Present Continuous in Portuguese | Lesson 8

We saw earlier, in lesson 7, the difference between ser and estar (verb to be). Now let’s learn a verb tense called Presente Contínuo (Present Continuous) in Portuguese. Using the present continuous we can express actions that are happening at this right moment or actions that we do on a regular basis.

ELA ESTÁ ANDANDO DE BICICLETA. (She is riding a bike.)

Present Continuous Formation:

Verb to be (estar) in the present (Presente do Indicativo) + gerund (gerúndio)

Gerund:

• Falar – falando
• Comer – comendo
• Partir – partindo

► We remove the letter r from the infinitive and add -ndo

Example: falar – fala + ndo = falando

Let’s see some examples:

─ Eu estou estudando português agora. Você pode me ligar mais tarde? (I’m studying Portuguese now. Can you call me later?)
─ Claro, ligo depois. (yes, I will call you later.)

─ Alex está estudando português no Rio de Janeiro. (Alex is studying Portuguese in Rio de Janeiro.)
─ Que legal! (That’s cool.)

─ O que eles estão fazendo agora? (What are they doing now?)
─ Eles estão dormindo. (They are sleeping.)

─ A senhora Ana está comendo agora. Quer deixar recado? (Mrs. Ana is having lunch now. Do you want to leave a message?)
─ Não, obrigada. Eu ligo mais tarde. (No, thank you. I will call her later.)

Exercises:

1. Write 5 sentences using the Present Continuous in Portuguese

2. Using the Present Continuous, tell us what you are doing in Brazil.

3. What are they doing?

a)

b)

c)

Answers:

1. Personal answer.

2. Personal answer.

3. a) Ela está bebendo água (She is drinking water.); b) Ele está cantando (He is singing); c) Eles estão dormindo (They are sleeping).