Beber Conjugation in Portuguese
beber means “to drink” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 19 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to drink, and it is completely regular: bebo, bebes, bebe, bebemos, bebeis, bebem. It is the verb behind every conversation about coffee, water and wine, and one of the first -er verbs learners meet. This page gives you the complete conjugation of beber — 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 bebo um café todos os dias.” — “I drink a coffee.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: beber
- English: to drink
- Verb type: Regular -er verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: bebendo
- Present participle: —
- Past participle: bebido
- 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 beber, 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 beber in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about beber
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -er pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle bebido. 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 bebendo and the past participle is bebido: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. There is no present participle form listed for this verb in the verified tables. If you know those two 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 beber. 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 | bebo |
| tu | bebes |
| ele/ela | bebe |
| nós | bebemos |
| vós | bebeis |
| eles/elas | bebem |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu bebo um café todos os dias.” — “I drink a coffee”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | bebi |
| tu | bebeste |
| ele/ela | bebeu |
| nós | bebemos |
| vós | bebestes |
| eles/elas | beberam |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu bebi um café ontem.” — “I drank a coffee”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | bebia |
| tu | bebias |
| ele/ela | bebia |
| nós | bebíamos |
| vós | bebíeis |
| eles/elas | bebiam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu bebia um café antigamente.” — “I used to drink a coffee”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | bebera |
| tu | beberas |
| ele/ela | bebera |
| nós | bebéramos |
| vós | bebéreis |
| eles/elas | beberam |
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 bebera um café antes do jantar.” — “I had drunk a coffee”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | beberei |
| tu | beberás |
| ele/ela | beberá |
| nós | beberemos |
| vós | bebereis |
| eles/elas | beberão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu beberei um café amanhã.” — “I will drink a coffee”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | beberia |
| tu | beberias |
| ele/ela | beberia |
| nós | beberíamos |
| vós | beberíeis |
| eles/elas | beberiam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu beberia um café um dia.” — “I would drink a coffee”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho bebido |
| tu | tens bebido |
| ele/ela | tem bebido |
| nós | temos bebido |
| vós | tendes bebido |
| eles/elas | têm bebido |
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 bebido um café esta semana.” — “He has drunk a coffee”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha bebido |
| tu | tinhas bebido |
| ele/ela | tinha bebido |
| nós | tínhamos bebido |
| vós | tínheis bebido |
| eles/elas | tinham bebido |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha bebido um café antes do jantar.” — “I had drunk a coffee”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei bebido |
| tu | terás bebido |
| ele/ela | terá bebido |
| nós | teremos bebido |
| vós | tereis bebido |
| eles/elas | terão bebido |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei bebido um café até amanhã.” — “I will have drunk a coffee”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria bebido |
| tu | terias bebido |
| ele/ela | teria bebido |
| nós | teríamos bebido |
| vós | teríeis bebido |
| eles/elas | teriam bebido |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria bebido um café ontem.” — “I would have drunk a coffee”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | beba |
| tu | bebas |
| ele/ela | beba |
| nós | bebamos |
| vós | bebais |
| eles/elas | bebam |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu beba um café.” — “It is important that I drink a coffee”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | bebesse |
| tu | bebesses |
| ele/ela | bebesse |
| nós | bebêssemos |
| vós | bebêsseis |
| eles/elas | bebessem |
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 bebesse um café.” — “It was important that I drink a coffee”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | beber |
| tu | beberes |
| ele/ela | beber |
| nós | bebermos |
| vós | beberdes |
| eles/elas | beberem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu beber um café, é bom.” — “If I drink a coffee, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | bebe |
| ele/ela | beba |
| nós | bebamos |
| vós | bebei |
| eles/elas | bebam |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Bebe um café!” — “Drink a coffee!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não bebas |
| ele/ela | não beba |
| nós | não bebamos |
| vós | não bebais |
| eles/elas | não bebam |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não bebas um café.” — “Do not drink a coffee.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha bebido |
| tu | tenhas bebido |
| ele/ela | tenha bebido |
| nós | tenhamos bebido |
| vós | tenhais bebido |
| eles/elas | tenham bebido |
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 bebido um café.” — “It is important that I have drunk a coffee”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse bebido |
| tu | tivesses bebido |
| ele/ela | tivesse bebido |
| nós | tivéssemos bebido |
| vós | tivésseis bebido |
| eles/elas | tivessem bebido |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse bebido um café.” — “It was important that I had drunk a coffee”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver bebido |
| tu | tiveres bebido |
| ele/ela | tiver bebido |
| nós | tivermos bebido |
| vós | tiverdes bebido |
| eles/elas | tiverem bebido |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver bebido um café, é bom.” — “If I have drunk a coffee, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | bebendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Bebendo um café, aprendo muito.” — “While drinking a coffee, I learn a lot.”
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | bebido |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho bebido um café esta semana.” — “I have drunk a coffee.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with beber, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu bebo um café todos os dias.” — “I drink a coffee”
- “Tu bebeste um café ontem.” — “You drank a coffee”
- “Ele bebia um café antigamente.” — “He used to drink a coffee”
- “Eu beberei um café amanhã.” — “I will drink a coffee”
- “Tu beberias um café um dia.” — “You would drink a coffee”
- “Ele tem bebido um café esta semana.” — “He has drunk a coffee”
- “Eu tinha bebido um café antes do jantar.” — “I had drunk a coffee”
- “Tu terás bebido um café até amanhã.” — “You will have drunk a coffee”
- “É importante que eu beba um café.” — “It is important that I drink a coffee”
- “Bebe um café!” — “Drink a coffee!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu beber um café.”
✓ Right: “Eu bebo um café todos os dias.”
The infinitive beber never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form bebo.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu bebes um café.”
✓ Right: “Eu bebo um café todos os dias.”
bebes is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with bebo.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu bebo um café ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu bebi um café ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito bebi for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou bebido um café.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho bebido um café esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of beber is formed with ter plus the past participle bebido: the eu form is tenho bebido. 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 bebo um café.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu beba um café.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use beba here, not the indicative bebo.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho bebendo um café.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho bebido um café esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle bebido, not the gerund bebendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on beber. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of beber in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) bebes
- B) bebo
- C) bebe
- D) bebemos
What is the ele/ela form of beber in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) bebi
- B) bebeste
- C) bebeu
- D) bebemos
What is the nós form of beber in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) bebia
- B) bebias
- C) bebíeis
- D) bebíamos
What is the tu form of beber in the Futuro do presente?
- A) beberás
- B) beberei
- C) beberá
- D) beberemos
What is the eu form of beber in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) beberias
- B) beberia
- C) beberíamos
- D) beberíeis
What is the ele/ela form of beber in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho bebido
- B) tens bebido
- C) tem bebido
- D) temos bebido
What is the ele/ela form of beber in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) bebas
- B) bebamos
- C) bebais
- D) beba
What is the eu form of beber in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) bebesse
- B) bebesses
- C) bebêssemos
- D) bebêsseis
What is the gerund of beber?
- A) bebido
- B) bebendo
- C) beber
- D) bebo
What does beber mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to drink
- D) —
Answer key
- B) bebo — the correct form is bebo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) bebeu — the correct form is bebeu. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) bebíamos — the correct form is bebíamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) beberás — the correct form is beberás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) beberia — the correct form is beberia. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem bebido — the correct form is tem bebido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) beba — the correct form is beba. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) bebesse — the correct form is bebesse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) bebendo — the correct form is bebendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to drink — the correct form is to drink. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does beber mean in English?
beber means “to drink”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is beber regular or irregular?
beber is regular: it follows the ordinary -er pattern in every tense. The gerund is bebendo and the past participle is bebido.
What are the gerund and past participle of beber?
The gerund is bebendo — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is bebido — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho bebido.
Which auxiliary does beber take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
beber takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho bebido. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle bebido.
How do I say “I drink” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu bebo um café todos os dias.” — “I drink a coffee” The eu form of the present is bebo, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of beber — every tense of beber in one place.
- Beber in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Beber 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.
- 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 beber with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise beber with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise beber with the interactive tool.