Introduction

Falar means “to speak”, and this page covers exactly one thing: falar 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 falar, 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 falar in the present. It is the everyday verb for speaking a language and for talking with people, and it is completely regular, so once you know the -ar endings you can build every form from the stem. It is the model verb for the whole first conjugation, and the one this guide uses for its tables. For example: “Ele fala português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “He speaks Portuguese with Maria.” Everything on this page uses the forms of falar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Falar in the Present — full table

Person Form
eu falo
tu falas
ele/ela fala
nós falamos
vós falais
eles/elas falam
Gerund: falando · Past participle: falado
The gerund is falando, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Falando português com a Maria, aprendo muito.” — “While speaking Portuguese with Maria, I learn a lot.” The past participle is falado, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho falado 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 falar is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for falar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of falar is formed

The present tense of falar has six forms: eu falo, tu falas, ele fala, nós falamos, vós falais, eles falam. Say them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. falar 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 falar 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 falamos and falais pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Portuguese uses where English would often use the continuous form, so falo can mean both “I speak” and “I am speaking” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because falar 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 falar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use falar 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 falar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos os dias, sempre or todas as semanas to make the routine explicit. Example: “Eu falo português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “I speak Portuguese with Maria.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about falar does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Ele fala português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “He speaks Portuguese with Maria.”

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 falar 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 falamos português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “We speak Portuguese with Maria.”

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 falas português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “You speak Portuguese with Maria.”

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 falar in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Eles falam português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “They speak Portuguese with Maria.”

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 fala português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “He speaks Portuguese with Maria”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele falou português com a Maria ontem.” — “He spoke Portuguese with Maria”
  • 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 falo português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “I speak Portuguese with Maria”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu falei português com a Maria ontem.” — “I spoke Portuguese with Maria”
  • 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 falas português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “You speak Portuguese with Maria”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu falaste português com a Maria ontem.” — “You spoke Portuguese with Maria”
  • 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: falar 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 falo português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “I speak Portuguese with Maria”
  2. “Tu falas português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “You speak Portuguese with Maria”
  3. “Ele fala português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “He speaks Portuguese with Maria”
  4. “Nós falamos português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “We speak Portuguese with Maria”
  5. “Vós falais português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “You speak Portuguese with Maria”
  6. “Eles falam português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “They speak Portuguese with Maria”
  7. “Eu falo português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “I speak Portuguese with Maria”
  8. “Ele fala português com a Maria todos os dias.” — “He speaks Portuguese with Maria”

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

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 falar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) falas
    • B) falo
    • C) fala
    • D) falamos

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

    • A) falo
    • B) fala
    • C) falas
    • D) falamos

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

    • A) falo
    • B) falas
    • C) falamos
    • D) fala

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

    • A) falamos
    • B) falo
    • C) falas
    • D) fala

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

    • A) falo
    • B) falais
    • C) falas
    • D) fala

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

    • A) falo
    • B) falas
    • C) falam
    • D) fala

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

    • A) falas
    • B) fala
    • C) falamos
    • D) falo

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

    • A) falas
    • B) falo
    • C) fala
    • D) falamos

Answer key

  1. B) falo — the correct form is falo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) falas — the correct form is falas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) fala — the correct form is fala. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) falamos — the correct form is falamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) falais — the correct form is falais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) falam — the correct form is falam. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) falo — the correct form is falo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) falas — the correct form is falas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does falar mean in English?

falar means “to speak”. It is a regular -ar verb.

How is the present tense of falar formed?

The six present forms are: eu falo, tu falas, ele fala, nós falamos, vós falais, eles falam. falar 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 falar?

The gerund is falando and the past participle is falado.

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