Ser
to be (permanent)
Presente
Current actions, habits, and general truths.
| eu | sou | Eu sou brasileiro. — I am Brazilian. |
| você/ele/ela | é | Ela é médica. — She is a doctor. |
| nós | somos | Nós somos amigos. — We are friends. |
| eles/elas | são | Eles são irmãos. — They are brothers. |
I am from São Paulo, but my family is from the countryside. We are a small family, but very close. My parents are teachers — they love what they do.
Pret. Perfeito
Completed past actions — what happened.
| eu | fui | Eu fui o melhor da turma. — I was the best in class. |
| você/ele/ela | foi | Isso foi uma surpresa. — That was a surprise. |
| nós | fomos | Nós fomos escolhidos. — We were chosen. |
| eles/elas | foram | Eles foram campeões. — They were champions. |
The party last night was incredible. I was the last to arrive, but we were the first to dance. My friends were very fun all night.
Pret. Imperfeito
Ongoing or habitual past — what used to happen or was happening.
| eu | era | Eu era muito tímido. — I used to be very shy. |
| você/ele/ela | era | Ele era alto quando jovem. — He was tall when young. |
| nós | éramos | Nós éramos vizinhos. — We used to be neighbours. |
| eles/elas | eram | Elas eram inseparáveis. — They were inseparable. |
As a child, I was very curious. My grandmother was a history teacher, and we were very close. The afternoons at her house were always full of stories.
Futuro Informal
Plans and intentions — "going to." The most common future form in spoken BR Portuguese.
| eu | vou ser | Vou ser honesto. — I'm going to be honest. |
| você/ele/ela | vai ser | Vai ser difícil. — It's going to be difficult. |
| nós | vamos ser | Vamos ser pontuais. — We're going to be on time. |
| eles/elas | vão ser | Vão ser ótimos pais. — They're going to be great parents. |
Lucas just started university. "I'm going to be an engineer," he says confidently. The course is going to be hard, but his professors are going to be excellent. "We're going to be the best in class," he promises his roommate.
Futuro Formal
Formal future — "shall/will." More common in writing than speech.
| eu | serei | Serei grato para sempre. — I will be grateful forever. |
| você/ele/ela | será | Isso será lembrado. — This will be remembered. |
| nós | seremos | Seremos notificados. — We will be notified. |
| eles/elas | serão | Os vencedores serão anunciados. — The winners will be announced. |
The president's speech was clear: "This will be a historic moment. We will be remembered for the courage we showed today. Those who fought for this will be honoured, and I will be the first to acknowledge their sacrifice."
Condicional
Hypotheticals and polite requests — "would."
| eu | seria | Eu seria feliz lá. — I would be happy there. |
| você/ele/ela | seria | Seria um erro desistir. — It would be a mistake to give up. |
| nós | seríamos | Seríamos ótimos sócios. — We would be great partners. |
| eles/elas | seriam | Eles seriam perfeitos aqui. — They would be perfect here. |
Ana dreamed of a different life. It would be great to live in Lisbon, she thought. I would be a writer, we would be free. Her children would be raised between two countries and two languages.
Pres. Subjuntivo
Wishes, doubts, emotions, and impersonal expressions.
| eu | seja | Espero que eu seja aprovado. — I hope I am approved. |
| você/ele/ela | seja | Quero que ele seja feliz. — I want him to be happy. |
| nós | sejamos | É importante que sejamos honestos. — It's important that we are honest. |
| eles/elas | sejam | Espero que sejam pontuais. — I hope they are punctual. |
The mother leaves a note on the table before travelling: "I hope you are responsible. It's essential that we are united at this moment. I want everything to be resolved peacefully."
Fut. Subjuntivo
Uncertain future events — after "when," "if," "whoever." Unique to Portuguese.
| eu | for | Quando eu for adulto… — When I am an adult… |
| você/ele/ela | for | Se for necessário, ligo. — If it is necessary, I'll call. |
| nós | formos | Quando formos maiores… — When we are older… |
| eles/elas | forem | Quem forem, serão bem-vindos. — Whoever they are, they'll be welcome. |
The grandfather looks at his young grandson. "When you are grown, you'll understand. If we are brave today, the future will be better. And whoever is president one day, I hope they remember this."
Ser across the tenses
A short story using ser in multiple tenses
Era uma vez uma menina chamada Beatriz. Ela era curiosa, corajosa e cheia de sonhos. "Quando eu crescer, vou ser astronauta," ela dizia a todos.
Os anos passaram. A universidade foi difícil, mas Beatriz nunca desistiu. Ela e seus colegas foram os primeiros da turma a terminar o programa de engenharia aeroespacial. Fomos longe, ela pensou na formatura.
Hoje, Beatriz é engenheira na agência espacial. Somos sortudos de tê-la na equipe, diz sua chefe. E quem for trabalhar com ela logo descobre: ela é exatamente o que sempre prometeu ser.
Seria impossível sem a família, ela admite. "Mas eu sabia que um dia seria assim. Espero que todos os meus sobrinhos sejam igualmente teimosos."
Once upon a time there was a girl called Beatriz. She was curious, brave, and full of dreams. "When I grow up, I'm going to be an astronaut," she told everyone. The years passed. University was hard, but Beatriz never gave up. She and her classmates were the first in their cohort to finish the aerospace engineering programme. We went far, she thought at graduation. Today, Beatriz is an engineer at the space agency. We are lucky to have her on the team, says her manager. And whoever works with her soon discovers: she is exactly what she always promised to be. It would have been impossible without her family, she admits. "But I always knew it would be like this. I hope all my nieces and nephews are equally stubborn."
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