The Journey of Arrival: A Comprehensive Guide to the Conjugation of the Portuguese Verb 'Chegar'

In the vibrant tapestry of the Portuguese language, the verb “chegar” (to arrive) stands as a symbol of movement, arrival, and reaching a destination. “Chegar” allows us to express the act of arriving, reaching, and achieving. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the conjugation of “chegar” across various tenses and moods, accompanied by example sentences to illustrate their practical use. By mastering the conjugations of “chegar,” you will unlock the ability to express arrival, accomplishment, and attainment in Portuguese.

• Present Indicative Tense
• Imperfect Indicative Tense
• Preterite Indicative Tense
• Future Indicative Tense
• Conditional Mood
• Subjunctive Mood
  • Present Subjunctive Tense
  • Imperfect Subjunctive Tense
• Imperative Mood
• Conclusion

Present Indicative Tense

1. Eu chego - I arrive
   • Eu chego ao escritório às 8h todos os dias. (I arrive at the office at 8 am every day.)
2. Tu chegas - You arrive (informal singular)
   • Tu chegas atrasado com frequência. (You often arrive late.)
3. Ele/Ela/Você chega - He/She/You arrive (formal singular)
   • Ele chega de viagem amanhã. (He arrives from a trip tomorrow.)
4. Nós chegamos - We arrive
   • Nós chegamos ao aeroporto com antecedência. (We arrive at the airport early.)
5. Vós chegais - You arrive (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Vós chegais sempre juntos às festas. (You always arrive together at parties.)
6. Eles/Elas/Vocês chegam - They/You arrive (plural)
   • Eles chegam cansados depois do trabalho. (They arrive tired after work.)

Imperfect Indicative Tense

1. Eu chegava - I used to arrive
   • Eu chegava cedo às aulas quando era estudante. (I used to arrive early to class when I was a student.)
2. Tu chegavas - You used to arrive (informal singular)
   • Tu chegavas tarde à reunião toda semana. (You used to arrive late to the meeting every week.)
3. Ele/Ela/Você chegava - He/She/You used to arrive (formal singular)
   • Ele chegava sempre sorridente. (He used to arrive always smiling.)
4. Nós chegávamos - We used to arrive
   • Nós chegávamos juntos aos eventos sociais. (We used to arrive together at social events.)
5. Vós chegáveis - You used to arrive (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Vós chegáveis atrasados frequentemente. (You used to arrive late frequently.)
6. Eles/Elas/Vocês chegavam - They/You used to arrive (plural)
   • Eles chegavam de mãos dadas. (They used to arrive holding hands.)

Preterite Indicative Tense

1. Eu cheguei - I arrived
   • Eu cheguei à praia no último fim de semana. (I arrived at the beach last weekend.)
2. Tu chegaste - You arrived (informal singular)
   • Tu chegaste a tempo para o concerto. (You arrived on time for the concert.)
3. Ele/Ela/Você chegou - He/She/You arrived (formal singular)
   • Ele chegou antes de todos na festa. (He arrived before everyone at the party.)
4. Nós chegamos - We arrived
   • Nós chegamos ao topo da montanha ao anoitecer. (We arrived at the top of the mountain at sunset.)
5. Vós chegastes - You arrived (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Vós chegastes tarde à cerimônia de premiação. (You arrived late to the award ceremony.)
6. Eles/Elas/Vocês chegaram - They/You arrived (plural)
   • Eles chegaram emocionados ao destino final da viagem. (They arrived excited at the final destination of the trip.)

Future Indicative Tense

1. Eu chegarei - I will arrive
   • Eu chegarei a tempo para a reunião amanhã. (I will arrive on time for the meeting tomorrow.)
2. Tu chegarás - You will arrive (informal singular)
   • Tu chegarás antes do pôr do sol. (You will arrive before sunset.)
3. Ele/Ela/Você chegará - He/She/You will arrive (formal singular)
   • Ele chegará de avião na próxima semana. (He will arrive by plane next week.)
4. Nós chegaremos - We will arrive
   • Nós chegaremos ao nosso destino após horas de viagem. (We will arrive at our destination after hours of travel.)
5. Vós chegareis - You will arrive (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Vós chegareis a tempo para o evento especial. (You will arrive on time for the special event.)
6. Eles/Elas/Vocês chegarão - They/You will arrive (plural)
   • Eles chegarão felizes ao fim da jornada. (They will arrive happily at the end of the journey.)

Conditional Mood

1. Eu chegaria - I would arrive
   • Eu chegaria mais cedo se tivesse a oportunidade. (I would arrive earlier if I had the chance.)
2. Tu chegarias - You would arrive (informal singular)
   • Tu chegarias comigo se eu te convidasse? (Would you arrive with me if I invited you?)
3. Ele/Ela/Você chegaria - He/She/You would arrive (formal singular)
   • Ele chegaria mais relaxado se tivesse tempo para descansar. (He would arrive more relaxed if he had time to rest.)
4. Nós chegaríamos - We would arrive
   • Nós chegaríamos juntos ao destino se seguíssemos o mesmo caminho. (We would arrive together at the destination if we followed the same path.)
5. Vós chegaríeis - You would arrive (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Vós chegaríeis cansados após a longa jornada. (You would arrive tired after the long journey.)
6. Eles/Elas/Vocês chegariam - They/You would arrive (plural)
   • Eles chegariam comemorando se ganhassem o campeonato. (They would arrive celebrating if they won the championship.)

Subjunctive Mood

Present Subjunctive Tense

1. Que eu chegue - That I arrive
   • É importante que eu chegue a tempo para a entrevista. (It’s important that I arrive on time for the interview.)
2. Que tu chegues - That you arrive (informal singular)
   • Espero que tu chegues antes do anoitecer. (I hope you arrive before nightfall.)
3. Que ele/ela/você chegue - That he/she/you arrive (formal singular)
   • É fundamental que ele chegue preparado para a reunião. (It’s crucial that he arrives prepared for the meeting.)
4. Que nós cheguemos - That we arrive
   • É necessário que nós cheguemos ao acordo antes do prazo. (It’s necessary that we arrive at an agreement before the deadline.)
5. Que vós chegueis - That you arrive (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Não é justo que vós chegueis atrasados constantemente. (It’s not fair that you arrive late constantly.)
6. Que eles/elas/vocês cheguem - That they/you arrive (plural)
   • É recomendável que eles cheguem com antecedência para evitar contratempos. (It’s advisable that they arrive early to avoid any setbacks.)

Imperfect Subjunctive Tense

1. Que eu chegasse - That I arrived
   • Eu gostaria que eu chegasse mais cedo para aproveitar o evento. (I wish I arrived earlier to enjoy the event.)
2. Que tu chegasses - That you arrived (informal singular)
   • Seria bom que tu chegasses pontualmente. (It would be good if you arrived on time.)
3. Que ele/ela/você chegasse - That he/she/you arrived (formal singular)
   • Era importante que ele chegasse com uma solução viável. (It was important that he arrived with a viable solution.)
4. Que nós chegássemos - That we arrived
   • Eu preferiria que nós chegássemos juntos para mostrar união. (I would prefer if we arrived together to show unity.)
5. Que vós chegásseis - That you arrived (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Eu desejava que vós chegásseis mais cedo para aproveitar o dia. (I wished that you arrived earlier to enjoy the day.)
6. Que eles/elas/vocês chegassem - That they/you arrived (plural)
   • Seria bom que eles chegassem prontos para ajudar. (It would be good if they arrived ready to help.)

Imperative Mood

1. Chega - Arrive (informal singular)
   • Chega cedo para não perder o ônibus. (Arrive early so you don’t miss the bus.)
2. Chegue - Arrive (formal singular)
   • Chegue com confiança e mostre o seu valor. (Arrive with confidence and show your worth.)
3. Cheguemos - Let’s arrive
   • Cheguemos juntos e conquistemos o que desejamos. (Let’s arrive together and achieve what we desire.)
4. Chegai - Arrive (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Chegai rapidamente ao local do acidente. (Arrive quickly at the accident scene.)
5. Cheguem - Arrive (formal plural)
   • Cheguem com determinação e façam a diferença. (Arrive with determination and make a difference.)

Conclusion

Mastering the conjugations of the verb “chegar” is essential for expressing arrival, accomplishment, and attainment in Portuguese. Through its versatile conjugations across various tenses and moods, “chegar” empowers us to communicate the act of arriving, reaching, and achieving. By understanding and practicing the conjugations provided in this guide, you will gain the ability to express arrival and accomplishment with confidence in the Portuguese language. Embrace the journey of “chegar” and let it guide you in expressing the fulfillment of your goals and aspirations in the enchanting world of Portuguese communication.