Ficar Conjugation in Portuguese
ficar means “to stay” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 56 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to stay and to remain somewhere, and it is also the verb for becoming something and for where something is located in a house or a city. It is completely regular apart from its spelling: the -car stem keeps its hard c by writing qu before e and i, so the eu form is fico and the subjunctive is fique. Do not confuse it with estar, which is the verb for temporary location. This page gives you the complete conjugation of ficar — 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 fico em casa todos os dias.” — “I stay at home.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: ficar
- English: to stay
- Verb type: Regular -ar verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: ficando
- Present participle: ficante
- Past participle: ficado
- 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 ficar, 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 ficar in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about ficar
- 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 fico and the subjunctive eu form is fique.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle ficado. 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 ficando, the present participle is ficante and the past participle is ficado: 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 ficar. 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 | fico |
| tu | ficas |
| ele/ela | fica |
| nós | ficamos |
| vós | ficais |
| eles/elas | ficam |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu fico em casa todos os dias.” — “I stay at home”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | fiquei |
| tu | ficaste |
| ele/ela | ficou |
| nós | ficámos |
| vós | ficastes |
| eles/elas | ficaram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu fiquei em casa ontem.” — “I stayed at home”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ficava |
| tu | ficavas |
| ele/ela | ficava |
| nós | ficávamos |
| vós | ficáveis |
| eles/elas | ficavam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu ficava em casa antigamente.” — “I used to stay at home”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ficara |
| tu | ficaras |
| ele/ela | ficara |
| nós | ficáramos |
| vós | ficáreis |
| eles/elas | ficaram |
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 ficara em casa antes do jantar.” — “I had stayed at home”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ficarei |
| tu | ficarás |
| ele/ela | ficará |
| nós | ficaremos |
| vós | ficareis |
| eles/elas | ficarão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu ficarei em casa amanhã.” — “I will stay at home”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ficaria |
| tu | ficarias |
| ele/ela | ficaria |
| nós | ficaríamos |
| vós | ficaríeis |
| eles/elas | ficariam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu ficaria em casa um dia.” — “I would stay at home”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho ficado |
| tu | tens ficado |
| ele/ela | tem ficado |
| nós | temos ficado |
| vós | tendes ficado |
| eles/elas | têm ficado |
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 ficado em casa esta semana.” — “He has stayed at home”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha ficado |
| tu | tinhas ficado |
| ele/ela | tinha ficado |
| nós | tínhamos ficado |
| vós | tínheis ficado |
| eles/elas | tinham ficado |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha ficado em casa antes do jantar.” — “I had stayed at home”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei ficado |
| tu | terás ficado |
| ele/ela | terá ficado |
| nós | teremos ficado |
| vós | tereis ficado |
| eles/elas | terão ficado |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei ficado em casa até amanhã.” — “I will have stayed at home”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria ficado |
| tu | terias ficado |
| ele/ela | teria ficado |
| nós | teríamos ficado |
| vós | teríeis ficado |
| eles/elas | teriam ficado |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria ficado em casa ontem.” — “I would have stayed at home”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | fique |
| tu | fiques |
| ele/ela | fique |
| nós | fiquemos |
| vós | fiqueis |
| eles/elas | fiquem |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu fique em casa.” — “It is important that I stay at home”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ficasse |
| tu | ficasses |
| ele/ela | ficasse |
| nós | ficássemos |
| vós | ficásseis |
| eles/elas | ficassem |
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 ficasse em casa.” — “It was important that I stay at home”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ficar |
| tu | ficares |
| ele/ela | ficar |
| nós | ficarmos |
| vós | ficardes |
| eles/elas | ficarem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu ficar em casa, é bom.” — “If I stay at home, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | fica |
| ele/ela | fique |
| nós | fiquemos |
| vós | ficai |
| eles/elas | fiquem |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Fica em casa!” — “Stay at home!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não fiques |
| ele/ela | não fique |
| nós | não fiquemos |
| vós | não fiqueis |
| eles/elas | não fiquem |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não fiques em casa.” — “Do not stay at home.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha ficado |
| tu | tenhas ficado |
| ele/ela | tenha ficado |
| nós | tenhamos ficado |
| vós | tenhais ficado |
| eles/elas | tenham ficado |
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 ficado em casa.” — “It is important that I have stayed at home”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse ficado |
| tu | tivesses ficado |
| ele/ela | tivesse ficado |
| nós | tivéssemos ficado |
| vós | tivésseis ficado |
| eles/elas | tivessem ficado |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse ficado em casa.” — “It was important that I had stayed at home”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver ficado |
| tu | tiveres ficado |
| ele/ela | tiver ficado |
| nós | tivermos ficado |
| vós | tiverdes ficado |
| eles/elas | tiverem ficado |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver ficado em casa, é bom.” — “If I have stayed at home, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | ficando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Ficando em casa, aprendo muito.” — “While staying at home, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Present participle | ficante |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle ficante 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 ficante 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 | ficado |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho ficado em casa esta semana.” — “I have stayed at home.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with ficar, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu fico em casa todos os dias.” — “I stay at home”
- “Tu ficaste em casa ontem.” — “You stayed at home”
- “Ele ficava em casa antigamente.” — “He used to stay at home”
- “Eu ficarei em casa amanhã.” — “I will stay at home”
- “Tu ficarias em casa um dia.” — “You would stay at home”
- “Ele tem ficado em casa esta semana.” — “He has stayed at home”
- “Eu tinha ficado em casa antes do jantar.” — “I had stayed at home”
- “Tu terás ficado em casa até amanhã.” — “You will have stayed at home”
- “É importante que eu fique em casa.” — “It is important that I stay at home”
- “Fica em casa!” — “Stay at home!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu ficar em casa.”
✓ Right: “Eu fico em casa todos os dias.”
The infinitive ficar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form fico.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu ficas em casa.”
✓ Right: “Eu fico em casa todos os dias.”
ficas is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with fico.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu fico em casa ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu fiquei em casa ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito fiquei for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou ficado em casa.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho ficado em casa esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of ficar is formed with ter plus the past participle ficado: the eu form is tenho ficado. 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 fico em casa.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu fique em casa.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use fique here, not the indicative fico.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho ficando em casa.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho ficado em casa esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle ficado, not the gerund ficando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on ficar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of ficar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) ficas
- B) fico
- C) fica
- D) ficamos
What is the ele/ela form of ficar in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) fiquei
- B) ficaste
- C) ficou
- D) ficámos
What is the nós form of ficar in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) ficava
- B) ficavas
- C) ficáveis
- D) ficávamos
What is the tu form of ficar in the Futuro do presente?
- A) ficarás
- B) ficarei
- C) ficará
- D) ficaremos
What is the eu form of ficar in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) ficarias
- B) ficaria
- C) ficaríamos
- D) ficaríeis
What is the ele/ela form of ficar in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho ficado
- B) tens ficado
- C) tem ficado
- D) temos ficado
What is the ele/ela form of ficar in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) fiques
- B) fiquemos
- C) fiqueis
- D) fique
What is the eu form of ficar in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) ficasse
- B) ficasses
- C) ficássemos
- D) ficásseis
What is the gerund of ficar?
- A) ficado
- B) ficando
- C) ficar
- D) fico
What does ficar mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to stay
- D) —
Answer key
- B) fico — the correct form is fico. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ficou — the correct form is ficou. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) ficávamos — the correct form is ficávamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) ficarás — the correct form is ficarás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) ficaria — the correct form is ficaria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem ficado — the correct form is tem ficado. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) fique — the correct form is fique. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) ficasse — the correct form is ficasse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) ficando — the correct form is ficando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to stay — the correct form is to stay. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does ficar mean in English?
ficar means “to stay”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is ficar regular or irregular?
ficar is regular: it follows the ordinary -ar pattern in every tense. The gerund is ficando and the past participle is ficado.
What are the gerund and past participle of ficar?
The gerund is ficando — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is ficado — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho ficado.
Which auxiliary does ficar take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
ficar takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho ficado. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle ficado.
How do I say “I stay” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu fico em casa todos os dias.” — “I stay at home” The eu form of the present is fico, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of ficar — every tense of ficar in one place.
- Ficar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Ficar 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 ficar with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise ficar with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise ficar with the interactive tool.