Ouvir Conjugation in Portuguese
ouvir means “to hear” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 30 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to hear and to listen, and one verb covers both senses in Portuguese, where English splits them. Its present is irregular — ouço, ouves, ouve, ouvimos, ouvis, ouvem — while the rest of the conjugation is regular. This page gives you the complete conjugation of ouvir — 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 ouço música todos os dias.” — “I hear music.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: ouvir
- English: to hear
- Verb type: Irregular -ir verb
- Irregular in: presente, presente do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo
- Gerund: ouvindo
- Present participle: ouvinte
- Past participle: ouvido
- Auxiliary: ter (all perfect tenses are formed with ter + the past participle)
- Ending: -ir verbs; pattern ir in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for ouvir, 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 ouvir in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about ouvir
- It is irregular in 4 tense(s): presente, presente 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 ouvido. 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 ouvindo, the present participle is ouvinte and the past participle is ouvido: 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 ouvir. 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 | ouço |
| tu | ouves |
| ele/ela | ouve |
| nós | ouvimos |
| vós | ouvis |
| eles/elas | ouvem |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu ouço música todos os dias.” — “I hear music”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ouvi |
| tu | ouviste |
| ele/ela | ouviu |
| nós | ouvimos |
| vós | ouvistes |
| eles/elas | ouviram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu ouvi música ontem.” — “I heard music”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ouvia |
| tu | ouvias |
| ele/ela | ouvia |
| nós | ouvíamos |
| vós | ouvíeis |
| eles/elas | ouviam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu ouvia música antigamente.” — “I used to hear music”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ouvira |
| tu | ouviras |
| ele/ela | ouvira |
| nós | ouvíramos |
| vós | ouvíreis |
| eles/elas | ouviram |
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 ouvira música antes do jantar.” — “I had heard music”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ouvirei |
| tu | ouvirás |
| ele/ela | ouvirá |
| nós | ouviremos |
| vós | ouvireis |
| eles/elas | ouvirão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu ouvirei música amanhã.” — “I will hear music”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ouviria |
| tu | ouvirias |
| ele/ela | ouviria |
| nós | ouviríamos |
| vós | ouviríeis |
| eles/elas | ouviriam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu ouviria música um dia.” — “I would hear music”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho ouvido |
| tu | tens ouvido |
| ele/ela | tem ouvido |
| nós | temos ouvido |
| vós | tendes ouvido |
| eles/elas | têm ouvido |
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 ouvido música esta semana.” — “He has heard music”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha ouvido |
| tu | tinhas ouvido |
| ele/ela | tinha ouvido |
| nós | tínhamos ouvido |
| vós | tínheis ouvido |
| eles/elas | tinham ouvido |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha ouvido música antes do jantar.” — “I had heard music”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei ouvido |
| tu | terás ouvido |
| ele/ela | terá ouvido |
| nós | teremos ouvido |
| vós | tereis ouvido |
| eles/elas | terão ouvido |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei ouvido música até amanhã.” — “I will have heard music”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria ouvido |
| tu | terias ouvido |
| ele/ela | teria ouvido |
| nós | teríamos ouvido |
| vós | teríeis ouvido |
| eles/elas | teriam ouvido |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria ouvido música ontem.” — “I would have heard music”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ouça |
| tu | ouças |
| ele/ela | ouça |
| nós | ouçamos |
| vós | ouçais |
| eles/elas | ouçam |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu ouça música.” — “It is important that I hear music”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ouvisse |
| tu | ouvisses |
| ele/ela | ouvisse |
| nós | ouvíssemos |
| vós | ouvísseis |
| eles/elas | ouvissem |
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 ouvisse música.” — “It was important that I hear music”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ouvir |
| tu | ouvires |
| ele/ela | ouvir |
| nós | ouvirmos |
| vós | ouvirdes |
| eles/elas | ouvirem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu ouvir música, é bom.” — “If I hear music, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | ouve |
| ele/ela | ouça |
| nós | ouçamos |
| vós | ouvi |
| eles/elas | ouçam |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Ouve música!” — “Hear music!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não ouças |
| ele/ela | não ouça |
| nós | não ouçamos |
| vós | não ouçais |
| eles/elas | não ouçam |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não ouças música.” — “Do not hear music.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha ouvido |
| tu | tenhas ouvido |
| ele/ela | tenha ouvido |
| nós | tenhamos ouvido |
| vós | tenhais ouvido |
| eles/elas | tenham ouvido |
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 ouvido música.” — “It is important that I have heard music”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse ouvido |
| tu | tivesses ouvido |
| ele/ela | tivesse ouvido |
| nós | tivéssemos ouvido |
| vós | tivésseis ouvido |
| eles/elas | tivessem ouvido |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse ouvido música.” — “It was important that I had heard music”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver ouvido |
| tu | tiveres ouvido |
| ele/ela | tiver ouvido |
| nós | tivermos ouvido |
| vós | tiverdes ouvido |
| eles/elas | tiverem ouvido |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver ouvido música, é bom.” — “If I have heard music, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | ouvindo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Ouvindo música, aprendo muito.” — “While hearing music, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Present participle | ouvinte |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle ouvinte 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 ouvinte 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 | ouvido |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho ouvido música esta semana.” — “I have heard music.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with ouvir, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu ouço música todos os dias.” — “I hear music”
- “Tu ouviste música ontem.” — “You heard music”
- “Ele ouvia música antigamente.” — “He used to hear music”
- “Eu ouvirei música amanhã.” — “I will hear music”
- “Tu ouvirias música um dia.” — “You would hear music”
- “Ele tem ouvido música esta semana.” — “He has heard music”
- “Eu tinha ouvido música antes do jantar.” — “I had heard music”
- “Tu terás ouvido música até amanhã.” — “You will have heard music”
- “É importante que eu ouça música.” — “It is important that I hear music”
- “Ouve música!” — “Hear music!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu ouvir música.”
✓ Right: “Eu ouço música todos os dias.”
The infinitive ouvir never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form ouço.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu ouves música.”
✓ Right: “Eu ouço música todos os dias.”
ouves is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with ouço.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu ouço música ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu ouvi música ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito ouvi for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou ouvido música.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho ouvido música esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of ouvir is formed with ter plus the past participle ouvido: the eu form is tenho ouvido. 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 ouço música.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu ouça música.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use ouça here, not the indicative ouço.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho ouvindo música.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho ouvido música esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle ouvido, not the gerund ouvindo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on ouvir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of ouvir in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) ouves
- B) ouço
- C) ouve
- D) ouvimos
What is the ele/ela form of ouvir in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) ouvi
- B) ouviste
- C) ouviu
- D) ouvimos
What is the nós form of ouvir in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) ouvia
- B) ouvias
- C) ouvíeis
- D) ouvíamos
What is the tu form of ouvir in the Futuro do presente?
- A) ouvirás
- B) ouvirei
- C) ouvirá
- D) ouviremos
What is the eu form of ouvir in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) ouvirias
- B) ouviria
- C) ouviríamos
- D) ouviríeis
What is the ele/ela form of ouvir in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho ouvido
- B) tens ouvido
- C) tem ouvido
- D) temos ouvido
What is the ele/ela form of ouvir in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) ouças
- B) ouçamos
- C) ouçais
- D) ouça
What is the eu form of ouvir in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) ouvisse
- B) ouvisses
- C) ouvíssemos
- D) ouvísseis
What is the gerund of ouvir?
- A) ouvido
- B) ouvindo
- C) ouvir
- D) ouço
What does ouvir mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to hear
- D) —
Answer key
- B) ouço — the correct form is ouço. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ouviu — the correct form is ouviu. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) ouvíamos — the correct form is ouvíamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) ouvirás — the correct form is ouvirás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) ouviria — the correct form is ouviria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem ouvido — the correct form is tem ouvido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) ouça — the correct form is ouça. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) ouvisse — the correct form is ouvisse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) ouvindo — the correct form is ouvindo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to hear — the correct form is to hear. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does ouvir mean in English?
ouvir means “to hear”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is ouvir regular or irregular?
ouvir is irregular: it is irregular in presente, presente do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo. The gerund is ouvindo and the past participle is ouvido.
What are the gerund and past participle of ouvir?
The gerund is ouvindo — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is ouvido — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho ouvido.
Which auxiliary does ouvir take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
ouvir takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho ouvido. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle ouvido.
How do I say “I hear” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu ouço música todos os dias.” — “I hear music” The eu form of the present is ouço, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of ouvir — every tense of ouvir in one place.
- Ouvir in the pretérito perfeito tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Ouvir 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.
- Ir conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Vir 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 ouvir with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise ouvir with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise ouvir with the interactive tool.