Desligar Conjugation in Portuguese
desligar means “to turn off” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 269 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to turn off and to switch off, and it is regular apart from its spelling: the -gar stem keeps its hard g by writing gu before e and i, so the pretérito perfeito eu form is desliguei. The present is desligo, desligas, desliga, and the participle is desligado. It is the exact opposite of ligar. This page gives you the complete conjugation of desligar — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Eu desligo a televisão todos os dias.” — “I turn off the television.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: desligar
- English: to turn off
- Verb type: Regular -ar verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: desligando
- Present participle: —
- Past participle: desligado
- Auxiliary: ter (all perfect tenses are formed with ter + the past participle)
- Ending: -ar verbs; pattern ar in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for desligar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read desligar in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about desligar
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -ar pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions. The stem keeps its hard sound by writing qu or gu before e and i, so the eu form is desligo and the subjunctive eu form is desligue.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle desligado. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The gerund is desligando and the past participle is desligado: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. There is no present participle form listed for this verb in the verified tables. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for desligar. Learn the present tense first, then the pretérito perfeito and the pretérito imperfeito, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | desligo |
| tu | desligas |
| ele/ela | desliga |
| nós | desligamos |
| vós | desligais |
| eles/elas | desligam |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu desligo a televisão todos os dias.” — “I turn off the television”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | desliguei |
| tu | desligaste |
| ele/ela | desligou |
| nós | desligámos |
| vós | desligastes |
| eles/elas | desligaram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu desliguei a televisão ontem.” — “I turned off the television”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | desligava |
| tu | desligavas |
| ele/ela | desligava |
| nós | desligávamos |
| vós | desligáveis |
| eles/elas | desligavam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu desligava a televisão antigamente.” — “I used to turn off the television”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | desligara |
| tu | desligaras |
| ele/ela | desligara |
| nós | desligáramos |
| vós | desligáreis |
| eles/elas | desligaram |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples is used for an action completed before another past action; in everyday speech the compound form with tinha is more common. For example: “Eu desligara a televisão antes do jantar.” — “I had turned off the television”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | desligarei |
| tu | desligarás |
| ele/ela | desligará |
| nós | desligaremos |
| vós | desligareis |
| eles/elas | desligarão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu desligarei a televisão amanhã.” — “I will turn off the television”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | desligaria |
| tu | desligarias |
| ele/ela | desligaria |
| nós | desligaríamos |
| vós | desligaríeis |
| eles/elas | desligariam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu desligaria a televisão um dia.” — “I would turn off the television”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho desligado |
| tu | tens desligado |
| ele/ela | tem desligado |
| nós | temos desligado |
| vós | tendes desligado |
| eles/elas | têm desligado |
The pretérito perfeito composto is used for actions that started in the past and continue, or have been repeated, up to the present. For example: “Ele tem desligado a televisão esta semana.” — “He has turned off the television”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha desligado |
| tu | tinhas desligado |
| ele/ela | tinha desligado |
| nós | tínhamos desligado |
| vós | tínheis desligado |
| eles/elas | tinham desligado |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha desligado a televisão antes do jantar.” — “I had turned off the television”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei desligado |
| tu | terás desligado |
| ele/ela | terá desligado |
| nós | teremos desligado |
| vós | tereis desligado |
| eles/elas | terão desligado |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei desligado a televisão até amanhã.” — “I will have turned off the television”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria desligado |
| tu | terias desligado |
| ele/ela | teria desligado |
| nós | teríamos desligado |
| vós | teríeis desligado |
| eles/elas | teriam desligado |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria desligado a televisão ontem.” — “I would have turned off the television”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | desligue |
| tu | desligues |
| ele/ela | desligue |
| nós | desliguemos |
| vós | desligueis |
| eles/elas | desliguem |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu desligue a televisão.” — “It is important that I turn off the television”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | desligasse |
| tu | desligasses |
| ele/ela | desligasse |
| nós | desligássemos |
| vós | desligásseis |
| eles/elas | desligassem |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after que, and in se-clauses. For example: “Era importante que eu desligasse a televisão.” — “It was important that I turn off the television”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | desligar |
| tu | desligares |
| ele/ela | desligar |
| nós | desligarmos |
| vós | desligardes |
| eles/elas | desligarem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu desligar a televisão, é bom.” — “If I turn off the television, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | desliga |
| ele/ela | desligue |
| nós | desliguemos |
| vós | desligai |
| eles/elas | desliguem |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Desliga a televisão!” — “Turn off the television!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não desligues |
| ele/ela | não desligue |
| nós | não desliguemos |
| vós | não desligueis |
| eles/elas | não desliguem |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não desligues a televisão.” — “Do not turn off the television.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha desligado |
| tu | tenhas desligado |
| ele/ela | tenha desligado |
| nós | tenhamos desligado |
| vós | tenhais desligado |
| eles/elas | tenham desligado |
The presente do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a subordinate clause expressing doubt, wish or emotion. For example: “É importante que eu tenha desligado a televisão.” — “It is important that I have turned off the television”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse desligado |
| tu | tivesses desligado |
| ele/ela | tivesse desligado |
| nós | tivéssemos desligado |
| vós | tivésseis desligado |
| eles/elas | tivessem desligado |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse desligado a televisão.” — “It was important that I had turned off the television”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver desligado |
| tu | tiveres desligado |
| ele/ela | tiver desligado |
| nós | tivermos desligado |
| vós | tiverdes desligado |
| eles/elas | tiverem desligado |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver desligado a televisão, é bom.” — “If I have turned off the television, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | desligando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Desligando a televisão, aprendo muito.” — “While turning off the television, I learn a lot.”
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | desligado |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho desligado a televisão esta semana.” — “I have turned off the television.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with desligar, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu desligo a televisão todos os dias.” — “I turn off the television”
- “Tu desligaste a televisão ontem.” — “You turned off the television”
- “Ele desligava a televisão antigamente.” — “He used to turn off the television”
- “Eu desligarei a televisão amanhã.” — “I will turn off the television”
- “Tu desligarias a televisão um dia.” — “You would turn off the television”
- “Ele tem desligado a televisão esta semana.” — “He has turned off the television”
- “Eu tinha desligado a televisão antes do jantar.” — “I had turned off the television”
- “Tu terás desligado a televisão até amanhã.” — “You will have turned off the television”
- “É importante que eu desligue a televisão.” — “It is important that I turn off the television”
- “Desliga a televisão!” — “Turn off the television!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu desligar a televisão.”
✓ Right: “Eu desligo a televisão todos os dias.”
The infinitive desligar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form desligo.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu desligas a televisão.”
✓ Right: “Eu desligo a televisão todos os dias.”
desligas is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with desligo.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu desligo a televisão ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu desliguei a televisão ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito desliguei for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou desligado a televisão.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho desligado a televisão esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of desligar is formed with ter plus the past participle desligado: the eu form is tenho desligado. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “É importante que eu desligo a televisão.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu desligue a televisão.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use desligue here, not the indicative desligo.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho desligando a televisão.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho desligado a televisão esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle desligado, not the gerund desligando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on desligar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of desligar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) desligas
- B) desligo
- C) desliga
- D) desligamos
What is the ele/ela form of desligar in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) desliguei
- B) desligaste
- C) desligou
- D) desligámos
What is the nós form of desligar in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) desligava
- B) desligavas
- C) desligáveis
- D) desligávamos
What is the tu form of desligar in the Futuro do presente?
- A) desligarás
- B) desligarei
- C) desligará
- D) desligaremos
What is the eu form of desligar in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) desligarias
- B) desligaria
- C) desligaríamos
- D) desligaríeis
What is the ele/ela form of desligar in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho desligado
- B) tens desligado
- C) tem desligado
- D) temos desligado
What is the ele/ela form of desligar in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) desligues
- B) desliguemos
- C) desligueis
- D) desligue
What is the eu form of desligar in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) desligasse
- B) desligasses
- C) desligássemos
- D) desligásseis
What is the gerund of desligar?
- A) desligado
- B) desligando
- C) desligar
- D) desligo
What does desligar mean in English?
- A) to ask for
- B) to receive
- C) to turn off
- D) to pay
Answer key
- B) desligo — the correct form is desligo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) desligou — the correct form is desligou. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) desligávamos — the correct form is desligávamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) desligarás — the correct form is desligarás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) desligaria — the correct form is desligaria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem desligado — the correct form is tem desligado. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) desligue — the correct form is desligue. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) desligasse — the correct form is desligasse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) desligando — the correct form is desligando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to turn off — the correct form is to turn off. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does desligar mean in English?
desligar means “to turn off”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is desligar regular or irregular?
desligar is regular: it follows the ordinary -ar pattern in every tense. The gerund is desligando and the past participle is desligado.
What are the gerund and past participle of desligar?
The gerund is desligando — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is desligado — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho desligado.
Which auxiliary does desligar take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
desligar takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho desligado. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle desligado.
How do I say “I turn off” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu desligo a televisão todos os dias.” — “I turn off the television” The eu form of the present is desligo, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of desligar — every tense of desligar in one place.
- Desligar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Desligar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Portuguese present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense in Portuguese.
- Pagar conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Comprar conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Portuguese verbs — the full hub of Portuguese conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise desligar with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise desligar with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise desligar with the interactive tool.