Morrer Conjugation in Portuguese
morrer means “to die” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 22 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to die, and it is irregular in the present and the pretérito perfeito: morro, morres, morre, and morri, morreste, morreu in the past. Its participle is morto, not a regular -ido form, so learn it as a pair with the infinitive. This page gives you the complete conjugation of morrer — 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 morro.” — “I die.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: morrer
- English: to die
- Verb type: Irregular -er verb
- Irregular in: particípio, pretérito perfeito composto, pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto, futuro do presente composto, futuro do pretérito composto, presente do subjuntivo composto, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto, futuro do subjuntivo composto
- Gerund: morrendo
- Present participle: morrente
- Past participle: morto
- 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 morrer, 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 morrer in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about morrer
- It is irregular in 8 tense(s): particípio, pretérito perfeito composto, pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto, futuro do presente composto, futuro do pretérito composto, presente do subjuntivo composto, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto, futuro do subjuntivo composto. 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 morto. 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 morrendo, the present participle is morrente and the past participle is morto: 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 morrer. 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 | morro |
| tu | morres |
| ele/ela | morre |
| nós | morremos |
| vós | morreis |
| eles/elas | morrem |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu morro.” — “I die”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | morri |
| tu | morreste |
| ele/ela | morreu |
| nós | morremos |
| vós | morrestes |
| eles/elas | morreram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu morri no ano passado.” — “I died”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | morria |
| tu | morrias |
| ele/ela | morria |
| nós | morríamos |
| vós | morríeis |
| eles/elas | morriam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu morria antigamente.” — “I used to die”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | morrera |
| tu | morreras |
| ele/ela | morrera |
| nós | morréramos |
| vós | morréreis |
| eles/elas | morreram |
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 morrera antes do jantar.” — “I had died”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | morrerei |
| tu | morrerás |
| ele/ela | morrerá |
| nós | morreremos |
| vós | morrereis |
| eles/elas | morrerão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu morrerei.” — “I will die”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | morreria |
| tu | morrerias |
| ele/ela | morreria |
| nós | morreríamos |
| vós | morreríeis |
| eles/elas | morreriam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu morreria.” — “I would die”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho morto |
| tu | tens morto |
| ele/ela | tem morto |
| nós | temos morto |
| vós | tendes morto |
| eles/elas | têm morto |
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 morto esta semana.” — “He has died”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha morto |
| tu | tinhas morto |
| ele/ela | tinha morto |
| nós | tínhamos morto |
| vós | tínheis morto |
| eles/elas | tinham morto |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha morto antes do jantar.” — “I had died”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei morto |
| tu | terás morto |
| ele/ela | terá morto |
| nós | teremos morto |
| vós | tereis morto |
| eles/elas | terão morto |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei morto até amanhã.” — “I will have died”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria morto |
| tu | terias morto |
| ele/ela | teria morto |
| nós | teríamos morto |
| vós | teríeis morto |
| eles/elas | teriam morto |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria morto ontem.” — “I would have died”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | morra |
| tu | morras |
| ele/ela | morra |
| nós | morramos |
| vós | morrais |
| eles/elas | morram |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu morra.” — “It is important that I die”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | morresse |
| tu | morresses |
| ele/ela | morresse |
| nós | morrêssemos |
| vós | morrêsseis |
| eles/elas | morressem |
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 morresse.” — “It was important that I die”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | morrer |
| tu | morreres |
| ele/ela | morrer |
| nós | morrermos |
| vós | morrerdes |
| eles/elas | morrerem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu morrer, é bom.” — “If I die, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | morre |
| ele/ela | morra |
| nós | morramos |
| vós | morrei |
| eles/elas | morram |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Morre!” — “Die!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não morras |
| ele/ela | não morra |
| nós | não morramos |
| vós | não morrais |
| eles/elas | não morram |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não morras.” — “Do not die.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha morto |
| tu | tenhas morto |
| ele/ela | tenha morto |
| nós | tenhamos morto |
| vós | tenhais morto |
| eles/elas | tenham morto |
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 morto.” — “It is important that I have died”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse morto |
| tu | tivesses morto |
| ele/ela | tivesse morto |
| nós | tivéssemos morto |
| vós | tivésseis morto |
| eles/elas | tivessem morto |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse morto.” — “It was important that I had died”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver morto |
| tu | tiveres morto |
| ele/ela | tiver morto |
| nós | tivermos morto |
| vós | tiverdes morto |
| eles/elas | tiverem morto |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver morto, é bom.” — “If I have died, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | morrendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Morrendo, aprendo muito.” — “While dying, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Present participle | morrente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle morrente 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 morrente 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 | morto |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho morto esta semana.” — “I have died.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with morrer, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu morro.” — “I die”
- “Tu morreste no ano passado.” — “You died”
- “Ele morria antigamente.” — “He used to die”
- “Eu morrerei.” — “I will die”
- “Tu morrerias.” — “You would die”
- “Ele tem morto esta semana.” — “He has died”
- “Eu tinha morto antes do jantar.” — “I had died”
- “Tu terás morto até amanhã.” — “You will have died”
- “É importante que eu morra.” — “It is important that I die”
- “Morre!” — “Die!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu morrer.”
✓ Right: “Eu morro.”
The infinitive morrer never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form morro.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu morres.”
✓ Right: “Eu morro.”
morres is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with morro.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu morro ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu morri no ano passado.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito morri for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou morto.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho morto esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of morrer is formed with ter plus the past participle morto: the eu form is tenho morto. 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 morro.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu morra.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use morra here, not the indicative morro.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho morrendo.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho morto esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle morto, not the gerund morrendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on morrer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of morrer in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) morres
- B) morro
- C) morre
- D) morremos
What is the ele/ela form of morrer in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) morri
- B) morreste
- C) morreu
- D) morremos
What is the nós form of morrer in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) morria
- B) morrias
- C) morríeis
- D) morríamos
What is the tu form of morrer in the Futuro do presente?
- A) morrerás
- B) morrerei
- C) morrerá
- D) morreremos
What is the eu form of morrer in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) morrerias
- B) morreria
- C) morreríamos
- D) morreríeis
What is the ele/ela form of morrer in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho morto
- B) tens morto
- C) tem morto
- D) temos morto
What is the ele/ela form of morrer in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) morras
- B) morramos
- C) morrais
- D) morra
What is the eu form of morrer in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) morresse
- B) morresses
- C) morrêssemos
- D) morrêsseis
What is the gerund of morrer?
- A) morto
- B) morrendo
- C) morrer
- D) morro
What does morrer mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to die
- D) —
Answer key
- B) morro — the correct form is morro. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) morreu — the correct form is morreu. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) morríamos — the correct form is morríamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) morrerás — the correct form is morrerás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) morreria — the correct form is morreria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem morto — the correct form is tem morto. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) morra — the correct form is morra. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) morresse — the correct form is morresse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) morrendo — the correct form is morrendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to die — the correct form is to die. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does morrer mean in English?
morrer means “to die”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is morrer regular or irregular?
morrer is irregular: it is irregular in particípio, pretérito perfeito composto, pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto, futuro do presente composto, futuro do pretérito composto, presente do subjuntivo composto, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto, futuro do subjuntivo composto. The gerund is morrendo and the past participle is morto.
What are the gerund and past participle of morrer?
The gerund is morrendo — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is morto — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho morto.
Which auxiliary does morrer take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
morrer takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho morto. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle morto.
How do I say “I die” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu morro.” — “I die” The eu form of the present is morro, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of morrer — every tense of morrer in one place.
- Morrer in the pretérito perfeito tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Morrer 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 morrer with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise morrer with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise morrer with the interactive tool.