Introduction

Achar means “to think, to find”, and this page covers exactly one thing: achar in the present tense. The present is the tense Portuguese speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for achar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the pretérito perfeito, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about achar in the present. It means to think, to find and to consider, and it is the verb for opinions — acho que é tarde. It is completely regular, and it is different from pensar, which is the verb for the act of thinking itself. For example: “Ele acha que é tarde todos os dias.” — “He thinks that it is late.” Everything on this page uses the forms of achar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Achar in the Present — full table

Person Form
eu acho
tu achas
ele/ela acha
nós achamos
vós achais
eles/elas acham
Gerund: achando · Past participle: achado
The gerund is achando, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Achando que é tarde, aprendo muito.” — “While thinking that it is late, I learn a lot.” The past participle is achado, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho achado is the pretérito perfeito composto, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how achar is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for achar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of achar is formed

The present tense of achar has six forms: eu acho, tu achas, ele acha, nós achamos, vós achais, eles acham. Say them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. achar is regular: every form follows the standard -ar endings — -o, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -am for -ar verbs; -o, -es, -e, -emos, -eis, -em for -er verbs; and -o, -es, -e, -imos, -is, -em for -ir verbs — so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb.

Two things about the present of achar are worth noticing. First, the nós and vós forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the same stem, and the present subjunctive takes its nós and vós forms from the same stem, so learning achamos and achais pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Portuguese uses where English would often use the continuous form, so acho can mean both “I think” and “I am thinking” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because achar is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -ar endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of achar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use achar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and achar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos os dias, sempre or todas as semanas to make the routine explicit. Example: “Eu acho que é tarde todos os dias.” — “I think that it is late.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about achar does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Ele acha que é tarde todos os dias.” — “He thinks that it is late.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Portuguese often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with achar in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nós achamos que é tarde todos os dias.” — “We think that it is late.”

4. Scheduled future events

Portuguese uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu achas que é tarde todos os dias.” — “You think that it is late.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and achar in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Eles acham que é tarde todos os dias.” — “They think that it is late.”

Present Tense vs Pretérito Perfeito: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the pretérito perfeito, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the pretérito perfeito describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos os dias or sempre, while the pretérito perfeito sentences use ontem or na semana passada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Ele acha que é tarde todos os dias.” — “He thinks that it is late”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele achou que é tarde ontem.” — “He thought that it is late”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.
  • Present Tense: “Eu acho que é tarde todos os dias.” — “I think that it is late”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu achei que é tarde ontem.” — “I thought that it is late”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.
  • Present Tense: “Tu achas que é tarde todos os dias.” — “You think that it is late”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu achaste que é tarde ontem.” — “You thought that it is late”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.

Example sentences: achar in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Eu acho que é tarde todos os dias.” — “I think that it is late”
  2. “Tu achas que é tarde todos os dias.” — “You think that it is late”
  3. “Ele acha que é tarde todos os dias.” — “He thinks that it is late”
  4. “Nós achamos que é tarde todos os dias.” — “We think that it is late”
  5. “Vós achais que é tarde todos os dias.” — “You think that it is late”
  6. “Eles acham que é tarde todos os dias.” — “They think that it is late”
  7. “Eu acho que é tarde todos os dias.” — “I think that it is late”
  8. “Ele acha que é tarde todos os dias.” — “He thinks that it is late”

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Eu achas que é tarde.” Right: “Eu acho que é tarde todos os dias.” Why: The eu form is acho, not achas. achas is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nós acho que é tarde.” Right: “Nós achamos que é tarde todos os dias.” Why: Nós needs the nós form achamos. acho belongs with eu only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Eu acho que é tarde todos os dias ontem.” Right: “Eu achei que é tarde ontem.” Why: Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito achei for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Eu achar que é tarde.” Right: “Eu acho que é tarde todos os dias.” Why: The infinitive achar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated form acho.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

  1. What is the eu form of achar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) achas
    • B) acho
    • C) acha
    • D) achamos

  2. What is the tu form of achar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) acho
    • B) acha
    • C) achas
    • D) achamos

  3. What is the ele/ela form of achar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) acho
    • B) achas
    • C) achamos
    • D) acha

  4. What is the nós form of achar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) achamos
    • B) acho
    • C) achas
    • D) acha

  5. What is the vós form of achar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) acho
    • B) achais
    • C) achas
    • D) acha

  6. What is the eles/elas form of achar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) acho
    • B) achas
    • C) acham
    • D) acha

  7. What is the eu form of achar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) achas
    • B) acha
    • C) achamos
    • D) acho

  8. What is the tu form of achar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) achas
    • B) acho
    • C) acha
    • D) achamos

Answer key

  1. B) acho — the correct form is acho. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) achas — the correct form is achas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) acha — the correct form is acha. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) achamos — the correct form is achamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) achais — the correct form is achais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) acham — the correct form is acham. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) acho — the correct form is acho. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) achas — the correct form is achas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does achar mean in English?

achar means “to think, to find”. It is a regular -ar verb.

How is the present tense of achar formed?

The six present forms are: eu acho, tu achas, ele acha, nós achamos, vós achais, eles acham. achar is regular: every form follows the standard -ar endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

When do I use the present instead of the pretérito perfeito?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the pretérito perfeito for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.

What are the gerund and past participle of achar?

The gerund is achando and the past participle is achado.

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