Skip to main content
All Portuguese (Brazilian) study resources

Study Resource: List of Brazilian Portuguese modal verbs

By: Ana Amélia Rodrigues dos Santos
Use to express...Brazilian PortugueseEnglish
Obligation
dever

must

ter

to have

precisar

to need

haver

to have,
there is/are

Possibility
poder

can

Wishes
querer

to want

desejar

to wish

odiar

to hate

abominar

to loathe

Intentions
tentar

to try

buscar

to search

pretender

to intend

ousar

to dare,
to venture

atrever-se

to dare,
to venture

pôr-se

to put up yourself

Finality
conseguir

to get

chegar

to arrive

vir

to come

lograr

to enjoy

Doubt
parecer

to seem

crer

to believe

Check out our post on modal verbs in Brazilian Portuguese to learn more about how these verbs are used!