)
matar, to kill matado (a.) morto (a. p.)[51]
occultar, to hide occultado (a. p.) occulto (p.)
pagar, to pay pagado[52] (a.) pago (a. p.)
salvar, to save salvado (a. p.) salvo (a. p.)
soltar, to loose soltado (a.) solto (p.)
sujeitar, to subject sujeitado (a. p.) sujeito (p.)
116.SECOND CONJUGATION[53]
accender, to set fire accendido (a. p.) acceso (p.)
eleger, to elect elegido (a.) eleito (a. p.)
envolver, to involve envolvido (a. p.) envolto (a. p.)
prender, to take prendido (a.) preso (p.)
suspender, to suspend suspendido (a. p.) suspenso (p.)
117.THIRD CONJUGATION
abrir, to open abrido[54] (a.) aberto (a. p.)
erigir, to erect erigido (a. p.) erecto (p.)
extinguir, to extinguish extinguido (a. p.) extincto (p.)
frigir, to fry frigido (a.) frito (a. p.)
imprimir, to print imprimido (a. p.) impresso (a. p.)
tingir, to dye tingido (a.) tinto (p.)
118. There are still other verbs having two forms of the past participle:
afeiçoar, to fashion afeiçoado afecto
annexar, to annex annexado annexo
ignorar, to ignore ignorado ignoto
manifestar, to manifest manifestado manifesto
sepultar, to bury sepultado sepulto[55]
suspeitar, to suspect suspeitado suspeito
absolver, to absolve absolvido absolto
absorver, to absorb absorbido absorto
extender, to extend extendido extenso
torcer, to twist torcido torto
contrahir, to contract contrahido contracto
extrahir, to extract extrahido extracto
opprimir, to oppress opprimido oppresso
reprimir, to repress reprimido represso
submergir, to submerge submergido submerso
DEFECTIVE VERBS
(See Exercise XXVI, p. 146)
119. In addition to those already mentioned in the list of irregular verbs, the following verbs are defective:
I. advir These verbs are used only in the forms in which the i of the infinitive occurs.
colorir
descommedir-se
emollir
empedernir
extorquir
fallir
florir
renhir
retorquir
II. Precaver, to prevent, fremir, to roar, and soer, to be accustomed, are only used in the forms in which the roots precav, frem, and so are followed by e or i: precaves, precavia.
THE SUBJECTS OF VERBS
(See Exercise XXVI, page 146)
120. In the main verbs agree with their subjects in number and person as they do in English, but such a general rule is not always applicable in Portuguese. The following rules cover the most important cases in which there is a departure from English usage.
a. In case of compound subjects the verb may be plural as in English, as o sol e a lua são brilhantes; but in certain cases it is singular, as follows:
b. It is singular when a gradation is emphasized: una palavra, um gesto, um olhar bastava.
c. It is singular when an enumeration ends with tudo, nada, nenhum, ninguem or cada um. O ouro, os diamantes, e as perolas tudo é terra e da terra.
d. It is singular when the compound subject follows the verb: passará o céo e a terra. In case of proper names it is considered better for the verb to be plural: do mesmo pal nasceram Esau e Jacob.
e. Infinitives and phrases take the verb in the singular: perdoar erros e engrandecer bons intentos é de espirito generoso.
f. In case of contrasts the verb is plural: amar, aggravar, e empecer não se compadecem.
g. The following have the verb either singular or plural indifferently: um e outro, nem um nem outro, mais de um. Um e outro quer morrer. Um e outro fugiram.
h. In certain idiomatic expressions singular subjects appear to have plural verbs. (1) Nos é que somos patriotas. In this sentence nos é que may, however, be regarded as an adverbial expression. Some grammarians regard it as analytically equivalent to que nós somos patriotas é (facto). (2) Tudo são trevas; o mundo são homens.
i. Similarly a first person may be used with a verb of the third person: eu é que digo adeus, it is I who say good-by.
j. When one subject is in the first person and another is of the second or third, the verb is first person plural. Eu e tu temos, the eu and tu being equivalent to nós. Nem eu nem vós sabemos come nasce amor, literally, neither I nor you, (that is, we) do not know how love begins.
k. When one subject is in the second person and another is in the third, the verb is second person plural. Tu e Carlos estaes bons, you and Carlos are good.
121. Impersonal Verbs.[56]—(See Exercise XXVII, page 147.) Impersonal verbs are used only in the third person. The English impersonal it is not separately expressed in this impersonal use.
Examples: ha homens sabios, there are wise men; houve festas, there were feasts (festivities); faz calor, it is warm; faz uma semana hoje, it is a week to-day; é facil, it is easy; é justo, it is just; é bem que, it is well that; é preciso, it is necessary; são duas horas, it is two o’clock; dizem, they say. Other forms especially characteristic of the Portuguese, but used in various tenses, are:
acontece, it happens
apraz-me, it pleases me
basta, it is enough
carece, it is necessary, there is need that
chega, that will do
convem, it is well, it suits
cumpre, it is necessary: cumpre dizel-o, it must be said
custa, it costs: custa dormir, it is hard to sleep
dar-se, to happen: deu-se esse facto, this is what happened
é, era, foi, etc., from ser (§ 109), it is, was, etc.
faz, fazia, fez, from fazer (§ 112), it is, was, etc.
fica, it remains, rests, is, etc., as fica combinado, it is agreed
ha, havia, houve, from haver (§ 109), there is, there are, there was, there has been
importa, it matters
parece, it seems
praz-me, it pleases me, I am pleased
urge, it is urgent
resta, it remains
a. There are also the usual forms expressing operations of nature, such as chove, it rains.
b. The impersonal verbs are often used in the passive voice, as alli se vive sem desejo, there one lives without desire; diz-se que, it is said that; precisa-se de um criado, a servant is wanted.
122. Prepositions Required by Verbs.—Some verbs are followed by certain prepositions, such as a, até, com, de, em, para, por, sobre, in their various forms. Some of these usages correspond to the English, but most of them do not. Only a few of the cases where the usage differs from English are given here.
a. A, to, of, is used after perguntar, prohibir, and perdoar: perguntou ao medico, he asked the physician; prohibiu ao moço, he forbade the youth. Eu perdôo a quantos me fizeram mal, I forgive all those who have ill used me. A is used with the infinitive when it is the object of a verb, as explained at § 123d.
b. The use of a after querer determines the meaning of the verb: querer a alguma pessoa is to esteem or love some one, while querer alguma cousa is to desire something.
c. Até, to, at, is used after chegar and ir: fui até a cidade, I went as far as the city.
d. Com, with, is used after estar, to be, ter, to have, and casar, to marry; estou com fome, I am hungry; estou com frio, I am cold; fui ter com elle, I went to have an interview with him; casou com a filha de T, he married the daughter of T.
e. De, of, is used after:
approveitar-se, to improve the opportunity cessar, to cease depender, to depend deixar, to leave gostar, to like morrer, to die precizar, to need
and after certain reflexive forms, such as,
lembrar-se, to remember esquecer-se, to forget
and verbs implying motion from. Examples:
Gosto de café, I like coffee
Morre de fome e de frio, he is dying of hunger and cold
Deixa de asneiras, stop your folly
Lembrou-se da occasião, he remembered the occasion
For de before an infinitive objective, see § 123f.
f. Classic writers use de with several other verbs, such as,
d’esta agua não beberei, I shall not drink of this water;
d’este pão não comerei, I shall not eat of this bread.
g. Em, in, is used after estar: o dono está em casa? is the proprietor at home?
h. Para, for, to, is used after certain verbs implying motion towards: ir, partir, vir, buscar, olhar, and deitar:
Vou para casa, I am going home
Partiu para Lisboa, he has gone to Lisbon
Olhe para cá, look this way
A janella deita para o rio, the window opens toward the river
i. Note.—On the other hand several verbs which in English are followed by prepositions do not require prepositions in Portuguese. Such are:
Agradecer, to thank for: agradeço-lhe o presente, I thank you for the present.
Almoçar, to breakfast on: almoçou peixe, he breakfasted on fish.
Calçar, to put on (the feet): calcei chinellas, I put on slippers.
Cear, to sup on: ceou cha, he supped on tea.
Falar, to speak of: falou politica, he talked about politics.
Subir, to climb up: subiu a serra, he climbed up the mountain.
Vestir, to put on: vesti o paletó, I put on the coat.
OBJECTS OF VERBS
(See Exercise XXVIII, page 148)
123. The objects of verbs differ in the following respects from usages in English:
a. When the direct object of a verb is a person or living being, that name is preceded by the preposition a, to, especially when it is necessary to distinguish the object from the subject. Ama a Deus, love God; a Pompeu venceu Cesar, Cæsar overcame Pompey; elle subjugou ao tigre, he overcame the tiger. But when the object is an animal other than man the a, to, may be omitted as subjugou o tigre.
b. When the direct object precedes the verb or when ambiguity is possible, the preposition a, to, precedes the object: vence o dia á noite or á noite vence o dia, day overcomes night.
c. When the direct object is one of the pronouns mim, ti, si, elle, a, nos, vos, elles, and os they are preceded by the preposition a: elle os colheu a mim e não a ti.
d. When the direct object is an infinitive the following verbs take the preposition a: aprender, começar, ensinar, principiar. Example: ensinou a falar.
e. These verbs, when followed by the infinitive denoting the beginning of action, require a: começar, deitar, entrar, meter, desatar, botar. Começou a escrever, he began to write; deitaram a fugir, they began to flee.
f. When the direct object of a verb is an infinitive, certain of these verbs when signifying the beginning, continuation or cessation of action, take de before that infinitive. These verbs are: acabar, arrancar, cessar, começar, continuar, deixar, tomar, travar. Example: acabou de escrever, he has done writing; comecei de (or a) almoçar, I began to breakfast.
SPECIAL USES OF VERBS
(See Exercise XXVIII, page 148)
124. a. To express existence in its various phases, besides estar and ser, many verbs are used. Some of these are here illustrated: acho-me doente, literally, I find myself ill; sinto-me envelhecido, literally, I feel myself grown old; viu-se empobrecido, literally, he saw himself impoverished; anda alegre, literally, he goes joyous, that is, he is happy.
b. Certain verbs are combined to express movement and perception: ouvi cantar, I heard (him) sing; vi sahir, I saw (him) go out; mandei fazer, I ordered made; fiz concertar, I had (it) mended.
c. When a participle is used as an adjective it is often followed by de: cercada e ornada de flores, surrounded and decorated with flowers. This is especially true of the verbs acompanhar, seguir, preceder, cercar, forrar, cobrir, pintar, fazer, vestir.
Some grammarians explain the use of de in these instances as part of elliptical phrases.
PERIPHRASTIC VERB PHRASES
(See Exercise XXIX, page 149)
125. The Portuguese has periphrastic active, and passive verb phrases formed by the aid of auxiliaries. (See auxiliaries § 109).
a. Periphrastic active phrases are made by placing the required forms of ter, to have (see page 79), before the perfect participle masculine singular of the main verb: tenho escrito a carta, I have written the letter.
tenho escrito, I have written tens escrito, thou hast written tem escrito, he (she) has written temos escrito, we have written
b. Periphrastic passive phrases are formed by the use of ser or estar, to be, and the participle of the main verb which must agree with the subject. (See notes on ser and estar on page 78.)
Tenho sido transportado, I have been carried
José foi morto, Jose was killed
Maria estava molhada pela chuva, Maria was wet by the rain
c. The active voice is often used where the passive would be used in English. Mandou preparar o jantar, he ordered dinner to be prepared. Mandei trazer um livro, I ordered a book to be brought. É de suppor, é de ver, é de crer are all translatable only in passive forms.
d. Progressive phrases are formed by the use of estar, to be, ficar, to remain, ir, to go, and some others with the present participle of the main verb. Estou fallando, I am speaking; fica sabendo que ——, know that ——.
REFLEXIVE VERBS
(See Exercise XXX, page 150)
126. The reflexive verbs are conjugated by connecting the reflexive pronouns me, te, se, nos, and vos with the verb: não me metto nisto, I do not meddle in this affair; vá se deitar, go lie down; vá se embora, go away:
a. A certain force and grace are sometimes imparted by the use of reflexive forms even when the verb is intransitive. Ella morre de tristeza, she is dying of grief, is grammatically correct, but ella se morre de tristeza is a more expressive way to say the same thing owing to the attention called to the subject by the use of se.
b. Certain verbs are much used in the reflexive sense: queixar-se, to complain, and arrepender-se, to repent, are used only in the reflexive forms; despedir-se, to take leave, and calar-se, to hush, are used in both the active and reflexive forms, but the active forms have different meanings.
c. Neuter or impersonal reflexives with me, se, etc., are much used: me dizem or dizem-me, they tell me; me parece or parece-me, it seems to me.
d. The reflexive verbs do not take as objects the pronouns o, a, os, as.
IMPERATIVE AND SUBJUNCTIVE
(See Exercise XXXI, page 151)
127. Colloquially the imperative is not so much used as the subjunctive which is used in its place. Thus fale (subj. pres.) com ella would be used in place of fala (imper.) com ella, speak to her; the latter is regarded as less polite, possibly because fala has tu (understood) as its subject, while fale has for its subject o Senhor, você, etc. For the same reason tenha paciencia (subj.), have patience, is used in place of tem paciencia (imper.).[57] Preste (not presta) attenção, pay attention.
a. It is especially to be noted that when there is a negative the subjunctive should be used instead of the imperative: não deva, you ought not (not não deve); não me fale (subj.), don’t talk to me (not não me fala, imperative).
b. One of the most common errors in Portuguese is the use of the present indicative in place of the imperative (or subjunctive). The following are examples: Traz-me um copo d’agua, should be traze-me (or traga-me) um copo d’agua, fetch me a glass of water; diz a seu pai que, should be dize a teu pai (or diga a seu pai) que, tell your father that; traduz este carta, should be traduze esta carta, translate this letter.
THE SUBJUNCTIVE AND THE INDICATIVE
128. In certain dependent sentences the subjunctive or the indicative is used according to circumstances. When the fact is doubtful the subjunctive is used, otherwise the indicative:
É incerto que venha, it is uncertain about his coming.
É certo que vem, it is certain that he is coming.
Não conheço pintor que faça este quadro, I know no painter who could make this picture.
Não conheço o pintor que fez este quadro means: I do not know the painter who made this picture.
129. When the adverb talvez, perhaps, precedes a verb it should be subjunctive; when it follows the verb, it should be indicative: talvez seja isso exacto, or isso é talvez exacto, perhaps this (or it) is so.
130. Certain idiomatic expressions use the subjunctive with the indefinite and relative pronouns as explained at § 102.
131. Similarly the subjunctive is used with como: seja como for, be that as it may.
132. The subjunctive is sometimes used in the sense of a conjunction: estão ao alcance de todos os que as buscam, seja como estudo, seja como curiosidade (Herculano). They are within the reach of all who seek them whether for study or (as a mere matter of) curiosity.
PERSONAL INFINITIVE
(See Exercise XXXI, page 151)
133. The personal infinitive is an inflected form of the infinitive. It is found in the oldest Portuguese writings, and it is likewise different in use from anything in any other language.[58] Its use is best explained by examples:
Impersonal: comprei este livro para estudar, I bought this book (for me) to study.
Personal: comprei este livro para estudardes, I bought this book for you to study. O nosso mestre está contente por sabermos a lição, our teacher is pleased because we know the lesson. Ficou surprehendido de não estarem os soldados devidamente em ordem, he was surprised that the soldiers were not duly in order. É preciso comprarmos, it is necessary to buy (that we buy).