Portuguese, like many other Romance languages, has a verb form called the gerund. The gerund, known as “gerúndio” in Portuguese, is a non-finite verb form that expresses an ongoing action. In English, the gerund is formed by adding “-ing” to the base form of the verb (e.g., walking, talking). However, in Portuguese, the gerund is formed differently, and its usage and meaning may vary from English. In this explanation, we will explore the formation, usage, and examples of Portuguese gerund sentences.
Formation of the Gerund
In Portuguese, the gerund is formed by adding the suffix “-ndo” to the stem of the verb. The stem is obtained by removing the “-ar,” “-er,” or “-ir” endings from the infinitive form of the verb. Let’s look at some examples:
a) Infinitive verb: Falar (to speak)
Gerund: Falando (speaking)
b) Infinitive verb: Comer (to eat)
Gerund: Comendo (eating)
c) Infinitive verb: Dormir (to sleep)
Gerund: Dormindo (sleeping)
As you can see, the gerund form is created by taking the stem of the verb and adding the “-ndo” suffix.
Usage of the Gerund
The gerund in Portuguese is primarily used to express ongoing actions or continuous events. It is often equivalent to the English present participle form (“-ing”). Let’s explore some common uses of the gerund:
a) Continuous Actions: The gerund can be used to describe actions that are happening at the same time as the main verb. For example:
Eu estou falando com meu amigo. (I am talking to my friend.)
Ela está comendo uma maçã. (She is eating an apple.)
Eles estão dormindo no sofá. (They are sleeping on the couch.)
In these sentences, the gerund form “falando” (talking), “comendo” (eating), and “dormindo” (sleeping) indicates ongoing actions that are happening simultaneously with the main verb “estou” (am), “está” (is), and “estão” (are).
b) Describing Manner: The gerund can also be used to describe the manner in which an action is performed. It provides more detail about how the action is carried out. For example:
Ele lê o livro estudando cuidadosamente. (He reads the book while studying carefully.)
Nós cozinhamos dançando e cantando. (We cook while dancing and singing.)
In these sentences, the gerunds “estudando” (studying) and “cozinhamos” (cooking) describe the manner in which the main actions “lê” (reads) and “cozinhamos” (cook) are performed.
c) Progressive Actions: The gerund can also be used to express progressive actions or actions that are taking place over a period of time. For example:
O Brasil está mudando rapidamente. (Brazil is changing rapidly.)
Eu estou aprendendo a língua portuguesa. (I am learning the Portuguese language.)
In these sentences, the gerunds “mudando” (changing) and “aprendendo” (learning) indicate ongoing or progressive actions that are happening at the moment or over a certain period.
Verb Constructions with Gerund
In Portuguese, gerunds can also be used in various verb constructions, including compound verb tenses and idiomatic expressions. Here are a few examples:
a) Compound Tenses: In compound tenses, the gerund is used together with auxiliary verbs to express actions that occurred before or are ongoing in relation to another point in time. For example:
Eu tenho estado trabalhando muito ultimamente. (I have been working a lot lately.)
Ela tinha estado estudando durante toda a noite. (She had been studying all night.)
In these sentences, the gerunds “trabalhando” (working) and “estudando” (studying) are used in conjunction with auxiliary verbs “tenho” (have) and “tinha” (had) to indicate ongoing actions in the past or present.
b) Idiomatic Expressions: Portuguese also has several idiomatic expressions that use the gerund form. These expressions have fixed meanings and are commonly used in everyday speech. Here are a couple of examples:
Estou perdendo a paciência. (I’m losing patience.)
Vamos continuar tentando. (Let’s keep trying.)
In these sentences, the gerunds “perdendo” (losing) and “continuar” (keep) are used in idiomatic expressions that convey specific meanings beyond their literal translations.
Gerund Agreement
In Portuguese, the gerund form agrees in gender and number with the subject of the sentence. This means that the gerund must match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun or pronoun it refers to. Let’s see an example:
As crianças estão brincando no parque. (The children are playing in the park.)
In this sentence, the gerund “brincando” (playing) agrees with the plural noun “crianças” (children) and takes the same plural form.
Conclusion
The Portuguese gerund is a verb form used to express ongoing actions, continuous events, manner of actions, and progressive actions. It is formed by adding the suffix “-ndo” to the verb stem, which is obtained by removing the “-ar,” “-er,” or “-ir” endings from the infinitive form. The gerund is used in various contexts, such as describing ongoing actions, expressing the manner in which an action is performed, and indicating progressive actions. It can also be used in compound verb tenses and idiomatic expressions. Additionally, the gerund form agrees in gender and number with the subject of the sentence. Understanding the usage and formation of gerund sentences is essential for beginners learning Portuguese and helps in expressing ongoing actions accurately.
Quick quiz
Exercise 1:
Choose the correct gerund form for the given verb:
Verb: Cantar (to sing)
a) Cantando
b) Cantado
c) Cantei
Answer: a) Cantando
Explanation: The correct gerund form of the verb “cantar” is “cantando.” It is formed by adding the suffix “-ndo” to the stem of the verb. Example sentence: Ela está cantando uma bela canção. (She is singing a beautiful song.)
Exercise 2:
Select the gerund form that agrees with the subject in gender and number:
Subject: O cachorro (The dog)
a) Correndo
b) Corrida
c) Corri
Answer: a) Correndo
Explanation: The gerund form “correndo” agrees with the masculine singular subject “o cachorro.” Example sentence: O cachorro está correndo no parque. (The dog is running in the park.)
Exercise 3:
Identify the gerund used to express a continuous action:
Sentence: Eles estão __ no jardim.
a) Dança
b) Dançando
c) Dançado
Answer: b) Dançando
Explanation: The gerund “dançando” expresses an ongoing action and matches the verb tense “estão” (are). Example sentence: Eles estão dançando no jardim. (They are dancing in the garden.)
Exercise 4:
Choose the gerund form that describes the manner in which the action is performed:
Sentence: Ele estuda _.
a) Rápido
b) Rapidamente
c) Rápida
Answer: b) Rapidamente
Explanation: The gerund “rapidamente” describes the manner in which the action “estuda” (studies) is performed. Example sentence: Ele estuda rapidamente para as provas. (He studies quickly for the exams.)
Exercise 5:
Select the correct gerund form for the given verb:
Verb: Pintar (to paint)
a) Pintado
b) Pintou
c) Pintando
Answer: c) Pintando
Explanation: The correct gerund form of the verb “pintar” is “pintando.” Example sentence: Ela está pintando um lindo quadro. (She is painting a beautiful painting.)
Exercise 6:
Choose the gerund form used in an idiomatic expression:
Sentence: Estou __ a cabeça.
a) Perdendo
b) Perdida
c) Perdeu
Answer: a) Perdendo
Explanation: The gerund “perdendo” is used in the idiomatic expression “perdendo a cabeça,” which means “losing one’s mind.” Example sentence: Estou perdendo a cabeça com tanto trabalho. (I’m losing my mind with so much work.)
Exercise 7:
Identify the gerund form used to express a progressive action:
Sentence: Ele está __ a língua japonesa.
a) Aprendendo
b) Aprendeu
c) Aprendido
Answer: a) Aprendendo
Explanation: The gerund “aprendendo” expresses a progressive action of learning the Japanese language. Example sentence: Ele está aprendendo a língua japonesa. (He is learning the Japanese language.)
Exercise 8:
Choose the correct gerund form for the given verb:
Verb: Nadar (to swim)
a) Nada
b) Nadado
c) Nadando
Answer: c) Nadando
Explanation: The correct gerund form of the verb “nadar” is “nadando.” Example sentence: Ela está nadando na piscina. (She is swimming in the pool.)
Exercise 9:
Select the gerund form that agrees with the subject in gender and number:
Subject: As meninas (The girls)
a) Brincando
b) Brinca
c) Brincou
Answer: a) Brincando
Explanation: The gerund form “brincando” agrees with the feminine plural subject “as meninas.” Example sentence: As meninas estão brincando no parque. (The girls are playing in the park.)
Exercise 10:
Identify the gerund used to express a continuous action:
Sentence: Nós estamos _ para a festa.
a) Arrumado
b) Arrumando
c) Arrumaram
Answer: b) Arrumando
Explanation: The gerund “arrumando” expresses an ongoing action and matches the verb tense “estamos” (are). Example sentence: Nós estamos arrumando para a festa. (We are getting ready for the party.)
In these exercises, the correct answers are provided along with explanations. The explanations highlight the usage and formation of gerunds in Portuguese, and example sentences are given to demonstrate how the gerunds are used in context. By completing these exercises, learners can reinforce their understanding of Portuguese gerund sentences and improve their ability to choose the appropriate gerund form based on the given context.
Originally posted 2023-07-19 04:08:39.