Introduction
Estudar means “to study”, and this page covers exactly one thing: estudar 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 estudar, 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 estudar in the present. It means to study, and it is completely regular: estudo, estudas, estuda, estudamos, estudais, estudam. It is the verb for studying a subject, a language or for an exam. For example: “Ele estuda português todos os dias.” — “He studies Portuguese.” Everything on this page uses the forms of estudar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Estudar in the Present — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | estudo |
| tu | estudas |
| ele/ela | estuda |
| nós | estudamos |
| vós | estudais |
| eles/elas | estudam |
| Gerund: estudando · Past participle: estudado | |
| The gerund is estudando, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Estudando português, aprendo muito.” — “While studying Portuguese, I learn a lot.” The past participle is estudado, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho estudado 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 estudar is used. | |
| Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for estudar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. |
How the present of estudar is formed
The present tense of estudar has six forms: eu estudo, tu estudas, ele estuda, nós estudamos, vós estudais, eles estudam. Say them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. estudar 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 estudar 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 estudamos and estudais pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Portuguese uses where English would often use the continuous form, so estudo can mean both “I study” and “I am studying” — context tells the listener which one you mean.
Because estudar 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 estudar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use estudar 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 estudar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos os dias, sempre or todas as semanas to make the routine explicit. Example: “Eu estudo português todos os dias.” — “I study Portuguese.”
2. General truths
Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about estudar does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Ele estuda português todos os dias.” — “He studies Portuguese.”
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 estudar 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 estudamos português todos os dias.” — “We study Portuguese.”
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 estudas português todos os dias.” — “You study Portuguese.”
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 estudar in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Eles estudam português todos os dias.” — “They study Portuguese.”
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 estuda português todos os dias.” — “He studies Portuguese”
- Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele estudou português ontem.” — “He studied Portuguese”
- 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 estudo português todos os dias.” — “I study Portuguese”
- Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu estudei português ontem.” — “I studied Portuguese”
- 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 estudas português todos os dias.” — “You study Portuguese”
- Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu estudaste português ontem.” — “You studied Portuguese”
- 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: estudar 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.
- “Eu estudo português todos os dias.” — “I study Portuguese”
- “Tu estudas português todos os dias.” — “You study Portuguese”
- “Ele estuda português todos os dias.” — “He studies Portuguese”
- “Nós estudamos português todos os dias.” — “We study Portuguese”
- “Vós estudais português todos os dias.” — “You study Portuguese”
- “Eles estudam português todos os dias.” — “They study Portuguese”
- “Eu estudo português todos os dias.” — “I study Portuguese”
- “Ele estuda português todos os dias.” — “He studies Portuguese”
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 estudas português.” Right: “Eu estudo português todos os dias.” Why: The eu form is estudo, not estudas. estudas is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
- Wrong: “Nós estudo português.” Right: “Nós estudamos português todos os dias.” Why: Nós needs the nós form estudamos. estudo belongs with eu only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
- Wrong: “Eu estudo português todos os dias ontem.” Right: “Eu estudei português ontem.” Why: Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito estudei for a finished action yesterday.
- Wrong: “Eu estudar português.” Right: “Eu estudo português todos os dias.” Why: The infinitive estudar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated form estudo.
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.
What is the eu form of estudar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) estudas
- B) estudo
- C) estuda
- D) estudamos
What is the tu form of estudar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) estudo
- B) estuda
- C) estudas
- D) estudamos
What is the ele/ela form of estudar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) estudo
- B) estudas
- C) estudamos
- D) estuda
What is the nós form of estudar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) estudamos
- B) estudo
- C) estudas
- D) estuda
What is the vós form of estudar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) estudo
- B) estudais
- C) estudas
- D) estuda
What is the eles/elas form of estudar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) estudo
- B) estudas
- C) estudam
- D) estuda
What is the eu form of estudar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) estudas
- B) estuda
- C) estudamos
- D) estudo
What is the tu form of estudar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) estudas
- B) estudo
- C) estuda
- D) estudamos
Answer key
- B) estudo — the correct form is estudo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) estudas — the correct form is estudas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) estuda — the correct form is estuda. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) estudamos — the correct form is estudamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) estudais — the correct form is estudais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) estudam — the correct form is estudam. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) estudo — the correct form is estudo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) estudas — the correct form is estudas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does estudar mean in English?
estudar means “to study”. It is a regular -ar verb.
How is the present tense of estudar formed?
The six present forms are: eu estudo, tu estudas, ele estuda, nós estudamos, vós estudais, eles estudam. estudar 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 estudar?
The gerund is estudando and the past participle is estudado.
Related pages
- estudar conjugation — full tables
- estudar examples and quiz
- Portuguese present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense in Portuguese.
- Estar conjugation — another Portuguese verb in this batch.
- Dar conjugation — another Portuguese verb in this batch.
- Portuguese verbs — the full hub of Portuguese conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise estudar with the interactive tool.
- Verb Quiz — practise estudar with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise estudar with the interactive tool.