Ligar Conjugation in Portuguese
ligar means “to turn on” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 270 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to turn on and to switch on, and it is regular apart from its spelling: the -gar stem keeps its hard g by writing gu before e and i, so the pretérito perfeito eu form is liguei. The present is ligo, ligas, liga, and the participle is ligado. It also means to connect and to phone someone. Do not confuse it with desligar, which means to turn off. This page gives you the complete conjugation of ligar — 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 ligo a televisão todos os dias.” — “I turn on the television.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: ligar
- English: to turn on
- Verb type: Regular -ar verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: ligando
- Present participle: ligante
- Past participle: ligado
- 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 ligar, 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 ligar in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about ligar
- 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 ligo and the subjunctive eu form is ligue.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle ligado. 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 ligando, the present participle is ligante and the past participle is ligado: 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 ligar. 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 | ligo |
| tu | ligas |
| ele/ela | liga |
| nós | ligamos |
| vós | ligais |
| eles/elas | ligam |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu ligo a televisão todos os dias.” — “I turn on the television”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | liguei |
| tu | ligaste |
| ele/ela | ligou |
| nós | ligámos |
| vós | ligastes |
| eles/elas | ligaram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu liguei a televisão ontem.” — “I turned on the television”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ligava |
| tu | ligavas |
| ele/ela | ligava |
| nós | ligávamos |
| vós | ligáveis |
| eles/elas | ligavam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu ligava a televisão antigamente.” — “I used to turn on the television”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ligara |
| tu | ligaras |
| ele/ela | ligara |
| nós | ligáramos |
| vós | ligáreis |
| eles/elas | ligaram |
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 ligara a televisão antes do jantar.” — “I had turned on the television”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ligarei |
| tu | ligarás |
| ele/ela | ligará |
| nós | ligaremos |
| vós | ligareis |
| eles/elas | ligarão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu ligarei a televisão amanhã.” — “I will turn on the television”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ligaria |
| tu | ligarias |
| ele/ela | ligaria |
| nós | ligaríamos |
| vós | ligaríeis |
| eles/elas | ligariam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu ligaria a televisão um dia.” — “I would turn on the television”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho ligado |
| tu | tens ligado |
| ele/ela | tem ligado |
| nós | temos ligado |
| vós | tendes ligado |
| eles/elas | têm ligado |
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 ligado a televisão esta semana.” — “He has turned on the television”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha ligado |
| tu | tinhas ligado |
| ele/ela | tinha ligado |
| nós | tínhamos ligado |
| vós | tínheis ligado |
| eles/elas | tinham ligado |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha ligado a televisão antes do jantar.” — “I had turned on the television”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei ligado |
| tu | terás ligado |
| ele/ela | terá ligado |
| nós | teremos ligado |
| vós | tereis ligado |
| eles/elas | terão ligado |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei ligado a televisão até amanhã.” — “I will have turned on the television”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria ligado |
| tu | terias ligado |
| ele/ela | teria ligado |
| nós | teríamos ligado |
| vós | teríeis ligado |
| eles/elas | teriam ligado |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria ligado a televisão ontem.” — “I would have turned on the television”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ligue |
| tu | ligues |
| ele/ela | ligue |
| nós | liguemos |
| vós | ligueis |
| eles/elas | liguem |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu ligue a televisão.” — “It is important that I turn on the television”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ligasse |
| tu | ligasses |
| ele/ela | ligasse |
| nós | ligássemos |
| vós | ligásseis |
| eles/elas | ligassem |
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 ligasse a televisão.” — “It was important that I turn on the television”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ligar |
| tu | ligares |
| ele/ela | ligar |
| nós | ligarmos |
| vós | ligardes |
| eles/elas | ligarem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu ligar a televisão, é bom.” — “If I turn on the television, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | liga |
| ele/ela | ligue |
| nós | liguemos |
| vós | ligai |
| eles/elas | liguem |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Liga a televisão!” — “Turn on the television!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não ligues |
| ele/ela | não ligue |
| nós | não liguemos |
| vós | não ligueis |
| eles/elas | não liguem |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não ligues a televisão.” — “Do not turn on the television.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha ligado |
| tu | tenhas ligado |
| ele/ela | tenha ligado |
| nós | tenhamos ligado |
| vós | tenhais ligado |
| eles/elas | tenham ligado |
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 ligado a televisão.” — “It is important that I have turned on the television”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse ligado |
| tu | tivesses ligado |
| ele/ela | tivesse ligado |
| nós | tivéssemos ligado |
| vós | tivésseis ligado |
| eles/elas | tivessem ligado |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse ligado a televisão.” — “It was important that I had turned on the television”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver ligado |
| tu | tiveres ligado |
| ele/ela | tiver ligado |
| nós | tivermos ligado |
| vós | tiverdes ligado |
| eles/elas | tiverem ligado |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver ligado a televisão, é bom.” — “If I have turned on the television, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | ligando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Ligando a televisão, aprendo muito.” — “While turning on the television, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Present participle | ligante |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle ligante 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 ligante 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 | ligado |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho ligado a televisão esta semana.” — “I have turned on the television.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with ligar, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu ligo a televisão todos os dias.” — “I turn on the television”
- “Tu ligaste a televisão ontem.” — “You turned on the television”
- “Ele ligava a televisão antigamente.” — “He used to turn on the television”
- “Eu ligarei a televisão amanhã.” — “I will turn on the television”
- “Tu ligarias a televisão um dia.” — “You would turn on the television”
- “Ele tem ligado a televisão esta semana.” — “He has turned on the television”
- “Eu tinha ligado a televisão antes do jantar.” — “I had turned on the television”
- “Tu terás ligado a televisão até amanhã.” — “You will have turned on the television”
- “É importante que eu ligue a televisão.” — “It is important that I turn on the television”
- “Liga a televisão!” — “Turn on the television!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu ligar a televisão.”
✓ Right: “Eu ligo a televisão todos os dias.”
The infinitive ligar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form ligo.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu ligas a televisão.”
✓ Right: “Eu ligo a televisão todos os dias.”
ligas is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with ligo.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu ligo a televisão ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu liguei a televisão ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito liguei for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou ligado a televisão.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho ligado a televisão esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of ligar is formed with ter plus the past participle ligado: the eu form is tenho ligado. 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 ligo a televisão.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu ligue a televisão.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use ligue here, not the indicative ligo.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho ligando a televisão.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho ligado a televisão esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle ligado, not the gerund ligando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on ligar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of ligar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) ligas
- B) ligo
- C) liga
- D) ligamos
What is the ele/ela form of ligar in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) liguei
- B) ligaste
- C) ligou
- D) ligámos
What is the nós form of ligar in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) ligava
- B) ligavas
- C) ligáveis
- D) ligávamos
What is the tu form of ligar in the Futuro do presente?
- A) ligarás
- B) ligarei
- C) ligará
- D) ligaremos
What is the eu form of ligar in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) ligarias
- B) ligaria
- C) ligaríamos
- D) ligaríeis
What is the ele/ela form of ligar in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho ligado
- B) tens ligado
- C) tem ligado
- D) temos ligado
What is the ele/ela form of ligar in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) ligues
- B) liguemos
- C) ligueis
- D) ligue
What is the eu form of ligar in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) ligasse
- B) ligasses
- C) ligássemos
- D) ligásseis
What is the gerund of ligar?
- A) ligado
- B) ligando
- C) ligar
- D) ligo
What does ligar mean in English?
- A) to ask for
- B) to receive
- C) to turn on
- D) to pay
Answer key
- B) ligo — the correct form is ligo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ligou — the correct form is ligou. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) ligávamos — the correct form is ligávamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) ligarás — the correct form is ligarás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) ligaria — the correct form is ligaria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem ligado — the correct form is tem ligado. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) ligue — the correct form is ligue. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) ligasse — the correct form is ligasse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) ligando — the correct form is ligando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to turn on — the correct form is to turn on. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does ligar mean in English?
ligar means “to turn on”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is ligar regular or irregular?
ligar is regular: it follows the ordinary -ar pattern in every tense. The gerund is ligando and the past participle is ligado.
What are the gerund and past participle of ligar?
The gerund is ligando — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is ligado — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho ligado.
Which auxiliary does ligar take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
ligar takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho ligado. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle ligado.
How do I say “I turn on” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu ligo a televisão todos os dias.” — “I turn on the television” The eu form of the present is ligo, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of ligar — every tense of ligar in one place.
- Ligar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Ligar 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.
- Pagar conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Comprar 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 ligar with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise ligar with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise ligar with the interactive tool.