Comer Conjugation in Portuguese
comer means “to eat” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 18 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It is the verb of eating, and it is completely regular. It is the model verb many textbooks use for the -er conjugation because every form follows the pattern exactly — como, comes, come, comemos, comeis, comem. This page gives you the complete conjugation of comer — 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 como uma pizza todos os dias.” — “I eat a pizza.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: comer
- English: to eat
- Verb type: Regular -er verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: comendo
- Present participle: —
- Past participle: comido
- 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 comer, 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 comer in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about comer
- 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 comido. 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 comendo and the past participle is comido: 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 comer. 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 | como |
| tu | comes |
| ele/ela | come |
| nós | comemos |
| vós | comeis |
| eles/elas | comem |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu como uma pizza todos os dias.” — “I eat a pizza”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | comi |
| tu | comeste |
| ele/ela | comeu |
| nós | comemos |
| vós | comestes |
| eles/elas | comeram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu comi uma pizza ontem.” — “I ate a pizza”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | comia |
| tu | comias |
| ele/ela | comia |
| nós | comíamos |
| vós | comíeis |
| eles/elas | comiam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu comia uma pizza antigamente.” — “I used to eat a pizza”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | comera |
| tu | comeras |
| ele/ela | comera |
| nós | coméramos |
| vós | coméreis |
| eles/elas | comeram |
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 comera uma pizza antes do jantar.” — “I had eaten a pizza”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | comerei |
| tu | comerás |
| ele/ela | comerá |
| nós | comeremos |
| vós | comereis |
| eles/elas | comerão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu comerei uma pizza amanhã.” — “I will eat a pizza”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | comeria |
| tu | comerias |
| ele/ela | comeria |
| nós | comeríamos |
| vós | comeríeis |
| eles/elas | comeriam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu comeria uma pizza um dia.” — “I would eat a pizza”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho comido |
| tu | tens comido |
| ele/ela | tem comido |
| nós | temos comido |
| vós | tendes comido |
| eles/elas | têm comido |
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 comido uma pizza esta semana.” — “He has eaten a pizza”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha comido |
| tu | tinhas comido |
| ele/ela | tinha comido |
| nós | tínhamos comido |
| vós | tínheis comido |
| eles/elas | tinham comido |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha comido uma pizza antes do jantar.” — “I had eaten a pizza”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei comido |
| tu | terás comido |
| ele/ela | terá comido |
| nós | teremos comido |
| vós | tereis comido |
| eles/elas | terão comido |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei comido uma pizza até amanhã.” — “I will have eaten a pizza”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria comido |
| tu | terias comido |
| ele/ela | teria comido |
| nós | teríamos comido |
| vós | teríeis comido |
| eles/elas | teriam comido |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria comido uma pizza ontem.” — “I would have eaten a pizza”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | coma |
| tu | comas |
| ele/ela | coma |
| nós | comamos |
| vós | comais |
| eles/elas | comam |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu coma uma pizza.” — “It is important that I eat a pizza”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | comesse |
| tu | comesses |
| ele/ela | comesse |
| nós | comêssemos |
| vós | comêsseis |
| eles/elas | comessem |
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 comesse uma pizza.” — “It was important that I eat a pizza”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | comer |
| tu | comeres |
| ele/ela | comer |
| nós | comermos |
| vós | comerdes |
| eles/elas | comerem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu comer uma pizza, é bom.” — “If I eat a pizza, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | come |
| ele/ela | coma |
| nós | comamos |
| vós | comei |
| eles/elas | comam |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Come uma pizza!” — “Eat a pizza!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não comas |
| ele/ela | não coma |
| nós | não comamos |
| vós | não comais |
| eles/elas | não comam |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não comas uma pizza.” — “Do not eat a pizza.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha comido |
| tu | tenhas comido |
| ele/ela | tenha comido |
| nós | tenhamos comido |
| vós | tenhais comido |
| eles/elas | tenham comido |
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 comido uma pizza.” — “It is important that I have eaten a pizza”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse comido |
| tu | tivesses comido |
| ele/ela | tivesse comido |
| nós | tivéssemos comido |
| vós | tivésseis comido |
| eles/elas | tivessem comido |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse comido uma pizza.” — “It was important that I had eaten a pizza”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver comido |
| tu | tiveres comido |
| ele/ela | tiver comido |
| nós | tivermos comido |
| vós | tiverdes comido |
| eles/elas | tiverem comido |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver comido uma pizza, é bom.” — “If I have eaten a pizza, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | comendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Comendo uma pizza, aprendo muito.” — “While eating a pizza, I learn a lot.”
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | comido |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho comido uma pizza esta semana.” — “I have eaten a pizza.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with comer, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu como uma pizza todos os dias.” — “I eat a pizza”
- “Tu comeste uma pizza ontem.” — “You ate a pizza”
- “Ele comia uma pizza antigamente.” — “He used to eat a pizza”
- “Eu comerei uma pizza amanhã.” — “I will eat a pizza”
- “Tu comerias uma pizza um dia.” — “You would eat a pizza”
- “Ele tem comido uma pizza esta semana.” — “He has eaten a pizza”
- “Eu tinha comido uma pizza antes do jantar.” — “I had eaten a pizza”
- “Tu terás comido uma pizza até amanhã.” — “You will have eaten a pizza”
- “É importante que eu coma uma pizza.” — “It is important that I eat a pizza”
- “Come uma pizza!” — “Eat a pizza!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu comer uma pizza.”
✓ Right: “Eu como uma pizza todos os dias.”
The infinitive comer never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form como.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu comes uma pizza.”
✓ Right: “Eu como uma pizza todos os dias.”
comes is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with como.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu como uma pizza ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu comi uma pizza ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito comi for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou comido uma pizza.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho comido uma pizza esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of comer is formed with ter plus the past participle comido: the eu form is tenho comido. 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 como uma pizza.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu coma uma pizza.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use coma here, not the indicative como.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho comendo uma pizza.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho comido uma pizza esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle comido, not the gerund comendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on comer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of comer in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) comes
- B) como
- C) come
- D) comemos
What is the ele/ela form of comer in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) comi
- B) comeste
- C) comeu
- D) comemos
What is the nós form of comer in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) comia
- B) comias
- C) comíeis
- D) comíamos
What is the tu form of comer in the Futuro do presente?
- A) comerás
- B) comerei
- C) comerá
- D) comeremos
What is the eu form of comer in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) comerias
- B) comeria
- C) comeríamos
- D) comeríeis
What is the ele/ela form of comer in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho comido
- B) tens comido
- C) tem comido
- D) temos comido
What is the ele/ela form of comer in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) comas
- B) comamos
- C) comais
- D) coma
What is the eu form of comer in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) comesse
- B) comesses
- C) comêssemos
- D) comêsseis
What is the gerund of comer?
- A) comido
- B) comendo
- C) comer
- D) como
What does comer mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to eat
- D) —
Answer key
- B) como — the correct form is como. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) comeu — the correct form is comeu. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) comíamos — the correct form is comíamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) comerás — the correct form is comerás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) comeria — the correct form is comeria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem comido — the correct form is tem comido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) coma — the correct form is coma. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) comesse — the correct form is comesse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) comendo — the correct form is comendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to eat — the correct form is to eat. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does comer mean in English?
comer means “to eat”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is comer regular or irregular?
comer is regular: it follows the ordinary -er pattern in every tense. The gerund is comendo and the past participle is comido.
What are the gerund and past participle of comer?
The gerund is comendo — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is comido — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho comido.
Which auxiliary does comer take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
comer takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho comido. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle comido.
How do I say “I eat” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu como uma pizza todos os dias.” — “I eat a pizza” The eu form of the present is como, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of comer — every tense of comer in one place.
- Comer in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Comer 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 comer with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise comer with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise comer with the interactive tool.