TENSES

Hi! 

As a beginner, it is important to know the Present Tense, Past Simple Tense and probably the present continuous. 

There are so many verbs in Portuguese and I understand it can be overwhelming to try to learn all of them. You will with time and practice, of course!

So, try to learn how the verbs TO BE is used in Portuguese. Just remember that the verb to be can imply a PERMANENT or a TEMPORARY situation, state or condition. For example:

Present tense of the verb TO BE as a permanent condition:

Eu sou brasileira. (I am Brazilian.)

Você é estudante de português. (You are a student of Portuguese.)

Ele é dos Estados Unidos. (He is from the USA).

Nós somos amigos da Maria. (We are Maria's friends.)

Vocês são estrangeiros? (Are you foreigners?)

Eles são casados. (They are married). 

Past Simple (Pretérito Perfeito) of the verb To Be

Eu fui mais magra na infância. (I was thinner in my childhood).

Você foi generoso! (You were generous!)

Tom Jobim (ele) foi um grande compositor brasileiro. (Tom Jobin was a great Brazilian composer).

Nós fomos amigos. (We were friends).

Vocês foram corajosos. (You were brave).

Elas foram injustas com a Marta. (They were unfair to Marta).

Present continuous (adding the gerund to the second verb to indicate something that is currently happening). This is similar to the ING ending used in English. You need to use the Verb To Be ESTAR to indicate a temporary state or condition.

Eu estou comendo batatas fritas. (I am eating fries).

Você está falando alto. (You are speaking loudly.)

Ela está fazendo compras no supermercado. (She is shopping at the supermarket). 

Nós estamos viajando pela Europa. (We are traveling through Europe.)

Vocês estão vendo aquilo? (Are you seeing that?)

Eles estão conversando com o professor. (They are talking to the teacher). 

I hope this answers your question! Please let us know if you have any more questions related to learning Portuguese.