Subject Pronouns, ser, estar & ter

📌 Nota gramatical

Subject pronouns are used to indicate who is performing the action. In European Portuguese, 'tu' is the singular informal pronoun used for friends, family, and peers. 'Ele' and 'ela' mean he and she respectively. Subject pronouns are frequently omitted in Portuguese because the verb ending already shows the person.

📌 Nota gramatical

These are the plural subject pronouns. 'Nós' means we. 'Vós' is the plural informal 'you', which is rarely used in spoken European Portuguese (replaced by 'vocês'). 'Eles' is used for groups of males or mixed groups, and 'elas' is exclusively for groups of females.

📌 Nota gramatical

'Você' is a formal singular pronoun requiring third-person singular verb forms. In European Portuguese, it is used for people you do not know well or in professional contexts, though omitting it altogether ('gosta de café?') is often more polite. 'Vocês' is used for all plural 'you' in modern Portugal.

📌 Nota gramatical

'Ser' is an irregular verb used for permanent or stable attributes: identity, nationality, profession, physical traits, and origin. Paradigm: eu sou, tu és, ele/ela/você é, nós somos, vós sois, eles/elas/vocês são.

📌 Nota gramatical

'Estar' is an irregular verb used for temporary states, moods, health, and physical locations. Paradigm: eu estou, tu estás, ele/ela/você está, nós estamos, vós estais, eles/elas/vocês estão.

📌 Nota gramatical

'Ter' means 'to have' and expresses possession, family relations, and age. Paradigm: eu tenho, tu tens, ele/ela/você tem, nós temos, vós tendes, eles/elas/vocês têm. Note the circumflex accent on the third-person plural 'têm' to distinguish it from singular 'tem'.

📌 Nota gramatical

In European Portuguese, the continuous action is expressed using 'estar' + 'a' + infinitive verb. Do NOT use the Brazilian gerund ending in '-ndo'. Paradigm: estou a falar, estás a comer, está a dormir.

📌 Nota gramatical

Combine 'ser' with prepositions to express origin ('ser de') or destination/recipient ('ser para'). 'Ser de' also indicates what material an object is made of.

📌 Nota gramatical

In European Portuguese, temporary physical states like hunger, thirst, or cold are often expressed using 'estar com' + noun, rather than verbs or 'ter' (though 'ter fome' is also used, 'estar com fome' is extremely common).

📌 Nota gramatical

'Ter de' or 'Ter que' followed by an infinitive verb expresses obligation or necessity ('to have to'). In European Portuguese, 'ter de' is traditionally preferred for strict obligation, but 'ter que' is also widely heard.

📌 Nota gramatical

To ask about the location of an event or a fixed place (like a building), use 'ser' ('Onde é a festa?'). To ask about the temporary location of a person or movable object, use 'estar' ('Onde está o meu telemóvel?').

📌 Nota gramatical

In European Portuguese, yes/no questions are often answered by repeating the main verb in the appropriate person rather than just saying 'sim' or 'não'. For example, if asked 'Estás cansado?', you answer 'Estou'.