Introduction

Aprender means “to learn”, and this page covers exactly one thing: aprender 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 aprender, 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 aprender in the present. It means to learn, and it is completely regular: aprendo, aprendes, aprende, aprendemos, aprendeis, aprendem. It is the verb for learning a language, a skill or a subject. For example: “Ele aprende português todos os dias.” — “He learns Portuguese.” Everything on this page uses the forms of aprender exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Aprender in the Present — full table

Person Form
eu aprendo
tu aprendes
ele/ela aprende
nós aprendemos
vós aprendeis
eles/elas aprendem
Gerund: aprendendo · Past participle: aprendido
The gerund is aprendendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Aprendendo português, aprendo muito.” — “While learning Portuguese, I learn a lot.” The past participle is aprendido, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho aprendido 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 aprender is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for aprender, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of aprender is formed

The present tense of aprender has six forms: eu aprendo, tu aprendes, ele aprende, nós aprendemos, vós aprendeis, eles aprendem. Say them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. aprender is regular: every form follows the standard -er 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 aprender 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 aprendemos and aprendeis pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Portuguese uses where English would often use the continuous form, so aprendo can mean both “I learn” and “I am learning” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because aprender is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -er endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -er 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 aprender

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use aprender 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 aprender is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos os dias, sempre or todas as semanas to make the routine explicit. Example: “Eu aprendo português todos os dias.” — “I learn Portuguese.”

2. General truths

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

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 aprender 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 aprendemos português todos os dias.” — “We learn Portuguese.”

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 aprendes português todos os dias.” — “You learn Portuguese.”

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 aprender in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Eles aprendem português todos os dias.” — “They learn Portuguese.”

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 aprende português todos os dias.” — “He learns Portuguese”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele aprendeu português ontem.” — “He learned Portuguese”
  • 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 aprendo português todos os dias.” — “I learn Portuguese”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu aprendi português ontem.” — “I learned Portuguese”
  • 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 aprendes português todos os dias.” — “You learn Portuguese”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu aprendeste português ontem.” — “You learned Portuguese”
  • 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: aprender 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 aprendo português todos os dias.” — “I learn Portuguese”
  2. “Tu aprendes português todos os dias.” — “You learn Portuguese”
  3. “Ele aprende português todos os dias.” — “He learns Portuguese”
  4. “Nós aprendemos português todos os dias.” — “We learn Portuguese”
  5. “Vós aprendeis português todos os dias.” — “You learn Portuguese”
  6. “Eles aprendem português todos os dias.” — “They learn Portuguese”
  7. “Eu aprendo português todos os dias.” — “I learn Portuguese”
  8. “Ele aprende português todos os dias.” — “He learns Portuguese”

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

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 aprender in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) aprendes
    • B) aprendo
    • C) aprende
    • D) aprendemos

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

    • A) aprendo
    • B) aprende
    • C) aprendes
    • D) aprendemos

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

    • A) aprendo
    • B) aprendes
    • C) aprendemos
    • D) aprende

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

    • A) aprendemos
    • B) aprendo
    • C) aprendes
    • D) aprende

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

    • A) aprendo
    • B) aprendeis
    • C) aprendes
    • D) aprende

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

    • A) aprendo
    • B) aprendes
    • C) aprendem
    • D) aprende

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

    • A) aprendes
    • B) aprende
    • C) aprendemos
    • D) aprendo

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

    • A) aprendes
    • B) aprendo
    • C) aprende
    • D) aprendemos

Answer key

  1. B) aprendo — the correct form is aprendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) aprendes — the correct form is aprendes. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) aprende — the correct form is aprende. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) aprendemos — the correct form is aprendemos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) aprendeis — the correct form is aprendeis. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) aprendem — the correct form is aprendem. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) aprendo — the correct form is aprendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) aprendes — the correct form is aprendes. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does aprender mean in English?

aprender means “to learn”. It is a regular -er verb.

How is the present tense of aprender formed?

The six present forms are: eu aprendo, tu aprendes, ele aprende, nós aprendemos, vós aprendeis, eles aprendem. aprender is regular: every form follows the standard -er 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 aprender?

The gerund is aprendendo and the past participle is aprendido.

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