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ser

to be (permanent)

Portuguese Irregular
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The Portuguese verb "ser" means "to be (permanent)" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "ser" across all 5 tenses.

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Present Past (completed) Past (ongoing) Future Would (conditional)

How to Conjugate "ser" in the Present Tense

Presente do indicativo Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
eu I sou
tu you (informal) és
ele/ela/você he/she/you (formal) é
nós we somos
vós you all (formal) sois
eles/elas/vocês they/you all são
Ele é o meu amigo.
He is my friend.

How to Conjugate "ser" in the Past (completed) Tense

Pretérito perfeito simples Actions completed in the past
Person English Conjugation
eu I fui
tu you (informal) foste
ele/ela/você he/she/you (formal) foi
nós we fomos
vós you all (formal) fostes
eles/elas/vocês they/you all foram
Ele foi o melhor aluno.
He was the best student.

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How to Conjugate "ser" in the Past (ongoing) Tense

Pretérito imperfeito Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
eu I era
tu you (informal) eras
ele/ela/você he/she/you (formal) era
nós we éramos
vós you all (formal) éreis
eles/elas/vocês they/you all eram
Ele era o meu melhor amigo.
He was my best friend.

How to Conjugate "ser" in the Future Tense

Futuro do presente Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
eu I serei
tu you (informal) serás
ele/ela/você he/she/you (formal) será
nós we seremos
vós you all (formal) sereis
eles/elas/vocês they/you all serão
Ele será o novo diretor.
He will be the new director.

How to Conjugate "ser" in the Would (conditional) Tense

Condicional Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
eu I seria
tu you (informal) serias
ele/ela/você he/she/you (formal) seria
nós we seríamos
vós you all (formal) seríeis
eles/elas/vocês they/you all seriam
Ele seria o meu amigo.
He would be my friend.
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Frequently Asked Questions About "ser"

Is "ser" regular or irregular in Portuguese?
"Ser" is an irregular Portuguese verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "ser" mean in English?
The Portuguese verb "ser" means "to be (permanent)" in English.
How do you conjugate "ser" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente do indicativo): eu → sou, tu → és, ele/ela/você → é, nós → somos, vós → sois, eles/elas/vocês → são.
How many tenses does "ser" have in Portuguese?
"Ser" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Portuguese: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).

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