Ensinar Conjugation in Portuguese
ensinar means “to teach” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 27 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to teach, and it is completely regular: ensino, ensinas, ensina, ensinamos, ensinais, ensinam. It takes the subject and the person taught — ensino português à Maria — and it is the natural partner of aprender. This page gives you the complete conjugation of ensinar — 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 ensino português à Maria todos os dias.” — “I teach Portuguese to Maria.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: ensinar
- English: to teach
- Verb type: Regular -ar verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: ensinando
- Present participle: ensinante
- Past participle: ensinado
- 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 ensinar, 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 ensinar in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about ensinar
- 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 perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle ensinado. 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 ensinando, the present participle is ensinante and the past participle is ensinado: keep all three in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions, the present participle appears as an adjective, and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those three 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 ensinar. 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 | ensino |
| tu | ensinas |
| ele/ela | ensina |
| nós | ensinamos |
| vós | ensinais |
| eles/elas | ensinam |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu ensino português à Maria todos os dias.” — “I teach Portuguese to Maria”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ensinei |
| tu | ensinaste |
| ele/ela | ensinou |
| nós | ensinámos |
| vós | ensinastes |
| eles/elas | ensinaram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu ensinei português à Maria ontem.” — “I taught Portuguese to Maria”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ensinava |
| tu | ensinavas |
| ele/ela | ensinava |
| nós | ensinávamos |
| vós | ensináveis |
| eles/elas | ensinavam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu ensinava português à Maria antigamente.” — “I used to teach Portuguese to Maria”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ensinara |
| tu | ensinaras |
| ele/ela | ensinara |
| nós | ensináramos |
| vós | ensináreis |
| eles/elas | ensinaram |
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 ensinara português à Maria antes do jantar.” — “I had taught Portuguese to Maria”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ensinarei |
| tu | ensinarás |
| ele/ela | ensinará |
| nós | ensinaremos |
| vós | ensinareis |
| eles/elas | ensinarão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu ensinarei português à Maria amanhã.” — “I will teach Portuguese to Maria”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ensinaria |
| tu | ensinarias |
| ele/ela | ensinaria |
| nós | ensinaríamos |
| vós | ensinaríeis |
| eles/elas | ensinariam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu ensinaria português à Maria um dia.” — “I would teach Portuguese to Maria”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho ensinado |
| tu | tens ensinado |
| ele/ela | tem ensinado |
| nós | temos ensinado |
| vós | tendes ensinado |
| eles/elas | têm ensinado |
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 ensinado português à Maria esta semana.” — “He has taught Portuguese to Maria”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha ensinado |
| tu | tinhas ensinado |
| ele/ela | tinha ensinado |
| nós | tínhamos ensinado |
| vós | tínheis ensinado |
| eles/elas | tinham ensinado |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha ensinado português à Maria antes do jantar.” — “I had taught Portuguese to Maria”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei ensinado |
| tu | terás ensinado |
| ele/ela | terá ensinado |
| nós | teremos ensinado |
| vós | tereis ensinado |
| eles/elas | terão ensinado |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei ensinado português à Maria até amanhã.” — “I will have taught Portuguese to Maria”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria ensinado |
| tu | terias ensinado |
| ele/ela | teria ensinado |
| nós | teríamos ensinado |
| vós | teríeis ensinado |
| eles/elas | teriam ensinado |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria ensinado português à Maria ontem.” — “I would have taught Portuguese to Maria”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ensine |
| tu | ensines |
| ele/ela | ensine |
| nós | ensinemos |
| vós | ensineis |
| eles/elas | ensinem |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu ensine português à Maria.” — “It is important that I teach Portuguese to Maria”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ensinasse |
| tu | ensinasses |
| ele/ela | ensinasse |
| nós | ensinássemos |
| vós | ensinásseis |
| eles/elas | ensinassem |
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 ensinasse português à Maria.” — “It was important that I teach Portuguese to Maria”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ensinar |
| tu | ensinares |
| ele/ela | ensinar |
| nós | ensinarmos |
| vós | ensinardes |
| eles/elas | ensinarem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu ensinar português à Maria, é bom.” — “If I teach Portuguese to Maria, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | ensina |
| ele/ela | ensine |
| nós | ensinemos |
| vós | ensinai |
| eles/elas | ensinem |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Ensina português à Maria!” — “Teach Portuguese to Maria!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não ensines |
| ele/ela | não ensine |
| nós | não ensinemos |
| vós | não ensineis |
| eles/elas | não ensinem |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não ensines português à Maria.” — “Do not teach Portuguese to Maria.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha ensinado |
| tu | tenhas ensinado |
| ele/ela | tenha ensinado |
| nós | tenhamos ensinado |
| vós | tenhais ensinado |
| eles/elas | tenham ensinado |
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 ensinado português à Maria.” — “It is important that I have taught Portuguese to Maria”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse ensinado |
| tu | tivesses ensinado |
| ele/ela | tivesse ensinado |
| nós | tivéssemos ensinado |
| vós | tivésseis ensinado |
| eles/elas | tivessem ensinado |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse ensinado português à Maria.” — “It was important that I had taught Portuguese to Maria”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver ensinado |
| tu | tiveres ensinado |
| ele/ela | tiver ensinado |
| nós | tivermos ensinado |
| vós | tiverdes ensinado |
| eles/elas | tiverem ensinado |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver ensinado português à Maria, é bom.” — “If I have taught Portuguese to Maria, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | ensinando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Ensinando português à Maria, aprendo muito.” — “While teaching Portuguese to Maria, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Present participle | ensinante |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle ensinante is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective. You will meet ensinante more often as an adjective or a noun than as a verb form, so learn it as a word in its own right.
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | ensinado |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho ensinado português à Maria esta semana.” — “I have taught Portuguese to Maria.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with ensinar, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu ensino português à Maria todos os dias.” — “I teach Portuguese to Maria”
- “Tu ensinaste português à Maria ontem.” — “You taught Portuguese to Maria”
- “Ele ensinava português à Maria antigamente.” — “He used to teach Portuguese to Maria”
- “Eu ensinarei português à Maria amanhã.” — “I will teach Portuguese to Maria”
- “Tu ensinarias português à Maria um dia.” — “You would teach Portuguese to Maria”
- “Ele tem ensinado português à Maria esta semana.” — “He has taught Portuguese to Maria”
- “Eu tinha ensinado português à Maria antes do jantar.” — “I had taught Portuguese to Maria”
- “Tu terás ensinado português à Maria até amanhã.” — “You will have taught Portuguese to Maria”
- “É importante que eu ensine português à Maria.” — “It is important that I teach Portuguese to Maria”
- “Ensina português à Maria!” — “Teach Portuguese to Maria!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu ensinar português à Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu ensino português à Maria todos os dias.”
The infinitive ensinar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form ensino.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu ensinas português à Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu ensino português à Maria todos os dias.”
ensinas is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with ensino.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu ensino português à Maria ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu ensinei português à Maria ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito ensinei for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou ensinado português à Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho ensinado português à Maria esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of ensinar is formed with ter plus the past participle ensinado: the eu form is tenho ensinado. 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 ensino português à Maria.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu ensine português à Maria.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use ensine here, not the indicative ensino.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho ensinando português à Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho ensinado português à Maria esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle ensinado, not the gerund ensinando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on ensinar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of ensinar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) ensinas
- B) ensino
- C) ensina
- D) ensinamos
What is the ele/ela form of ensinar in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) ensinei
- B) ensinaste
- C) ensinou
- D) ensinámos
What is the nós form of ensinar in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) ensinava
- B) ensinavas
- C) ensináveis
- D) ensinávamos
What is the tu form of ensinar in the Futuro do presente?
- A) ensinarás
- B) ensinarei
- C) ensinará
- D) ensinaremos
What is the eu form of ensinar in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) ensinarias
- B) ensinaria
- C) ensinaríamos
- D) ensinaríeis
What is the ele/ela form of ensinar in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho ensinado
- B) tens ensinado
- C) tem ensinado
- D) temos ensinado
What is the ele/ela form of ensinar in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) ensines
- B) ensinemos
- C) ensineis
- D) ensine
What is the eu form of ensinar in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) ensinasse
- B) ensinasses
- C) ensinássemos
- D) ensinásseis
What is the gerund of ensinar?
- A) ensinado
- B) ensinando
- C) ensinar
- D) ensino
What does ensinar mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to teach
- D) —
Answer key
- B) ensino — the correct form is ensino. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ensinou — the correct form is ensinou. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) ensinávamos — the correct form is ensinávamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) ensinarás — the correct form is ensinarás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) ensinaria — the correct form is ensinaria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem ensinado — the correct form is tem ensinado. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) ensine — the correct form is ensine. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) ensinasse — the correct form is ensinasse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) ensinando — the correct form is ensinando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to teach — the correct form is to teach. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does ensinar mean in English?
ensinar means “to teach”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is ensinar regular or irregular?
ensinar is regular: it follows the ordinary -ar pattern in every tense. The gerund is ensinando and the past participle is ensinado.
What are the gerund and past participle of ensinar?
The gerund is ensinando — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is ensinado — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho ensinado.
Which auxiliary does ensinar take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
ensinar takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho ensinado. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle ensinado.
How do I say “I teach” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu ensino português à Maria todos os dias.” — “I teach Portuguese to Maria” The eu form of the present is ensino, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of ensinar — every tense of ensinar in one place.
- Ensinar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Ensinar 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.
- Estar conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Dar 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 ensinar with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise ensinar with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise ensinar with the interactive tool.