How to Conjugate Regular -AR Verbs in European Portuguese

When I first started learning Portuguese, I quickly realized that regular -AR verbs are the foundation of the language. If you’ve studied Spanish before, you’ll notice many similarities. In both languages, verbs are conjugated according to the subject, and the endings follow a predictable pattern. For example, in Spanish, “hablar” (to speak) becomes hablo, hablas, habla… just like “falar” in Portuguese follows falo, falas, fala… The main difference is in the pronunciation and the Vós form, which is still used in European Portuguese but rarely in Spanish.

In this post, I’ll guide you through conjugating some of the most commonly used -AR verbs in European Portuguese. Once you understand these patterns, you can confidently use many verbs in everyday conversation!

Present Tense Conjugation Pattern

For regular -AR verbs, the endings in the present tense follow this pattern:

Person	Ending	Example (Falar – “to speak”)
Eu	-o	falo
Tu	-as	falas
Ele, Ela, (Eles, Elas, Vocês)	-a	fala (falam)
Nós	-amos	falamos
Vós	-ais	falais

The Vós form is the second-person plural (you all) in European Portuguese. While it is less commonly used in modern speech—often replaced by Vocês—it still appears in literature, formal speech, and some regional dialects, especially in northern Portugal.

How to Conjugate Verbs with Vós?

For regular verbs, Vós follows a predictable pattern:

• -AR verbs: Replace -ar with -ais (e.g., falar → falais)

Now, let’s see this in action with some common verbs!

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1. Chamar (to call)

Person	Conjugation
Eu	chamo
Tu	chamas
Ele, Ela, (Eles, Elas, Vocês)	chama (chamam)
Nós	chamamos
Vós	chamais

Exemplo: Eu chamo o meu cão quando ele foge. (I call my dog when he runs away.)

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2. Morar (to live/reside)

Person	Conjugation
Eu	moro
Tu	moras
Ele, Ela, (Eles, Elas, Vocês)	mora (moram)
Nós	moramos
Vós	morais

Exemplo: Vós morais numa cidade bonita. (You all live in a beautiful city.)

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3. Falar (to speak)

Person	Conjugation
Eu	falo
Tu	falas
Ele, Ela, (Eles, Elas, Vocês)	fala (falam)
Nós	falamos
Vós	falais

Exemplo: Nós falamos português todos os dias. (We speak Portuguese every day.)

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4. Trabalhar (to work)

Person	Conjugation
Eu	trabalho
Tu	trabalhas
Ele, Ela, (Eles, Elas, Vocês)	trabalha (trabalham)
Nós	trabalhamos
Vós	trabalhais

Exemplo: Tu trabalhas num escritório ou em casa? (Do you work in an office or at home?)

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5. Ficar (to stay / to be located)

Person	Conjugation
Eu	fico
Tu	ficas
Ele, Ela, (Eles, Elas, Vocês)	fica (ficam)
Nós	ficamos
Vós	ficais

Exemplo: A biblioteca fica perto da escola. (The library is near the school.)

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6. Estudar (to study)

Person	Conjugation
Eu	estudo
Tu	estudas
Ele, Ela, (Eles, Elas, Vocês)	estuda (estudam)
Nós	estudamos
Vós	estudais

Exemplo: Eu estudo português porque gosto da língua. (I study Portuguese because I like the language.)

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Tips for Learning -AR Verbs

1. Practice out loud! Saying the verbs as you conjugate them helps with pronunciation and memorization.
2. Write example sentences. Using the verbs in context makes them easier to remember.
3. Notice patterns. Once you master the endings, you can apply them to any regular -AR verb.
4. Be aware of irregular verbs. While most -AR verbs follow this pattern, some (like “estar”) are irregular and need to be learned separately.

Atypical Last Thoughts

After studying these conjugation patterns, I realized how easy it is to apply them to other -AR verbs. Just like in Spanish, once you know the endings, you can use them with almost any regular verb in this group. The Vós form might seem unfamiliar if you’re used to Spanish or Brazilian Portuguese, but it follows a logical pattern and is still useful in specific contexts.

If you’re learning Portuguese, I encourage you to practice these verbs by making sentences, speaking them out loud, and even comparing them to Spanish if you know it. The more you use them, the more natural they’ll become. Boa sorte e bons estudos!

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