Presente do Indicativo (Present Indicative Tense)
The presente do indicativo is used to describe actions happening now, habitual actions, general truths, and in some cases planned future events.
Mood:
The indicative mood is used to express actions that are factual and certain. The present tense in the indicative mood expresses events that are occurring now, are habitual, or are scheduled to happen.
- Indicative mood = certainty, facts, reality
- Present tense = actions happening now, repeated actions, general truths, or near-future plans
Usage:
- To describe actions happening now: Eu estou aqui. (I am here.)
- To describe habitual actions: Ela corre todas as manhãs. (She runs every morning.)
- To express general truths: A Terra gira ao redor do Sol. (The Earth orbits the Sun.)
- To describe future events (when context makes it clear): Amanhã viajo. (Tomorrow I travel.)
Regular Conjugation (Indicative):
| Person | AR Verbs | ER Verbs | IR Verbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eu (I) | falo | como | parto |
| Tu (you, sg.) | falas | comes | partes |
| Ele/Ela/Você | fala | come | parte |
| Nós (we) | falamos | comemos | partimos |
| Vós (you, pl.) | falais | comeis | partis |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | falam | comem | partem |
Irregular Verbs:
Some common irregular verbs in the presente do indicativo include:
- Ser (to be): sou, és, é, somos, sois, são
- Estar (to be): estou, estás, está, estamos, estais, estão
- Ter (to have): tenho, tens, tem, temos, tendes, têm
- Ir (to go): vou, vais, vai, vamos, ides, vão
- Fazer (to do/make): faço, fazes, faz, fazemos, fazeis, fazem
- Dizer (to say/tell): digo, dizes, diz, dizemos, dizeis, dizem
Common Time Expressions:
- Hoje (today)
- Agora (now)
- Sempre (always)
- Todos os dias (every day)
- Normalmente (usually)
- Neste momento (at this moment)
Examples:
- Eu falo português. (I speak Portuguese.)
- Eles comem peixe todas as sextas-feiras. (They eat fish every Friday.)
- Amanhã viajo para Lisboa. (Tomorrow I travel to Lisbon.)
- A Terra gira ao redor do Sol. (The Earth orbits the Sun.)
