Introduction

Amar means “to love”, and this page covers exactly one thing: amar in the present tense. The present is the tense Portuguese speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for amar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the pretérito perfeito, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about amar in the present. It is the verb of loving a person, a place or an activity, and it is completely regular. It is the model verb many textbooks use for the -ar conjugation because every form follows the pattern exactly. For example: “Ele ama a Maria todos os dias.” — “He loves Maria.” Everything on this page uses the forms of amar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Amar in the Present — full table

Person Form
eu amo
tu amas
ele/ela ama
nós amamos
vós amais
eles/elas amam
Gerund: amando · Past participle: amado
The gerund is amando, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Amando a Maria, aprendo muito.” — “While loving Maria, I learn a lot.” The past participle is amado, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho amado is the pretérito perfeito composto, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how amar is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for amar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of amar is formed

The present tense of amar has six forms: eu amo, tu amas, ele ama, nós amamos, vós amais, eles amam. Say them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. amar is regular: every form follows the standard -ar endings — -o, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -am for -ar verbs; -o, -es, -e, -emos, -eis, -em for -er verbs; and -o, -es, -e, -imos, -is, -em for -ir verbs — so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb.

Two things about the present of amar are worth noticing. First, the nós and vós forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the same stem, and the present subjunctive takes its nós and vós forms from the same stem, so learning amamos and amais pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Portuguese uses where English would often use the continuous form, so amo can mean both “I love” and “I am loving” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because amar is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -ar endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of amar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use amar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and amar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos os dias, sempre or todas as semanas to make the routine explicit. Example: “Eu amo a Maria todos os dias.” — “I love Maria.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about amar does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Ele ama a Maria todos os dias.” — “He loves Maria.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Portuguese often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with amar in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nós amamos a Maria todos os dias.” — “We love Maria.”

4. Scheduled future events

Portuguese uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu amas a Maria todos os dias.” — “You love Maria.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and amar in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Eles amam a Maria todos os dias.” — “They love Maria.”

Present Tense vs Pretérito Perfeito: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the pretérito perfeito, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the pretérito perfeito describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos os dias or sempre, while the pretérito perfeito sentences use ontem or na semana passada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Ele ama a Maria todos os dias.” — “He loves Maria”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele amou a Maria ontem.” — “He loved Maria”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.
  • Present Tense: “Eu amo a Maria todos os dias.” — “I love Maria”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu amei a Maria ontem.” — “I loved Maria”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.
  • Present Tense: “Tu amas a Maria todos os dias.” — “You love Maria”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu amaste a Maria ontem.” — “You loved Maria”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.

Example sentences: amar in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Eu amo a Maria todos os dias.” — “I love Maria”
  2. “Tu amas a Maria todos os dias.” — “You love Maria”
  3. “Ele ama a Maria todos os dias.” — “He loves Maria”
  4. “Nós amamos a Maria todos os dias.” — “We love Maria”
  5. “Vós amais a Maria todos os dias.” — “You love Maria”
  6. “Eles amam a Maria todos os dias.” — “They love Maria”
  7. “Eu amo a Maria todos os dias.” — “I love Maria”
  8. “Ele ama a Maria todos os dias.” — “He loves Maria”

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Eu amas a Maria.” Right: “Eu amo a Maria todos os dias.” Why: The eu form is amo, not amas. amas is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nós amo a Maria.” Right: “Nós amamos a Maria todos os dias.” Why: Nós needs the nós form amamos. amo belongs with eu only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Eu amo a Maria todos os dias ontem.” Right: “Eu amei a Maria ontem.” Why: Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito amei for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Eu amar a Maria.” Right: “Eu amo a Maria todos os dias.” Why: The infinitive amar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated form amo.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

  1. What is the eu form of amar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) amas
    • B) amo
    • C) ama
    • D) amamos

  2. What is the tu form of amar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) amo
    • B) ama
    • C) amas
    • D) amamos

  3. What is the ele/ela form of amar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) amo
    • B) amas
    • C) amamos
    • D) ama

  4. What is the nós form of amar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) amamos
    • B) amo
    • C) amas
    • D) ama

  5. What is the vós form of amar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) amo
    • B) amais
    • C) amas
    • D) ama

  6. What is the eles/elas form of amar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) amo
    • B) amas
    • C) amam
    • D) ama

  7. What is the eu form of amar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) amas
    • B) ama
    • C) amamos
    • D) amo

  8. What is the tu form of amar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) amas
    • B) amo
    • C) ama
    • D) amamos

Answer key

  1. B) amo — the correct form is amo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) amas — the correct form is amas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) ama — the correct form is ama. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) amamos — the correct form is amamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) amais — the correct form is amais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) amam — the correct form is amam. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) amo — the correct form is amo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) amas — the correct form is amas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does amar mean in English?

amar means “to love”. It is a regular -ar verb.

How is the present tense of amar formed?

The six present forms are: eu amo, tu amas, ele ama, nós amamos, vós amais, eles amam. amar is regular: every form follows the standard -ar endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

When do I use the present instead of the pretérito perfeito?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the pretérito perfeito for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.

What are the gerund and past participle of amar?

The gerund is amando and the past participle is amado.

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