You already know -ar verbs. Now meet their siblings: regular **-er** and **-ir** verbs. In this lesson you'll also learn the Brazilian days of the week — which work a little differently from English and Spanish (segunda-**feira**, not lunes or Monday). By the end, you'll describe your weekly rhythm.
Learning tips
- Days Mon-Fri in Portuguese are numbered: segunda (2nd), terça (3rd), quarta (4th), quinta (5th), sexta (6th) — a leftover from medieval religious calendar. Sunday was the 'first' day.
- Full names are 'segunda-feira', 'terça-feira', etc., but everyone just says 'segunda', 'terça'. Drop the '-feira'.
- 'Na segunda' = this specific Monday. 'Às segundas' / 'Aos sábados' = every Monday / every Saturday (habitual).
- The -er and -ir endings only differ in the 'nós' form: -emos vs. -imos. Memorize one pattern, adjust one letter.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a hora | the hour |
| que horas | what time |
| uma hora | one o'clock |
| duas horas | two o'clock |
| meia | half (past) |
| e quinze | and fifteen |
| da manhã | in the morning |
| da tarde | in the afternoon |
| da noite | at night |
| às | at (scheduled) |
Dialog
Beatriz and Thiago talk about their weekly schedules in the teachers' lounge. Watch how they use days of the week with 'na' (on this day) and how regular -er and -ir verbs work — 'abro' (I open), 'como' (I eat), 'escrevo' (I write).
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| segunda | /seˈɡũ.dɐ/ | Monday | Full form: segunda-feira. 'Feira' is usually dropped in speech. |
| terça | /ˈteʁ.sɐ/ | Tuesday | Full form: terça-feira |
| quarta | /ˈkwaʁ.tɐ/ | Wednesday | Full form: quarta-feira |
| quinta | /ˈkĩ.tɐ/ | Thursday | Full form: quinta-feira |
| sexta | /ˈses.tɐ/ | Friday | Full form: sexta-feira |
| sábado | /ˈsa.ba.du/ | Saturday | No 'feira' — simply sábado |
| domingo | /doˈmĩ.ɡu/ | Sunday | No 'feira' — simply domingo |
| a semana | /a seˈmɐ.nɐ/ | the week | Feminine noun |
| hoje | /ˈo.ʒi/ | today | Pronounced /ˈo.ʒi/ — 'OH-zhee' |
| amanhã | /a.maˈɲɐ̃/ | tomorrow | Pronounced /a.maˈɲɐ̃/ with a nasal ending |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ontem | /ˈõ.tẽj̃/ | yesterday | You'll use this more in Unit 10 with past tense |
| o fim de semana | /u ˈfĩ dʒi seˈmɐ.nɐ/ | the weekend | Literally 'end of week' |
| o dia | /u ˈdʒi.ɐ/ | the day | Masculine — 'o dia' |
| todo dia | /ˈto.du ˈdʒi.ɐ/ | every day | 'Todos os dias' is also very common |
| durante a semana | /duˈɾɐ̃.tʃi a seˈmɐ.nɐ/ | during the week | Mon-Fri, work days |
| depois de amanhã | /deˈpojs dʒi a.maˈɲɐ̃/ | the day after tomorrow | Literally 'after tomorrow' |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| na segunda / na terça | on Monday / on Tuesday (specific day) |
| às segundas / aos sábados | on Mondays / on Saturdays (every week) |
Grammar: Present tense of regular -er and -ir verbs; days of the week with prepositions
Verbos regulares em -er e -ir no presente:
| Pronome | Comer (-er) | Escrever (-er) | Abrir (-ir) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eu | como | escrevo | abro |
| Você / Ele / Ela | come | escreve | abre |
| Nós | comemos | escrevemos | abrimos |
| A gente | come | escreve | abre |
| Vocês / Eles / Elas | comem | escrevem | abrem |
Padrão:
- -er → -o, -e, -emos, -em
- -ir → -o, -e, -imos, -em
- Diferença: só a forma do 'nós' muda (-emos vs. -imos).
Os dias da semana (todos masculinos, menos as 'feiras' que são femininas):
| Dia | Nome completo | Nome curto |
|---|---|---|
| segunda-feira | a segunda-feira | segunda |
| terça-feira | a terça-feira | terça |
| quarta-feira | a quarta-feira | quarta |
| quinta-feira | a quinta-feira | quinta |
| sexta-feira | a sexta-feira | sexta |
| sábado | o sábado | sábado |
| domingo | o domingo | domingo |
Preposições com dias:
- Na segunda / No sábado = on Monday / on Saturday (um dia específico).
- Às segundas / Aos sábados = every Monday / every Saturday (hábito).
- Exemplo: Na segunda eu trabalho. / Às segundas eu sempre trabalho.
Regular -er and -ir verbs — almost identical patterns, with one tiny difference.
Pattern:
| Pronoun | -er (comer) | -ir (abrir) |
|---|---|---|
| eu | como | abro |
| você / ele / ela | come | abre |
| nós | comemos | abrimos |
| a gente | come | abre |
| vocês / eles / elas | comem | abrem |
Difference: Only the 'nós' form differs — -emos for -er, -imos for -ir. Everything else is identical.
Useful regular verbs:
- -er: comer (eat), beber (drink), escrever (write), aprender (learn), viver (live)
- -ir: abrir (open), dividir (divide/share), decidir (decide), assistir (watch)
Days of the week — the Brazilian twist:
Monday–Friday are called 'feiras' — from the Latin 'feria' (festival/market day). Historically:
- Sunday = 'prima feria' (first day)
- Monday = 'secunda feria' → segunda-feira
- Tuesday = 'tertia feria' → terça-feira
- etc.
Saturday (sábado, from 'sabbath') and Sunday (domingo, from 'Dominus') kept their religious names.
In speech, the '-feira' is almost always dropped: 'Na segunda eu trabalho.'
Prepositions with days:
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| na (+ feira) | this/that specific day | Na segunda eu tenho aula. |
| no (+ sábado/domingo) | this/that specific weekend day | No sábado eu vou à praia. |
| às (+ feiras) | every day (habitual) | Às segundas sempre trabalho. |
| aos (+ sábados/domingos) | every weekend day | Aos domingos eu descanso. |
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Conjugate the -er or -ir verb for the subject given.
- Eu pão no café da manhã. (comer)(comer with eu)
- Você e-mails todo dia? (escrever)(escrever with você)
- A Beatriz a sala às oito. (abrir)(abrir with ela)
- Nós almoço juntos. (comer)(comer with nós — watch -emos!)
- Eles livros de linguística. (escrever)(escrever with eles)
Grammar Application
Conjugate or answer about days of the week.
- Conjugue 'comer' com 'eu': (-o ending)
- Conjugue 'abrir' com 'nós': (-imos ending — it's -ir!)
- Conjugue 'escrever' com 'ele': (-e ending)
- 'Na segunda' ou 'Nas segundas' para 'this Monday'? → (specific day preposition)
- Qual dia vem depois de sexta? → (day after Friday)
Translation (English → Portuguese)
Translate, paying attention to -er vs. -ir endings in 'nós'.
- Today is Monday.
- I eat lunch at noon.
- She writes on Saturdays.
- We open the café at seven.
- Tomorrow is Tuesday.
Creative Construction
Describe your weekly schedule using days of the week and at least three regular verbs (mix -ar, -er, -ir).
Takeaway
Regular -er/-ir verbs: -o, -e, -emos/-imos, -em (only 'nós' differs). Days of the week: segunda, terça, quarta, quinta, sexta (feminine, from 'feira'), sábado, domingo (masculine). Use 'na/no' for one specific day, 'às/aos' for habitual weekly actions.