Introduction to Portuguese Present Continuous

The Present Continuous tense, known as “Presente do Indicativo” in Portuguese, is used to describe actions or events that are happening at the present moment. It is formed by combining the present tense of the verb “estar” (to be) with the gerund form of the main verb. In this tense, the verb “estar” agrees with the subject, while the gerund form remains constant.

Conjugation of “Estar” in Present Continuous:

The verb “estar” is irregular in the present tense, and its conjugation varies according to the subject pronoun. Here is the conjugation of “estar” in Present Continuous:

1. Eu estou (I am)
2. Você está (You are)
3. Ele/ela está (He/she is)
4. Nós estamos (We are)
5. Vocês estão (You all are)
6. Eles/elas estão (They are)

Conjugation of Verbs in Present Continuous:

To form the Present Continuous tense in Portuguese, we combine the appropriate form of “estar” with the gerund form of the main verb. The gerund form is created by adding the suffix “-ndo” to the stem of the verb. The conjugation of the main verb remains constant regardless of the subject pronoun. Here are some examples of how different verb categories are conjugated in Present Continuous:

Regular -AR Verbs:

Regular -AR verbs form the gerund by replacing the -AR ending with –ANDO. Let’s take the verb “falar” (to speak) as an example:

1. Eu estou falando (I am speaking)
2. Você está falando (You are speaking)
3. Ele/ela está falando (He/she is speaking)
4. Nós estamos falando (We are speaking)
5. Vocês estão falando (You all are speaking)
6. Eles/elas estão falando (They are speaking)

Regular -ER Verbs:

Regular -ER verbs form the gerund by replacing the -ER ending with –ENDO. Let’s take the verb “comer” (to eat) as an example:

1. Eu estou comendo (I am eating)
2. Você está comendo (You are eating)
3. Ele/ela está comendo (He/she is eating)
4. Nós estamos comendo (We are eating)
5. Vocês estão comendo (You all are eating)
6. Eles/elas estão comendo (They are eating)

Regular -IR Verbs:

Regular -IR verbs form the gerund by replacing the -IR ending with –INDO. Let’s take the verb “partir” (to leave) as an example:

1. Eu estou partindo (I am leaving)
2. Você está partindo (You are leaving)
3. Ele/ela está partindo (He/she is leaving)
4. Nós estamos partindo (We are leaving)
5. Vocês estão partindo (You all are leaving)
6. Eles/elas estão partindo (They are leaving)

Irregular Verbs:

Some verbs have irregular gerunds and need to be memorized individually. Let’s take the verb “ir” (to go) as an example:

1. Eu estou indo (I am going)
2. Você está indo (You are going)
3. Ele/ela está indo (He/she is going)
4. Nós estamos indo (We are going)
5. Vocês estão indo (You all are going)
6. Eles/elas estão indo (They are going)

Example Sentences:

1. Eu estou estudando para a prova. (I am studying for the test.)
2. Ela está trabalhando no escritório. (She is working in the office.)
3. Nós estamos assistindo um filme no cinema. (We are watching a movie at the cinema.)
4. Vocês estão aprendendo português. (You all are learning Portuguese.)
5. Ele está cozinhando o jantar. (He is cooking dinner.)
6. Estou lendo um livro interessante. (I am reading an interesting book.)
7. Ela está dançando na festa. (She is dancing at the party.)
8. Nós estamos esperando o ônibus. (We are waiting for the bus.)
9. Vocês estão viajando para o exterior. (You all are traveling abroad.)
10. Ele está tocando violão. (He is playing the guitar.)

By using the Present Continuous tense, you can express ongoing actions and events in Portuguese. It is important to note that this tense is used less frequently in Portuguese compared to English, and the simple present tense is often used to convey similar meanings. However, understanding the Present Continuous tense will help you express yourself more accurately and enhance your overall comprehension of Portuguese grammar.

Originally posted 2023-07-16 17:56:22.