The Portuguese language, with its captivating melody and rich vocabulary, is known for its nuanced verb conjugations. An essential verb to master in Portuguese is ‘ser.’ Derived from Latin’s ‘esse,’ ‘ser’ is an irregular verb in Portuguese, used to express identity, characteristics, origin, and time. To truly grasp this language’s depth, you must understand how ‘ser’ is conjugated across various tenses, moods, and grammatical persons.
Present Indicative
The Present Indicative mood communicates facts and truths.
- Eu sou (I am)
- Tu és (You are, singular, informal)
- Ele/ela/você é (He/she is/you are, singular, formal)
- Nós somos (We are)
- Vós sois (You are, plural, informal)
- Eles/elas/vocês são (They are/you are, plural)
For instance:
- Eu sou estudante. (I am a student.)
- Nós somos brasileiros. (We are Brazilians.)
- Elas são inteligentes. (They are intelligent.)
Imperfect Indicative
The Imperfect Indicative suggests an ongoing action in the past.
- Eu era (I was)
- Tu eras (You were, singular, informal)
- Ele/ela/você era (He/she was/you were, singular, formal)
- Nós éramos (We were)
- Vós éreis (You were, plural, informal)
- Eles/elas/vocês eram (They were/you were, plural)
For instance:
- Eu era professor. (I was a teacher.)
- Nós éramos vizinhos. (We were neighbors.)
Preterite Indicative
The Preterite Indicative describes completed actions in the past.
- Eu fui (I was)
- Tu foste (You were, singular, informal)
- Ele/ela/você foi (He/she was/you were, singular, formal)
- Nós fomos (We were)
- Vós fostes (You were, plural, informal)
- Eles/elas/vocês foram (They were/you were, plural)
For instance:
- Ele foi médico. (He was a doctor.)
- Vós fostes alegres. (You were happy.)
Future Indicative
The Future Indicative communicates an action that will happen in the future.
- Eu serei (I will be)
- Tu serás (You will be, singular, informal)
- Ele/ela/você será (He/she will be/you will be, singular, formal)
- Nós seremos (We will be)
- Vós sereis (You will be, plural, informal)
- Eles/elas/vocês serão (They will be/you will be, plural)
For instance:
- Tu serás feliz. (You will be happy.)
- Nós seremos campeões. (We will be champions.)
Conditional Mood
The Conditional mood expresses a hypothetical situation or action that depends on a condition.
- Eu seria (I would be)
- Tu serias (You would be, singular, informal)
- Ele/ela/você seria (He/she would be/you would be, singular, formal)
- Nós seríamos (We would be)
- Vós seríeis (You would be, plural, informal)
- Eles/elas/vocês seriam (They would be/you would be, plural)
For instance:
- Eu seria rica se ganhasse na loteria. (I would be rich if I won the lottery.)
- Nós seríamos amigos se morássemos mais perto. (We would be friends if we lived closer.)
Present Subjunctive
The Present Subjunctive mood conveys possibility, doubt, or action dependent on another.
- Que eu seja (That I be)
- Que tu sejas (That you be, singular, informal)
- Que ele/ela/você seja (That he/she be/that you be, singular, formal)
- Que nós sejamos (That we be)
- Que vós sejais (That you be, plural, informal)
- Que eles/elas/vocês sejam (That they be/that you be, plural)
For instance:
- É possível que eu seja promovida. (It’s possible that I’ll be promoted.)
- Que nós sejamos felizes. (May we be happy.)
Imperfect Subjunctive
The Imperfect Subjunctive denotes a hypothetical situation in the past.
- Se eu fosse (If I were)
- Se tu fosses (If you were, singular, informal)
- Se ele/ela/você fosse (If he/she were/if you were, singular, formal)
- Se nós fôssemos (If we were)
- Se vós fôsseis (If you were, plural, informal)
- Se eles/elas/vocês fossem (If they were/if you were, plural)
For instance:
- Se eu fosse rico, viajaria o mundo. (If I were rich, I would travel the world.)
- Se nós fôssemos mais jovens, correríamos a maratona. (If we were younger, we would run the marathon.)
Future Subjunctive
The Future Subjunctive is used after certain conjunctions and prepositions to discuss hypothetical or potential future events.
- Quando eu for (When I am)
- Quando tu fores (When you are, singular, informal)
- Quando ele/ela/você for (When he/she is/when you are, singular, formal)
- Quando nós formos (When we are)
- Quando vós fordes (When you are, plural, informal)
- Quando eles/elas/vocês forem (When they are/when you are, plural)
For instance:
- Quando eu for mais velha, vou aprender a dançar. (When I am older, I will learn to dance.)
- Quando nós formos a Portugal, vamos visitar Lisboa. (When we go to Portugal, we will visit Lisbon.)
Imperative Mood
The Imperative mood is used for commands or requests.
- (tu) Sê (Be, singular, informal)
- (você) Seja (Be, singular, formal)
- (nós) Sejamos (Let’s be)
- (vós) Sede (Be, plural, informal)
- (vocês) Sejam (Be, plural)
For instance:
- Sê amável! (Be kind!)
- Sejam respeitosos. (Be respectful.)
Remember, ‘ser’ is an irregular verb, and its conjugation does not follow the standard verb conjugation pattern. Understanding ‘ser’ and its intricacies will significantly enhance your Portuguese proficiency, providing a strong foundation for communicating effectively in Portuguese. Practice using ‘ser’ in different contexts, and over time, its conjugations will become second nature to you. Learning a new language is indeed a journey of discovery, and in the case of Portuguese, ‘ser’ is a crucial stepping-stone.
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