Ler Conjugation in Portuguese
ler means “to read” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 28 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to read, and it is irregular in the present and the pretérito perfeito: leio, lês, lê, lemos, ledes, leem, and li, leste, leu, lemos, lestes, leram in the past. Its gerund is lendo and its participle is lido. This page gives you the complete conjugation of ler — 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 leio um livro todos os dias.” — “I read a book.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: ler
- English: to read
- Verb type: Irregular -er verb
- Irregular in: presente, pretérito perfeito, pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples, presente do subjuntivo, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo, futuro do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo
- Gerund: lendo
- Present participle: lente
- Past participle: lido
- Auxiliary: ter (all perfect tenses are formed with ter + the past participle)
- Ending: -er verbs; pattern er in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for ler, 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 ler in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about ler
- It is irregular in 8 tense(s): presente, pretérito perfeito, pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples, presente do subjuntivo, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo, futuro do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo. Learn those forms as a set instead of guessing them from the infinitive, because the stem changes in ways no rule predicts.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle lido. 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 lendo, the present participle is lente and the past participle is lido: 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 ler. 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 | leio |
| tu | lês |
| ele/ela | lê |
| nós | lemos |
| vós | ledes |
| eles/elas | leem |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu leio um livro todos os dias.” — “I read a book”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | li |
| tu | leste |
| ele/ela | leu |
| nós | lemos |
| vós | lestes |
| eles/elas | leram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu li um livro ontem.” — “I read a book”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | lia |
| tu | lias |
| ele/ela | lia |
| nós | líamos |
| vós | líeis |
| eles/elas | liam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu lia um livro antigamente.” — “I used to read a book”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | lera |
| tu | leras |
| ele/ela | lera |
| nós | lêramos |
| vós | lêreis |
| eles/elas | leram |
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 lera um livro antes do jantar.” — “I had read a book”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | lerei |
| tu | lerás |
| ele/ela | lerá |
| nós | leremos |
| vós | lereis |
| eles/elas | lerão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu lerei um livro amanhã.” — “I will read a book”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | leria |
| tu | lerias |
| ele/ela | leria |
| nós | leríamos |
| vós | leríeis |
| eles/elas | leriam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu leria um livro um dia.” — “I would read a book”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho lido |
| tu | tens lido |
| ele/ela | tem lido |
| nós | temos lido |
| vós | tendes lido |
| eles/elas | têm lido |
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 lido um livro esta semana.” — “He has read a book”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha lido |
| tu | tinhas lido |
| ele/ela | tinha lido |
| nós | tínhamos lido |
| vós | tínheis lido |
| eles/elas | tinham lido |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha lido um livro antes do jantar.” — “I had read a book”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei lido |
| tu | terás lido |
| ele/ela | terá lido |
| nós | teremos lido |
| vós | tereis lido |
| eles/elas | terão lido |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei lido um livro até amanhã.” — “I will have read a book”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria lido |
| tu | terias lido |
| ele/ela | teria lido |
| nós | teríamos lido |
| vós | teríeis lido |
| eles/elas | teriam lido |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria lido um livro ontem.” — “I would have read a book”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | leia |
| tu | leias |
| ele/ela | leia |
| nós | leiamos |
| vós | leiais |
| eles/elas | leiam |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu leia um livro.” — “It is important that I read a book”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | lesse |
| tu | lesses |
| ele/ela | lesse |
| nós | lêssemos |
| vós | lêsseis |
| eles/elas | lessem |
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 lesse um livro.” — “It was important that I read a book”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ler |
| tu | leres |
| ele/ela | ler |
| nós | lermos |
| vós | lerdes |
| eles/elas | lerem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu ler um livro, é bom.” — “If I read a book, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | lê |
| ele/ela | leia |
| nós | leiamos |
| vós | lede |
| eles/elas | leiam |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Lê um livro!” — “Read a book!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não leias |
| ele/ela | não leia |
| nós | não leiamos |
| vós | não leiais |
| eles/elas | não leiam |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não leias um livro.” — “Do not read a book.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha lido |
| tu | tenhas lido |
| ele/ela | tenha lido |
| nós | tenhamos lido |
| vós | tenhais lido |
| eles/elas | tenham lido |
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 lido um livro.” — “It is important that I have read a book”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse lido |
| tu | tivesses lido |
| ele/ela | tivesse lido |
| nós | tivéssemos lido |
| vós | tivésseis lido |
| eles/elas | tivessem lido |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse lido um livro.” — “It was important that I had read a book”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver lido |
| tu | tiveres lido |
| ele/ela | tiver lido |
| nós | tivermos lido |
| vós | tiverdes lido |
| eles/elas | tiverem lido |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver lido um livro, é bom.” — “If I have read a book, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | lendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Lendo um livro, aprendo muito.” — “While reading a book, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Present participle | lente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle lente 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 lente 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 | lido |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho lido um livro esta semana.” — “I have read a book.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with ler, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu leio um livro todos os dias.” — “I read a book”
- “Tu leste um livro ontem.” — “You read a book”
- “Ele lia um livro antigamente.” — “He used to read a book”
- “Eu lerei um livro amanhã.” — “I will read a book”
- “Tu lerias um livro um dia.” — “You would read a book”
- “Ele tem lido um livro esta semana.” — “He has read a book”
- “Eu tinha lido um livro antes do jantar.” — “I had read a book”
- “Tu terás lido um livro até amanhã.” — “You will have read a book”
- “É importante que eu leia um livro.” — “It is important that I read a book”
- “Lê um livro!” — “Read a book!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu ler um livro.”
✓ Right: “Eu leio um livro todos os dias.”
The infinitive ler never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form leio.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu lês um livro.”
✓ Right: “Eu leio um livro todos os dias.”
lês is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with leio.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu leio um livro ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu li um livro ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito li for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou lido um livro.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho lido um livro esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of ler is formed with ter plus the past participle lido: the eu form is tenho lido. 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 leio um livro.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu leia um livro.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use leia here, not the indicative leio.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho lendo um livro.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho lido um livro esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle lido, not the gerund lendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on ler. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of ler in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) lês
- B) leio
- C) lê
- D) lemos
What is the ele/ela form of ler in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) li
- B) leste
- C) leu
- D) lemos
What is the nós form of ler in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) lia
- B) lias
- C) líeis
- D) líamos
What is the tu form of ler in the Futuro do presente?
- A) lerás
- B) lerei
- C) lerá
- D) leremos
What is the eu form of ler in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) lerias
- B) leria
- C) leríamos
- D) leríeis
What is the ele/ela form of ler in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho lido
- B) tens lido
- C) tem lido
- D) temos lido
What is the ele/ela form of ler in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) leias
- B) leiamos
- C) leiais
- D) leia
What is the eu form of ler in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) lesse
- B) lesses
- C) lêssemos
- D) lêsseis
What is the gerund of ler?
- A) lido
- B) lendo
- C) ler
- D) leio
What does ler mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to read
- D) —
Answer key
- B) leio — the correct form is leio. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) leu — the correct form is leu. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) líamos — the correct form is líamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) lerás — the correct form is lerás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) leria — the correct form is leria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem lido — the correct form is tem lido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) leia — the correct form is leia. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) lesse — the correct form is lesse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) lendo — the correct form is lendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to read — the correct form is to read. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does ler mean in English?
ler means “to read”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is ler regular or irregular?
ler is irregular: it is irregular in presente, pretérito perfeito, pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples, presente do subjuntivo, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo, futuro do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo. The gerund is lendo and the past participle is lido.
What are the gerund and past participle of ler?
The gerund is lendo — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is lido — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho lido.
Which auxiliary does ler take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
ler takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho lido. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle lido.
How do I say “I read” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu leio um livro todos os dias.” — “I read a book” The eu form of the present is leio, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of ler — every tense of ler in one place.
- Ler in the pretérito perfeito tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Ler examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Portuguese pretérito perfeito tense guide — the full guide to the pretérito perfeito tense in Portuguese.
- Portuguese irregular verbs — every common irregular Portuguese verb, grouped by pattern.
- Ser conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Ter 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 ler with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise ler with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise ler with the interactive tool.