Estudar
to study
Presente
Current actions, habits, and general truths.
| eu | estudo | Eu estudo português todas as manhãs. — I study Portuguese every morning. |
| você/ele/ela | estuda | Ela estuda medicina na USP. — She studies medicine at USP. |
| nós | estudamos | Nós estudamos juntos para a prova. — We study together for the exam. |
| eles/elas | estudam | Eles estudam até tarde toda noite. — They study late every night. |
The university library has a life of its own. I study in the same corner for three years now — it's almost my office. My classmate Joana studies listening to music, which drives me mad. We study different subjects but learn from each other. The freshers study with a dedication the veterans have lost — and that I want back.
Pret. Perfeito
Completed past actions — what happened.
| eu | estudei | Eu estudei a noite toda para a prova. — I studied all night for the exam. |
| você/ele/ela | estudou | Ele estudou direito por cinco anos. — He studied law for five years. |
| nós | estudamos | Nós estudamos na mesma escola por dez anos. — We studied at the same school for ten years. |
| eles/elas | estudaram | Elas estudaram muito para o Enem. — They studied hard for the Enem. |
Exam week was epic. I studied for fourteen hours straight the day before — I don't recommend it. My friend Caio studied in a group and got a better mark than me. We studied the wrong content for two days before realising. The teachers studied their whole lives to teach us — and we often don't value that.
Pret. Imperfeito
Ongoing or habitual past — what used to happen or was happening.
| eu | estudava | Eu estudava na mesa da cozinha quando era criança. — I used to study at the kitchen table as a child. |
| você/ele/ela | estudava | Ela estudava piano todas as tardes. — She used to study piano every afternoon. |
| nós | estudávamos | Nós estudávamos na biblioteca até fechar. — We used to study in the library until it closed. |
| eles/elas | estudavam | Eles estudavam com fichas coloridas e resumos. — They used to study with coloured cards and summaries. |
At the university entrance prep course, life revolved around books. I used to study from six in the morning until ten at night, with minimal breaks. My best friend used to study the opposite way — always calm, always balanced, always ahead of me. We used to study essay writing together on Sundays. The best students in the group used to study without looking like they were studying — and that was what intrigued me most.
Futuro Informal
Plans and intentions — "going to." The most common future form in spoken BR Portuguese.
| eu | vou estudar | Vou estudar espanhol a partir de janeiro. — I'm going to study Spanish from January. |
| você/ele/ela | vai estudar | Ela vai estudar fora do país no próximo ano. — She's going to study abroad next year. |
| nós | vamos estudar | Vamos estudar esse tema mais a fundo. — We're going to study this topic more deeply. |
| eles/elas | vão estudar | Eles vão estudar para a prova esta semana. — They're going to study for the exam this week. |
The civil service exam is in March and time is short. I'm going to study at least six hours a day from tomorrow — for real this time. My colleague Dandara is going to study in a group with me in the afternoons. We're going to study subject by subject, without skipping anything. The other candidates are going to study hard too — and that motivates me to go further.
Futuro Formal
Formal future — "shall/will." More common in writing than speech.
| eu | estudarei | Estudarei o dossiê antes de emitir parecer. — I will study the dossier before issuing an opinion. |
| você/ele/ela | estudará | A comissão estudará o caso com atenção. — The committee will study the case carefully. |
| nós | estudaremos | Estudaremos todas as alternativas antes de decidir. — We will study all alternatives before deciding. |
| eles/elas | estudarão | Os especialistas estudarão os dados disponíveis. — The specialists will study the available data. |
The ministry report was clear: "The technical team will study the environmental impact of the project in ninety days. We will study each variable with scientific rigour. The external consultants will study the data independently. I will personally study the conclusions before forwarding them to Congress."
Condicional
Hypotheticals and polite requests — "would."
| eu | estudaria | Eu estudaria medicina se tivesse entrado. — I would have studied medicine if I'd got in. |
| você/ele/ela | estudaria | Ela estudaria mais se a escola fosse melhor. — She would study more if the school were better. |
| nós | estudaríamos | Estudaríamos com mais calma se tivéssemos tempo. — We would study more calmly if we had time. |
| eles/elas | estudariam | Eles estudariam mais se não precisassem trabalhar. — They would study more if they didn't need to work. |
If access were equal for everyone, how many stories would be different. I would study quantum physics without having to choose between that and paying rent. My cousin from the countryside would study engineering — he has enough talent for ten courses. We would study with joy, without the pressure of proving we deserve to be there. More people would study for pleasure — and the country would be different.
Estudar across the tenses
A short story using estudar in multiple tenses
Minha avó nunca estudou formalmente — a vida não deixou. Mas estudava tudo que podia: plantas medicinais, o tempo, as pessoas. Os vizinhos estudavam livros; ela estudava o mundo.
Hoje eu estudo numa universidade federal. Ontem estudei bioquímica pensando nela — ela teria adorado. Estudamos uma geração inteira de diferença, mas aprendemos as mesmas coisas por caminhos opostos.
No próximo semestre, vou estudar etnobotânica — a ciência das plantas medicinais. "Se chegar lá, estudarei o que ela já sabia," escrevi no caderno.
Perguntei se ela estudaria formalmente se pudesse refazer tudo. Ela sorriu: "Estudaria. Mas não trocaria nem um dia do que aprendi do jeito que aprendi."
My grandmother never formally studied — life didn't allow it. But she used to study everything she could: medicinal plants, the weather, people. The neighbours used to study books; she studied the world. Today I study at a federal university. Yesterday I studied biochemistry thinking of her — she would have loved it. We studied a whole generation apart, but learned the same things by opposite paths. Next semester, I'm going to study ethnobotany — the science of medicinal plants. "If I get there, I will study what she already knew," I wrote in my notebook. I asked if she would study formally if she could do it all over again. She smiled: "I would. But I wouldn't trade a single day of what I learned the way I learned it."
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