Introduction

Dever means “to have to”, and this page covers exactly one thing: dever 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 dever, 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 dever in the present. It is a modal verb meaning to have to, and it is always followed by another verb in the infinitive: devo estudar. Its present is devo, deves, deve, devemos, deveis, devem, and its pretérito perfeito is devi, deveste, deveu. It also means to owe, as in owing money. Do not confuse it with precisar, which means to need. For example: “Ele deve estudar todos os dias.” — “He has to study.” Everything on this page uses the forms of dever exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Dever in the Present — full table

Person Form
eu devo
tu deves
ele/ela deve
nós devemos
vós deveis
eles/elas devem
Gerund: devendo · Past participle: devido
The gerund is devendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Devendo estudar, aprendo muito.” — “While having to study, I learn a lot.” The past participle is devido, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho devido 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 dever is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for dever, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of dever is formed

The present tense of dever has six forms: eu devo, tu deves, ele deve, nós devemos, vós deveis, eles devem. Say them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. dever is regular: every form follows the standard -er 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 dever 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 devemos and deveis pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Portuguese uses where English would often use the continuous form, so devo can mean both “I have to” and “I am having to” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because dever is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -er endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -er 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 dever

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use dever 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 dever is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos os dias, sempre or todas as semanas to make the routine explicit. Example: “Eu devo estudar todos os dias.” — “I have to study.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about dever does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Ele deve estudar todos os dias.” — “He has to study.”

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 dever 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 devemos estudar todos os dias.” — “We have to study.”

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 deves estudar todos os dias.” — “You have to study.”

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 dever in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Eles devem estudar todos os dias.” — “They have to study.”

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 deve estudar todos os dias.” — “He has to study”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele deveu estudar ontem.” — “He had to study”
  • 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 devo estudar todos os dias.” — “I have to study”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu devi estudar ontem.” — “I had to study”
  • 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 deves estudar todos os dias.” — “You have to study”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu deveste estudar ontem.” — “You had to study”
  • 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: dever 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 devo estudar todos os dias.” — “I have to study”
  2. “Tu deves estudar todos os dias.” — “You have to study”
  3. “Ele deve estudar todos os dias.” — “He has to study”
  4. “Nós devemos estudar todos os dias.” — “We have to study”
  5. “Vós deveis estudar todos os dias.” — “You have to study”
  6. “Eles devem estudar todos os dias.” — “They have to study”
  7. “Eu devo estudar todos os dias.” — “I have to study”
  8. “Ele deve estudar todos os dias.” — “He has to study”

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

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 dever in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) deves
    • B) devo
    • C) deve
    • D) devemos

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

    • A) devo
    • B) deve
    • C) deves
    • D) devemos

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

    • A) devo
    • B) deves
    • C) devemos
    • D) deve

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

    • A) devemos
    • B) devo
    • C) deves
    • D) deve

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

    • A) devo
    • B) deveis
    • C) deves
    • D) deve

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

    • A) devo
    • B) deves
    • C) devem
    • D) deve

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

    • A) deves
    • B) deve
    • C) devemos
    • D) devo

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

    • A) deves
    • B) devo
    • C) deve
    • D) devemos

Answer key

  1. B) devo — the correct form is devo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) deves — the correct form is deves. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) deve — the correct form is deve. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) devemos — the correct form is devemos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) deveis — the correct form is deveis. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) devem — the correct form is devem. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) devo — the correct form is devo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) deves — the correct form is deves. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does dever mean in English?

dever means “to have to”. It is a regular -er verb.

How is the present tense of dever formed?

The six present forms are: eu devo, tu deves, ele deve, nós devemos, vós deveis, eles devem. dever is regular: every form follows the standard -er 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 dever?

The gerund is devendo and the past participle is devido.

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