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

By: Ana Amélia Rodrigues dos Santos

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 meaning I form of the verb.

Verbeu meaning Itu meaning youvocê meaning you sg.
ele meaning he, it
ela meaning she, it
nós meaning wevós* meaning youvocês meaning you pl.
eles, elas meaning they
saber meaning to know
sei
sabes
sabe
sabemos
sabeis
sabem
dormir meaning to sleep
durmo
dormes
dorme
dormimos
dormis
dormem
cobrir meaning to cover
cubro
cobres
cobre
cobrimos
cobris
cobrem

tossir meaning to cough

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

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.

Verbeu meaning Itu meaning youvocê meaning you sg.
ele meaning he, it
ela meaning she, it
nós meaning wevós* meaning youvocês meaning you pl.
eles, elas meaning they
agredir meaning to assault
agrido
agrides
agride
agredimos
agredis
agridem
subir meaning to ride up, to climb
subo
sobes
sobe
subimos
subis
sobem

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.

Verbeu meaning Itu meaning youvocê meaning you sg.
ele meaning he, it
ela meaning she, it
nós meaning wevós* meaning youvocês meaning you pl.
eles, elas meaning they
dar meaning to give
dou
dás
damos
dais
dão
trazer meaning to bring
trago
trazes
traz
trazemos
trazeis
trazem
querer meaning to want
quero
queres
quer
queremos
quereis
querem
dizer meaning to say
digo
dizes
diz
dizemos
dizeis
dizem
fazer meaning to make, to do
faço
fazes
faz
fazemos
fazeis
fazem

ver meaning to see**

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

pôr meaning to put***

ponho
pões
põe
pomos
pondes
põem