The 1000 most common verbs in Portuguese

You asked for it, and here it is.

Below are the top 1000 verbs in the online Corpus do Português, a database of Portuguese texts hosted by Brigham Young University. To generate this list I searched only 20th century sources, representing about 20 million words in total from academic, news media, literature, and oral sources from both Portugal and Brazil. The corpus is biased towards written sources, so this does not necessarily reflect the abundance of these verbs in actual speech.

Lists like these are called frequency lists, and they are a great way to focus your vocabulary learning on the most useful words that you are likely to encounter over and over again. Beginners will get off to a great start by learning the first 50. Intermediate learners should know 100-400 verbs. Advanced students should know at least 500. Note that I don’t recommend studying vocabulary lists totally out of context; see Some general tips on vocabulary learning. These lists are mainly useful for finding ‘low hanging fruit’ – those unfamiliar words near the top of the list that you don’t know but probably should.

You can learn how to generate your own customized lists on my page, Generating frequency lists for study. You may also be interested in A Frequency Dictionary of Portuguese, which contains similar lists of the top 5,000 words, grouped thematically and by part of speech, with definitions given for every word. I also recommend 501 Portuguese Verbs, which gives definitions, example sentences, and complete conjugations for 501 of the most common verbs.

With that said, here they are, ranked by frequency from most common to least common:

  1. ser
  2. ter
  3. estar
  4. poder
  5. fazer
  6. ir
  7. haver
  8. dizer
  9. dar
  10. ver
  11. saber
  12. querer
  13. ficar
  14. dever
  15. passar
  16. vir
  17. chegar
  18. falar
  19. deixar
  20. encontrar
  21. levar
  22. começar
  23. partir
  24. pensar
  25. parecer
  26. apresentar
  27. olhar
  28. tornar
  29. sair
  30. voltar
  31. conseguir
  32. achar
  33. existir
  34. sentir
  35. entrar
  36. chamar
  37. conhecer
  38. considerar
  39. pôr
  40. continuar
  41. viver
  42. ouvir
  43. tomar
  44. acabar
  45. receber
  46. perder
  47. andar
  48. trabalhar
  49. criar
  50. pedir
  51. [seguir]
  52. [contar]
  53. [acontecer]
  54. [afirmar]
  55. [tratar]
  56. [esperar]
  57. [gostar]
  58. [usar]
  59. [manter]
  60. [realizar]
  61. [abrir]
  62. [escrever]
  63. [permitir]
  64. [ocorrer]
  65. [mostrar]
  66. [lembrar]
  67. [trazer]
  68. [procurar]
  69. [morrer]
  70. [tentar]
  71. [formar]
  72. [aparecer]
  73. [incluir]
  74. [cair]
  75. [correr]
  76. [ganhar]
  77. [surgir]
  78. [nascer]
  79. [pagar]
  80. [representar]
  81. [entender]
  82. [produzir]
  83. [ler]
  84. [precisar]
  85. [perguntar]
  86. [constituir]
  87. [colocar]
  88. [possuir]
  89. [servir]
  90. [tirar]
  91. [responder]
  92. [obter]
  93. [desenvolver]
  94. [explicar]
  95. [descobrir]
  96. [acreditar]
  97. [levantar]
  98. [mandar]
  99. [estudar]
  100. [atingir]
  101. [sofrer]
  102. [parar]
  103. [bater]
  104. [decidir]
  105. [referir]
  106. [fechar]
  107. [aumentar]
  108. [acompanhar]
  109. [defender]
  110. [lançar]
  111. [mudar]
  112. [resolver]
  113. [participar]
  114. [subir]
  115. [utilizar]
  116. [provocar]
  117. [compreender]
  118. [estabelecer]
  119. [pretender]
  120. [iniciar]
  121. [perceber]
  122. [garantir]
  123. [comer]
  124. [vender]
  125. [observar]
  126. [comprar]
  127. [aceitar]
  128. [resultar]
  129. [reconhecer]
  130. [sentar]
  131. [marcar]
  132. [construir]
  133. [crescer]
  134. [publicar]
  135. [ajudar]
  136. [assumir]
  137. [revelar]
  138. [prever]
  139. [ocupar]
  140. [oferecer]
  141. [dirigir]
  142. [esquecer]
  143. [tocar]
  144. [envolver]
  145. [matar]
  146. [fugir]
  147. [indicar]
  148. [valer]
  149. [terminar]
  150. [jogar]
  151. [conter]
  152. [definir]
  153. [rir]
  154. [escolher]
  155. [destacar]
  156. [reunir]
  157. [descer]
  158. [dormir]
  159. [causar]
  160. [evitar]
  161. [determinar]
  162. [anunciar]
  163. [exigir]
  164. [transformar]
  165. [vencer]
  166. [faltar]
  167. [entregar]
  168. [casar]
  169. [pegar]
  170. [eleger]
  171. [julgar]
  172. [permanecer]
  173. [apontar]
  174. [virar]
  175. [concluir]
  176. [significar]
  177. [depender]
  178. [repetir]
  179. [abandonar]
  180. [obrigar]
  181. [preparar]
  182. [aplicar]
  183. [reduzir]
  184. [pertencer]
  185. [funcionar]
  186. [retirar]
  187. [meter]
  188. [verificar]
  189. [estender]
  190. [acrescentar]
  191. [desejar]
  192. [dividir]
  193. [buscar]
  194. [cumprir]
  195. [aproximar]
  196. [sorrir]
  197. [imaginar]
  198. [discutir]
  199. [apoiar]
  200. [gerar]
  201. [cantar]
  202. [afastar]
  203. [admitir]
  204. [fixar]
  205. [dispor]
  206. [chorar]
  207. [erguer]
  208. [preferir]
  209. [aproveitar]
  210. [gritar]
  211. [promover]
  212. [integrar]
  213. [atravessar]
  214. [alcançar]
  215. [propor]
  216. [informar]
  217. [atribuir]
  218. []
  219. [aprender]
  220. [deitar]
  221. [cortar]
  222. [enviar]
  223. [morar]
  224. [acusar]
  225. [impedir]
  226. [desaparecer]
  227. [avançar]
  228. [custar]
  229. [amar]
  230. [interessar]
  231. [exercer]
  232. [dedicar]
  233. [assistir]
  234. [cobrir]
  235. [compor]
  236. [conduzir]
  237. [consistir]
  238. [substituir]
  239. [descrever]
  240. [analisar]
  241. [confirmar]
  242. [completar]
  243. [regressar]
  244. [bastar]
  245. [prometer]
  246. [adquirir]
  247. [baixar]
  248. [conversar]
  249. [demonstrar]
  250. [contribuir]
  251. [corresponder]
  252. [importar]
  253. [identificar]
  254. [jantar]
  255. [pesar]
  256. [prestar]
  257. [apanhar]
  258. [ligar]
  259. [atirar]
  260. [caracterizar]
  261. [enfrentar]
  262. [declarar]
  263. [notar]
  264. [citar]
  265. [alimentar]
  266. [fornecer]
  267. [guardar]
  268. [conquistar]
  269. [caber]
  270. [beber]
  271. [designar]
  272. [juntar]
  273. [esconder]
  274. [variar]
  275. [decorrer]
  276. [salvar]
  277. [adoptar]
  278. [controlar]
  279. [actuar]
  280. [atender]
  281. [introduzir]
  282. [cuidar]
  283. [durar]
  284. [dominar]
  285. [adiantar]
  286. [recordar]
  287. [visitar]
  288. [calar]
  289. [comentar]
  290. [melhorar]
  291. [fundar]
  292. [convidar]
  293. [proteger]
  294. [acordar]
  295. [puxar]
  296. [instalar]
  297. [viajar]
  298. [limitar]
  299. [encher]
  300. [merecer]
  301. [assegurar]
  302. [crer]
  303. [caminhar]
  304. [conceder]
  305. [suceder]
  306. [separar]
  307. [votar]
  308. [unir]
  309. [negar]
  310. [avaliar]
  311. [recusar]
  312. [sugerir]
  313. [costumar]
  314. [alterar]
  315. [preocupar]
  316. [mover]
  317. [justificar]
  318. [impor]
  319. [diminuir]
  320. [atacar]
  321. [lutar]
  322. [insistir]
  323. [divulgar]
  324. [concordar]
  325. [recolher]
  326. [respeitar]
  327. [praticar]
  328. [reflectir]
  329. [disputar]
  330. [deter]
  331. [transmitir]
  332. [carregar]
  333. [arrastar]
  334. [arranjar]
  335. [temer]
  336. [trocar]
  337. [destruir]
  338. [recuperar]
  339. [restar]
  340. [ensinar]
  341. [comparar]
  342. [quebrar]
  343. [calcular]
  344. [ameaçar]
  345. [afectar]
  346. [libertar]
  347. [visar]
  348. [manifestar]
  349. [amanhecer]
  350. [atrair]
  351. [registar]
  352. [voar]
  353. [prosseguir]
  354. [demorar]
  355. [ultrapassar]
  356. [criticar]
  357. [saltar]
  358. [gastar]
  359. [reparar]
  360. [soltar]
  361. [executar]
  362. [limpar]
  363. [invadir]
  364. [montar]
  365. [assinar]
  366. [aprovar]
  367. [investir]
  368. [influenciar]
  369. [apertar]
  370. [sustentar]
  371. [inventar]
  372. [distinguir]
  373. [opor]
  374. [escapar]
  375. [resistir]
  376. [cometer]
  377. [agir]
  378. [registrar]
  379. [pintar]
  380. [medir]
  381. [interromper]
  382. [organizar]
  383. [escutar]
  384. [empregar]
  385. [distribuir]
  386. [espalhar]
  387. [emitir]
  388. [basear]
  389. [operar]
  390. [supor]
  391. [arrancar]
  392. [provar]
  393. [ferir]
  394. [estimar]
  395. [romper]
  396. [derivar]
  397. [ceder]
  398. [percorrer]
  399. [roubar]
  400. [comandar]
  401. [reclamar]
  402. [cobrar]
  403. [deslocar]
  404. [negociar]
  405. [transportar]
  406. [explorar]
  407. [brincar]
  408. [convencer]
  409. [concentrar]
  410. [botar]
  411. [reagir]
  412. [salientar]
  413. [facilitar]
  414. [interpretar]
  415. [reforçar]
  416. [desempenhar]
  417. [implicar]
  418. [recorrer]
  419. [expor]
  420. [esclarecer]
  421. [prender]
  422. [vestir]
  423. [mexer]
  424. [gravar]
  425. [denunciar]
  426. [aguardar]
  427. [retomar]
  428. [efectuar]
  429. [encarar]
  430. [sonhar]
  431. [avisar]
  432. [dançar]
  433. [apurar]
  434. [encerrar]
  435. [originar]
  436. [surpreender]
  437. [errar]
  438. [acumular]
  439. [satisfazer]
  440. [tender]
  441. [necessitar]
  442. [despertar]
  443. [traduzir]
  444. [largar]
  445. [comunicar]
  446. [exclamar]
  447. [investigar]
  448. [segurar]
  449. [agarrar]
  450. [ordenar]
  451. [ignorar]
  452. [governar]
  453. [experimentar]
  454. [suportar]
  455. [desenhar]
  456. [condenar]
  457. [inspirar]
  458. [optar]
  459. [confessar]
  460. [colher]
  461. [constar]
  462. [admirar]
  463. [prejudicar]
  464. [sacudir]
  465. [murmurar]
  466. [armar]
  467. [dobrar]
  468. [derrubar]
  469. [acender]
  470. [circular]
  471. [apagar]
  472. [proceder]
  473. [requerer]
  474. [combater]
  475. [eliminar]
  476. [colaborar]
  477. [residir]
  478. [solicitar]
  479. [conservar]
  480. [alegar]
  481. [proibir]
  482. [encaminhar]
  483. [elevar]
  484. [modificar]
  485. [combinar]
  486. [classificar]
  487. [exibir]
  488. [conferir]
  489. [contemplar]
  490. [beneficiar]
  491. [queimar]
  492. [sobreviver]
  493. [adaptar]
  494. [situar]
  495. [projectar]
  496. [rejeitar]
  497. [tremer]
  498. [lavar]
  499. [frequentar]
  500. [convocar]
  501. [acertar]
  502. [misturar]
  503. [despedir]
  504. [superar]
  505. [cultivar]
  506. [agitar]
  507. [rever]
  508. [orientar]
  509. [animar]
  510. [demitir]
  511. [assentar]
  512. [possibilitar]
  513. [proporcionar]
  514. [inaugurar]
  515. [beijar]
  516. [autorizar]
  517. [desfazer]
  518. [converter]
  519. [consumir]
  520. [estimular]
  521. [desistir]
  522. [descansar]
  523. [passear]
  524. [confiar]
  525. [adormecer]
  526. [ressaltar]
  527. [destinar]
  528. [retornar]
  529. [conceber]
  530. [apreciar]
  531. [argumentar]
  532. [recuar]
  533. [confundir]
  534. [forçar]
  535. [respirar]
  536. [submeter]
  537. [localizar]
  538. [absorver]
  539. [presidir]
  540. [abranger]
  541. [abordar]
  542. [habitar]
  543. [obedecer]
  544. [adorar]
  545. [enganar]
  546. [desviar]
  547. [competir]
  548. [rodear]
  549. [regular]
  550. [iluminar]
  551. [brilhar]
  552. [comprometer]
  553. [relatar]
  554. [fabricar]
  555. [abalar]
  556. [pregar]
  557. [empurrar]
  558. [ampliar]
  559. [recomendar]
  560. [antecipar]
  561. [cruzar]
  562. [perseguir]
  563. [lamentar]
  564. [falecer]
  565. [assustar]
  566. [estrear]
  567. [intervir]
  568. [apostar]
  569. [financiar]
  570. [disparar]
  571. [mergulhar]
  572. [incorporar]
  573. [concorrer]
  574. [desconfiar]
  575. [corrigir]
  576. [prolongar]
  577. [render]
  578. [protestar]
  579. [sumir]
  580. [indagar]
  581. [travar]
  582. [cheirar]
  583. [gozar]
  584. [fumar]
  585. [sobrar]
  586. [rolar]
  587. [queixar]
  588. [excluir]
  589. [expulsar]
  590. [enterrar]
  591. [comemorar]
  592. [liderar]
  593. [agradar]
  594. [girar]
  595. [aderir]
  596. [treinar]
  597. [desculpar]
  598. [rezar]
  599. [sujeitar]
  600. [reservar]
  601. [examinar]
  602. [rodar]
  603. [chover]
  604. [celebrar]
  605. [perdoar]
  606. [preencher]
  607. [evoluir]
  608. [arriscar]
  609. [desconhecer]
  610. [inserir]
  611. [emprestar]
  612. [elaborar]
  613. [suspender]
  614. [relacionar]
  615. [acelerar]
  616. [alargar]
  617. [arrumar]
  618. [somar]
  619. [constatar]
  620. [depositar]
  621. [administrar]
  622. [espreitar]
  623. [extrair]
  624. [ocultar]
  625. [espantar]
  626. [fingir]
  627. [agradecer]
  628. [associar]
  629. [exprimir]
  630. [preservar]
  631. [tecer]
  632. [tardar]
  633. [apressar]
  634. [encolher]
  635. [acentuar]
  636. [sublinhar]
  637. [falhar]
  638. [rasgar]
  639. [pronunciar]
  640. [adivinhar]
  641. [aguentar]
  642. [processar]
  643. [contrariar]
  644. [divertir]
  645. [incomodar]
  646. [resumir]
  647. [instituir]
  648. [arder]
  649. [consultar]
  650. [doer]
  651. [derrotar]
  652. [encarregar]
  653. [formular]
  654. [adiar]
  655. [violar]
  656. [cercar]
  657. [calhar]
  658. [cessar]
  659. [dispensar]
  660. [comprovar]
  661. [concretizar]
  662. [convir]
  663. [favorecer]
  664. [plantar]
  665. [penetrar]
  666. [reproduzir]
  667. [jurar]
  668. [estremecer]
  669. [ilustrar]
  670. [hesitar]
  671. [seleccionar]
  672. [duvidar]
  673. [enrolar]
  674. [partilhar]
  675. [renovar]
  676. [traçar]
  677. [planejar]
  678. [ingressar]
  679. [ousar]
  680. [detectar]
  681. [torcer]
  682. [assinalar]
  683. [editar]
  684. [devolver]
  685. [movimentar]
  686. [lidar]
  687. [aquecer]
  688. [irritar]
  689. [transferir]
  690. [questionar]
  691. [motivar]
  692. [coordenar]
  693. [agravar]
  694. [firmar]
  695. [acudir]
  696. [auxiliar]
  697. [expressar]
  698. [enfiar]
  699. [esgotar]
  700. [guiar]
  701. [captar]
  702. [aconselhar]
  703. [nomear]
  704. [soar]
  705. [disfarçar]
  706. [depor]
  707. [defrontar]
  708. [encostar]
  709. [abraçar]
  710. [pousar]
  711. [escorrer]
  712. [debater]
  713. [desencadear]
  714. [herdar]
  715. [explodir]
  716. [fitar]
  717. [acolher]
  718. [contestar]
  719. [morder]
  720. [poupar]
  721. [gemer]
  722. [apelar]
  723. [renunciar]
  724. [reter]
  725. [proclamar]
  726. [consolidar]
  727. [esmagar]
  728. [recomeçar]
  729. [articular]
  730. [abrigar]
  731. [suspirar]
  732. [testar]
  733. [comparecer]
  734. [interrogar]
  735. [perturbar]
  736. [caçar]
  737. [distrair]
  738. [ajustar]
  739. [vibrar]
  740. [pisar]
  741. [coincidir]
  742. [provir]
  743. [soprar]
  744. [almoçar]
  745. [incidir]
  746. [culminar]
  747. [oscilar]
  748. [fartar]
  749. [enxergar]
  750. [conviver]
  751. [abater]
  752. [impressionar]
  753. [punir]
  754. [rebentar]
  755. [telefonar]
  756. [rondar]
  757. [dificultar]
  758. [figurar]
  759. [ascender]
  760. [engolir]
  761. [livrar]
  762. [alertar]
  763. [contrair]
  764. [implantar]
  765. [imitar]
  766. [expandir]
  767. [pender]
  768. [mentir]
  769. [decretar]
  770. [aliviar]
  771. [secar]
  772. [filmar]
  773. [estalar]
  774. [comportar]
  775. [valorizar]
  776. [suspeitar]
  777. [prevenir]
  778. [deslizar]
  779. [dissolver]
  780. [induzir]
  781. [inclinar]
  782. [berrar]
  783. [abanar]
  784. [emergir]
  785. [esfregar]
  786. [enriquecer]
  787. [compensar]
  788. [pressionar]
  789. [encomendar]
  790. [desafiar]
  791. [isolar]
  792. [tapar]
  793. [avistar]
  794. [anular]
  795. [gerir]
  796. [reinar]
  797. [recear]
  798. [revestir]
  799. [brigar]
  800. [pular]
  801. [englobar]
  802. [persistir]
  803. [interferir]
  804. [noticiar]
  805. [acarretar]
  806. [semear]
  807. [reivindicar]
  808. [candidatar]
  809. [tombar]
  810. [exportar]
  811. [escalar]
  812. [ofender]
  813. [afundar]
  814. [armazenar]
  815. [deparar]
  816. [odiar]
  817. [incentivar]
  818. [multiplicar]
  819. [embarcar]
  820. [elogiar]
  821. [marchar]
  822. [sufocar]
  823. [desprezar]
  824. [diferir]
  825. [complicar]
  826. [arrepender]
  827. [atrapalhar]
  828. [alongar]
  829. [rematar]
  830. [contactar]
  831. [dotar]
  832. [flutuar]
  833. [remeter]
  834. [evidenciar]
  835. [estranhar]
  836. [agrupar]
  837. [desembarcar]
  838. [reger]
  839. [resmungar]
  840. [detestar]
  841. [homenagear]
  842. [proferir]
  843. [fundir]
  844. [picar]
  845. [restringir]
  846. [teimar]
  847. [especificar]
  848. [reafirmar]
  849. [substantivar]
  850. [doar]
  851. [aprofundar]
  852. [denominar]
  853. [ferver]
  854. [pairar]
  855. [acenar]
  856. [centrar]
  857. [aborrecer]
  858. [enfatizar]
  859. [empenhar]
  860. [assemelhar]
  861. [chefiar]
  862. [equivaler]
  863. [navegar]
  864. [leccionar]
  865. [precipitar]
  866. [estragar]
  867. [cansar]
  868. [improvisar]
  869. [varrer]
  870. [dispersar]
  871. [refugiar]
  872. [retratar]
  873. [velar]
  874. [fiar]
  875. [cumprimentar]
  876. [contratar]
  877. [advertir]
  878. [devorar]
  879. [apetecer]
  880. [reprimir]
  881. [replicar]
  882. [ranger]
  883. [mobilizar]
  884. [culpar]
  885. [capturar]
  886. [enxugar]
  887. [mencionar]
  888. [predominar]
  889. [frisar]
  890. [curvar]
  891. [alugar]
  892. [agredir]
  893. [atrever]
  894. [baptizar]
  895. [ponderar]
  896. [narrar]
  897. [namorar]
  898. [banhar]
  899. [actualizar]
  900. [desabafar]
  901. [curar]
  902. [restaurar]
  903. [roçar]
  904. [remover]
  905. [espiar]
  906. [arrecadar]
  907. [vingar]
  908. [bradar]
  909. [desligar]
  910. [repousar]
  911. [liberar]
  912. [reformar]
  913. [pesquisar]
  914. [evocar]
  915. [torturar]
  916. [findar]
  917. [fluir]
  918. [decorar]
  919. [jazer]
  920. [responsabilizar]
  921. [desmentir]
  922. [chocar]
  923. [consentir]
  924. [debruçar]
  925. [disciplinar]
  926. [moer]
  927. [parir]
  928. [ensaiar]
  929. [atar]
  930. [accionar]
  931. [preceder]
  932. [pressentir]
  933. [acalmar]
  934. [atrasar]
  935. [colar]
  936. [furar]
  937. [extinguir]
  938. [vigiar]
  939. [meditar]
  940. [envelhecer]
  941. [edificar]
  942. [rebater]
  943. [resgatar]
  944. [alastrar]
  945. [vagar]
  946. [realçar]
  947. [cascar]
  948. [copiar]
  949. [exceder]
  950. [esforçar]
  951. [escorregar]
  952. [empreender]
  953. [anteceder]
  954. [clamar]
  955. [intensificar]
  956. [irar]
  957. [suar]
  958. [descartar]
  959. [fortalecer]
  960. [nadar]
  961. [ostentar]
  962. [roer]
  963. [desenrolar]
  964. [diferenciar]
  965. [cancelar]
  966. [balançar]
  967. [apaixonar]
  968. [consagrar]
  969. [saudar]
  970. [trair]
  971. [soluçar]
  972. [fiscalizar]
  973. [finalizar]
  974. [pescar]
  975. [invocar]
  976. [sequestrar]
  977. [derramar]
  978. [emigrar]
  979. [suscitar]
  980. [inverter]
  981. [imprimir]
  982. [habituar]
  983. [implementar]
  984. [licenciar]
  985. [reaparecer]
  986. [prevalecer]
  987. [relembrar]
  988. [empatar]
  989. [balbuciar]
  990. [cerrar]
  991. [afogar]
  992. [restabelecer]
  993. [viabilizar]
  994. [conformar]
  995. [ditar]
  996. [fotografar]
  997. [estacionar]
  998. [coçar]
  999. [disponibilizar]
  1000. [florescer]

48 Responses to The 1000 most common verbs in Portuguese

  1. Pingback: The Most Common Verbs in Portuguese - Portuguese Blog

  2. Pingback: The Most Common Nouns in Portuguese - Portuguese Blog

  3. Jeff says:
    August 6, 2012 at 11:50 am

    Thanks so much for all of your great posts. I have been living in Brazil for one year now and I am still have a tough time conversing. Do you have any other resources for slang or that will HELP me really feel more comfortable speaking? I have already completed the Foreign Service Institute Language Course, Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone. Thanks so much. Feel free to email me back at: jcoinc@gmail.com

    Reply
    • Lauren says:
      August 11, 2012 at 1:04 pm

      Hey Jeff, two suggestions. Have you seen the pages on slang and regionalisms over at Portuguese blog? Check it out:
      http://portugueseblog.org/category/learn-brazilian-portuguese/slang/

      Also, it sounds like you have a good grasp of the language but need more practice actively listening to actual Brazilian speech…thick accents, unusual expressions, clipped words, etc. all make it quite difficult. I suggest you try the Semantica Series 2 videos, Clica Brasil, or Conversation Brasileira. All of these feature Brazilians conversing more or less naturally, but they are short videos that you can listen to over and over until you understand everything.

      Also, what if you and your wife picked one day a week and only spoke in Portuguese? I bet you’d get better incredibly quickly.

      Reply
    • Cristina says:
      November 16, 2012 at 6:06 pm

      Hi Jeff,

      How’s Brazil? which city are you in? I am going to brasilia next year, I am quite nervous.

      Bests,

      Cristina

      Reply
      • Nate says:
        January 25, 2013 at 7:56 am

        Cristina,
        I travelled alone to Brasilia and Anapolis, Goias and lived there for about a month with friends for my first time ever out of the US. I had an unbelievable time, and the folks there are friendlier than here in my opinion. It was great. They’ll appreciate you making an effort to speak the language.
        Boa sorte,
        Nate

        Reply
    • Lukas Cech says:
      March 23, 2013 at 2:53 pm

      Hey Jeff,

      I´m posting this as a future reference for others, rather than to help you, as it´s been almost a year now, don´t think you need help with your problem.

      But there´s an obvious answer – get out, talk to people. Ask them to explain slang to you. You studied more than enough courses, watched videos and god knows why, but that isn´t how to learn a language. You know how you learn a language? Live in the country, listen and speak it. Support it with some grammar book and you´re there.

      Don´t stay in, watching more videos of more portugues. You´re better off out there, talking, without worrying too much about how correct your language is. It´s going to correct itself over time.

      Thanks for the 1000 verbs Lauren!
      Lukas

      Reply
  4. Jeff says:
    August 6, 2012 at 11:53 am

    Thank you for this useful post. I have been living in Brazil for one year now, and I am still having a tough time speaking and learning the language. My spouse is Brazilian, but we always converse in English, so maybe this is part of the reason. Do you have any other resources you can offer for practice with Slang (which are free)? I have already completed the Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone, and Foreign Service Institute language programs.
    You can reach me at: jcoinc at gmail

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Brian Drury says:
      December 6, 2013 at 10:00 pm

      Hey Jeff,

      I am a native English speaker who has attained fluency in Spanish and in 7 months I am a strong conversationalist in studying Portuguese. I strongly attribute this to using Busuu.com, not because of the structured language learning material (which you would get with Rosetta Stone or more formal courses) but because this site puts you in touch with native speakers all over the world. I skype frequently with a friend from Brazil I met using this site and this has helped me to not only learn the accent but also the slang and less formal words you probably wouldn’t find in a more formal, rigid course.

      Hope this helps!

      – Brian

      Reply
      • Bans says:
        October 3, 2016 at 10:04 am

        I have learned a lot of Portuguese and I have written articles for blogs in Portuguese. I need someone to talk with verbally as my Spoken Portuguese is not good enough.

        Reply
        • Ify says:
          October 20, 2016 at 10:34 am

          Hello,

          Been learning Portuguese for almost 3 months now but my experience learning French taught me it is better to speak and be corrected.
          Will be nice to talk with you…though I do not speak much of it like yourself.

          Reply
    • Debra says:
      January 11, 2014 at 1:51 pm

      Hi Jeff,
      I also am now living in Brazil. My husband is Brazilian and also speaks English to me in the house. I have lived here 4 months and am struggling. I speak worse than a two year old. Any advice you have that may be helpful?
      Debra

      Reply
      • Jordan says:
        July 30, 2015 at 5:54 pm

        If you have money go join clubs where you will be forced to do the same thing over and over that might have a limited vocab. I did kungfu in rio and it really helped make my counting more natural, i learned a lot of movement words and it forced me to talk and listen more. It was great.

        Reply
  5. John leonidas says:
    August 10, 2012 at 6:46 am

    That’s what i’ve been looking for!

    Reply
  6. Johnston phanord says:
    August 10, 2012 at 6:53 am

    I live in Haiti, over here we speak French and Creol but i always wished to speak portugues but i was running out of verbs and eventually when i discovered this website that was to me something marvelous that i ever found….Muito obrigado!!!

    Reply
  7. Monica V says:
    October 11, 2012 at 1:23 pm

    This is exactly what I was after, thank you very much for posting it! I’m an ESL teacher learning Portuguese, and it’s great to find as many resources online for learning Portuguese as there are for learning English (well, almost!).

    Muito obrigada!

    Monica

    Reply
  8. mario says:
    October 28, 2012 at 1:57 pm

    thank you!!!
    eu estou muito obrigado
    muchas gracias

    Reply
  10. Mike says:
    March 8, 2013 at 7:35 am

    Same issue here. How is tornar more common than voltar? Good idea but something has gone wrong i think.

    Reply

  11. Pingback: Portuguese: 30 Words a Day Challenge Day 1 | The Adventures of Learning a New Language

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  14. Charlie says:
    May 1, 2013 at 2:07 am

    Do you have the same list with English translations? Thanks!

    Reply
  15. Amin de Somalia says:
    May 4, 2013 at 3:46 am

    I really love to learn Portuguese, thanks for those verbs

    eu so aprendo o portugues pra ti

    es o melhor de todos tempos

    cr7

    Reply
  16. Slow Learner says:
    May 31, 2013 at 12:04 pm

    349 amanhã

    is not a verb

    Reply
  17. Mimi Ward says:
    June 17, 2013 at 3:51 pm

    I spent about 10 years in Brazil, beginning about 1950 and returning to the USA in 1960. During that time, I was completely immersed in the language and culture of Brazil. I lived and went to school in Campinas, São José do Rio Prêto and spent a year or so in Niterói. I was also able to travel extensively to the interior and visited several Northern cities, notably Recife and Salvador. It has been 50+ years since I have spoken Portuguese on a regular basis and I was astonished at the fact that there were only a few (13) verbs on the list that I did not know. This is why I believe that “immersion” is the absolute best way to learn a new language. Here I am, an old lady, still in love with meu amado brasil, and having saudade to go there again. Talvez um dia…. Thank you for this wonderful page!

    Reply
  18. MizzBusby says:
    August 9, 2013 at 6:33 pm

    What happened to number 218?
    Thanks for the list, I’m basing my studies on it!

    Reply
  19. philip says:
    October 5, 2013 at 3:15 am

    How I wish the verbs had English translation.

    Reply
    • Deborah Collins says:
      September 30, 2019 at 4:39 pm

      Hi have been learning Brazilian Portuguese for 3 months now i m 70 years old. I LEARNED Spanish in College 52 years ago. . Some is very similar some the same and some is different. I have learned with the Lord’s help. I AM ALREADY SPEAKING AND SINGING IN it. I AM SO INAMOURED BY THIS BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE. it is sincerely nothing but pleasure for me to sit and study. The list of 1 mil verbs is great. I learn what ones I do not understand by typing them into an English/ Portuguese translation device on my notebook. I WAS ASTONSHED AT HOW MANY i already have been exposed to in my 3 months of studies. If you have to do the research it will help you remember them. I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY IT. I THINK LEARNING LANGUAGES IS GREAT FUN. I have studied Greek, Hebrew, 1 day of Japanese 😂 ( my nephew teaches English in Japan at a university). Spanish and now Brazilian Portuguese. I started Dutch and Russian last year, but I only got through the alphabet in Russian . Have fun!
      Deborah Collins

      Reply
  20. carlos araújo says:
    November 11, 2013 at 8:58 pm

    I’m a 71 year old retired man foreign languages student.
    I believe I have a good knowledge of English because I can hold a conversation face a face with no problem.
    Of course we have to consider the fact that to master a foreign language out of the country where it is spoken is not an easy task.
    Anyway it is a challenge we do like to face.
    If you are interested in exchanging ideas both in English and Portuguese just e-mail me carlos326@oi.com.br because at least we can start a good and respectful friendship.
    My God bless the world surrounded with so much violence.
    carlos araújo

    Reply

  21. Pingback: Mid-August Progress Report | My Journey to Become a Polyglot

  22. Gabriel Santo says:
    June 20, 2014 at 7:27 am

    Im a native portuguese speaker (Im brazillian) and I like to see that there are so many people trying to learn portuguese. Thats not a easy task since portuguese is more difficult than english, but with determination and desire everything is possible.
    So, I’d like to help you to achieve this goal. If u want, you can send me an email to ask me some questions about the portuguese language, expressions or even slangs. You can also talk to me via Skype to practice your hearing and learn the brazillian accent.

    Beleza então? Qualquer dúvida sobre qualquer coisa do português ou do Brasil só me enviar um email que eu terei o prazer de ajudar.

    Meu email/ my email: gvgesanto2@gmail.com
    OBS: Pra falar comigo via Skype só me mandar um email que depois agente conversa.
    To skype with me send me an email before.

    Reply
  23. Mudar says:
    August 6, 2014 at 3:04 pm

    hey
    thanks a lot actually am now studying portuguese but it is very hard to start a talk with native people
    thanks

    Reply
  24. sep says:
    August 21, 2014 at 4:00 pm

    It seems a bit odd to me that the verb beber is in the 270s and the verb desenvolver is in the 90s. It doesn’t seem right.

    Reply
    • Lauren says:
      August 27, 2014 at 2:16 pm

      This list is based on a corpus of written documents, most of which are newspaper articles. So it will be skewed towards words found in written texts.

      Reply
  25. Nardyello says:
    February 19, 2015 at 1:22 pm

    Hello, everyone.

    I know this post is a bit old, but it still comes up on the first page of Google when searching “most common words in Portuguese” — and that’s why I’m going to leave a post here. I’m sure it might help someone.

    I’m a native speaker in English and Portuguese. I had the luck of being educated in both countries as a child and today I can speak both with the correct accents. Both my parents are Brazilian so we spoke Portuguese at home and English at school and with friends. Today, I’m an English teacher here in Brazil and I’ve helped almost 200 people learn English (and you won’t believe it, but English and Portuguese have many similarities).

    Well, here is probably one of the most important tips you’ll ever find in your quest for “how to learn a language”:

    I’ll give you this tip through a true story that happened a few decades ago (with my own words):
    Long ago, there was a guy who tried to translate the language of a Native Indian tribe in order to help bring the Word of God to them (this is not a religious story; it’s just what happened). This man ventured into the jungle so that he could try to learn as much as he could about this language so that he could translate the Bible for them. In the first few months, he learned quite a few things and felt that he was going to be able to do this easily, since he had done it before with other languages.

    After 4 years, though, he wasn’t able to get past much of the basics and he still didn’t really understand the language at all. He got some basic stuff down, but there were so many words that were pronounced so similarly and that were used in different situations to mean different things depending on events and other variables. Nothing really made sense.

    Soon after those 4 years, he gave up and another missionary went there to try to get this done. He also had the same results in the beginning and, after more than 2 years, he saw himself going nowhere. After the third year, when he was about to give up, he received a message saying: “You cannot understand that which you are not a part of.” And it dawned on him that all this time he was there to translate the language – and that was all he did. He never tried to live the language. He never really got involved in the life of the tribe. He was a bystander – always on the sidelines watching the community go about their lives. That was certainly why he was only able to learn superficial things about the language. So he decided to be as one of the tribe. He dressed as them, went hunting with them, celebrated and mourned with them, taught the kids and accepted the teachings of the elders and soon, in less than a year, everything about the language started to fall into place. He started to understand that which he started to live.

    ***You cannot understand that which you are not a part of.***
    If you only try to learn it superficially, you’ll only get superficial results. Try to live the language. Change your cellphone, Facebook, computer, TV channels, Netflix, etc to Portuguese. Become friends with those who speak Portuguese. Read the books (this is how I perfected my Portuguese to the point where most people don’t believe I was born in USA; they think I’m Brazilian). Cook the meals. Watch the movies. Play the games. Tell the jokes. Live the culture. Start living it and you will see that it’ll all start to come together.

    If you don’t do that, you’ll always just be a foreigner who knows how to speak some of it… but not all of it like “us”.

    As a teacher, I’ve learned many other ways to learn languages at a rapid pace (used them to learn Japanese), but in the end, nothing beats self-discipline. Hey, make it a habit. Do it or die, kind of deal. Make a commitment to learn. Insist and persist. Brush up on the basics again and again. If the basics aren’t polished, you won’t understand the more complex things. The more contact you have with it, the more you’ll get used to it, the more natural it’ll become.

    There is a lot to say about language learning and Lauren has already done a great job in make this website with tons of information for all those who are interested in learning Portuguese. Take a look around and you’ll find more resources. If you need any additional help, feel free to contact me at nardyello.coutinho@gmail.com.

    Até mais!

    P.S. Lauren, parabéns pelo seu trabalho e continue se dedicando e aprendendo mais e mais a cada dia que passar. O sucesso é apenas para aqueles que se esforçam e se entregam a aquilo que realmente amam.
    Um abraço,
    Nardyello

    Reply
    • Lauren says:
      March 2, 2015 at 1:39 pm

      Nardyello, muito obrigada pelas suas palavras de encorajamento! Concordo completamente com você que o chave é viver a língua todo dia — tornar-se um pouco obcecado. Por isso eu tento escrever sobre a cultura brasileira tanto como a própria língua. Obrigada por dar um pulo no meu blog!
      abraços,
      Lauren

      Reply

  26. Pingback: Lección 2: Verbos en infinitivo – Portuguese for spanish speakers

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  29. Kent C. Dillon says:
    August 17, 2020 at 3:08 am

    218 is still missing. This list is extremely helpful.

    Reply
  30. www.hotmail.com sign in says:
    June 24, 2021 at 12:35 am

    Thank you for some other informative website.
    Where else could I am getting that kind of info written in such a perfect means?
    I’ve a challenge that I’m simply now operating on, and
    I’ve been at the glance out for such information.

    Reply
  31. Tino de Sa says:
    December 11, 2021 at 10:05 pm

    I cannot speak Portuguese fluently, though I do have some familiarity with the language, since I am from Goa, India.
    When going through the list, fortunately I found I knew the meaning of every single one of the first first fifty verbs!
    Thank you for your efforts, Lauren

    Reply

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