Portuguese x English Verbs

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COMPARATIVE TABLE: PORTUGUESE AND ENGLISH TENSES OR FORMS 
 
 
Much of the English verb system will be familiar to Portuguese learners since 
the same features exist in their own language. However, some significant 
differences exist, which may lead to mistakes of negative transfer. 
 
Tense choice is a significant problem for most learners of English. It is clear 
that advanced students will struggle, for example, to choose the correct tense 
to talk about the future or to choose between the present perfect simple and 
the present perfect continuous. At a less advanced level the main area of 
difficulty lies in the choice of the appropriate present tense. Mistakes in this 
area include: He has a bath. (= he's having a bath.) / She is knowing. (she 
knows ..) / It is ages since I don't play tennis. (=It's ages since I have played 
tennis. Beginners also make errors in using modal verbs. Sentences such as I 
must to go now are common. 
 
Tense or 
Form 
Definition of Usage Portuguese and 
English Examples 
Infinitive The most basic verb form that either 
complements a conjugated verb or 
stands alone to reflect no subject in 
particular. 
fazer = to do 
Inflected (or 
Personal) 
Infinitive 
No exact English equivalent. It mainly 
serves one of three purposes: 1) to 
shade the verb as a polite indicator 
(ex.: não fumar no smoking rather 
than não fuma don't smoke), 2) to 
show that the infinitive is tied to a 
subject (pede para fazermos o favor 
he asks us to do the favor), 3) to 
replace any tense or mood with an 
infinitive (pede para fazermos o 
favor he asks us to do the favor 
rather than pede que façamos o 
favor he asks that we do the favor). 
eu fazer = I do, I 
might do, (that) I 
do 
Present 
Indicative 
Denotes an action taking place in the 
present time frame. 
faço = I do, I am 
doing 
Present 
Subjunctive 
The verb in the present attributed to 
an action that is desired, suggested, 
needed, expected, or gives a vague 
description of something or someone 
that may exist or happen. 
(...que) faça = 
(...that) I [might] 
do 
Present 
Imperative 
Commands that something be done. faz = do! 
Past Historic 
or Preterit 
Denotes a one-time action that 
occured in the past. 
fiz = I did 
Imperfect 
Indicative 
Denotes a habitual action, consistent 
circumstance, or surrounding factors 
in the past (fazia frio por isso fechei 
fazia = I used to 
do, I was doing 
 
 
a janela It was getting cold, so I 
closed the window). 
Imperfect 
Subjunctive 
Often coupled with se if and the 
conditional tense, it expresses a past 
action that could or might have 
happened. 
(se) fizesse = (if) I 
did, had done 
Pluperfect 
Indicative 
A tense that is now considered archaic 
or literary, the pluperfect remains 
limited in use and the complex 
imperfect indicative of ter + past 
participle is preferred. 
fizera = I had done 
Future 
Indicative 
Expresses future actions that shall, 
will, or should happen (with only a 
limited possibility of expressing some 
caution or uncertainty, e.g. farei 
amanhã I will/should get [it] done 
tomorrow versus vou fazer I am going 
to do [it]). 
farei = I will do, 
shall do 
Simple 
Future 
Shades an action with the quality of 
being done in the near future or even 
started in the present; its English 
parallel is to be going to. 
vou fazer = I am 
going to do 
Conditional Expresses a completely uncertain 
action in the present or future. The 
exact English equivalent is the word 
would. 
faria = I would do 
Future 
Subjunctive 
Denotes an expected future action 
that is not certain to take place. It is 
usually expressed in English with the 
present indicative (When I [might] 
arrive in Paris... = Quando chegar a 
Paris...). Note that this tense is 
mainly confined to certain 
expressions, particularly quando 
when and se if when referring to 
uncertain future events 
fizer = I might do, 
I will do 
Present 
Perfect 
Consists of ter (in the present) + past 
participle and denotes an action 
taking place prior to an event in the 
present. 
tenho feito = I 
have done 
Pluperfect 
Indicative 
(compound) 
ter + past participle, but used with 
ter to have in the imperfect. It 
expresses an action that has been 
done before another event in the 
past. 
tinha feito = I had 
done 
Future 
Perfect 
Ter + past participle; this time with 
ter in the future indicative tense. 
This expresses an action prior to an 
event in the future. 
terei feito = I will 
have done 
 
 
Present 
Participle or 
Gerund 
Expresses present action. When 
preceded by estar to be, it acts as an 
invariable part of the compound 
present progressive (action taking 
place at the exact time of the 
speaker's words). 
fazendo = doing; 
estou fazendo = I 
am doing 
Past 
Participle 
Expresses past action; otherwise it 
serves as a noun or adjective. 
feito = done