Introduction

Levantar means “to lift”, and this page covers exactly one thing: levantar 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 levantar, 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 levantar in the present. It means to lift and to get up, and it is completely regular. As a daily-routine verb it usually appears with a time word — levanto cedo — and it is the natural partner of acordar, which means to wake up. For example: “Ele levanta cedo todos os dias.” — “He gets up early.” Everything on this page uses the forms of levantar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Levantar in the Present — full table

Person Form
eu levanto
tu levantas
ele/ela levanta
nós levantamos
vós levantais
eles/elas levantam
Gerund: levantando · Past participle: levantado
The gerund is levantando, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Levantando cedo, aprendo muito.” — “While getting up early, I learn a lot.” The past participle is levantado, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho levantado 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 levantar is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for levantar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of levantar is formed

The present tense of levantar has six forms: eu levanto, tu levantas, ele levanta, nós levantamos, vós levantais, eles levantam. Say them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. levantar 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 levantar 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 levantamos and levantais pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Portuguese uses where English would often use the continuous form, so levanto can mean both “I get up” and “I am getting up” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because levantar 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 levantar

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

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about levantar does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Ele levanta cedo todos os dias.” — “He gets up early.”

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 levantar 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 levantamos cedo todos os dias.” — “We get up early.”

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 levantas cedo todos os dias.” — “You get up early.”

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 levantar in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Eles levantam cedo todos os dias.” — “They get up early.”

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 levanta cedo todos os dias.” — “He gets up early”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele levantou cedo ontem.” — “He got up early”
  • 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 levanto cedo todos os dias.” — “I get up early”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu levantei cedo ontem.” — “I got up early”
  • 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 levantas cedo todos os dias.” — “You get up early”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu levantaste cedo ontem.” — “You got up early”
  • 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: levantar 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 levanto cedo todos os dias.” — “I get up early”
  2. “Tu levantas cedo todos os dias.” — “You get up early”
  3. “Ele levanta cedo todos os dias.” — “He gets up early”
  4. “Nós levantamos cedo todos os dias.” — “We get up early”
  5. “Vós levantais cedo todos os dias.” — “You get up early”
  6. “Eles levantam cedo todos os dias.” — “They get up early”
  7. “Eu levanto cedo todos os dias.” — “I get up early”
  8. “Ele levanta cedo todos os dias.” — “He gets up early”

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

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 levantar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) levantas
    • B) levanto
    • C) levanta
    • D) levantamos

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

    • A) levanto
    • B) levanta
    • C) levantas
    • D) levantamos

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

    • A) levanto
    • B) levantas
    • C) levantamos
    • D) levanta

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

    • A) levantamos
    • B) levanto
    • C) levantas
    • D) levanta

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

    • A) levanto
    • B) levantais
    • C) levantas
    • D) levanta

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

    • A) levanto
    • B) levantas
    • C) levantam
    • D) levanta

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

    • A) levantas
    • B) levanta
    • C) levantamos
    • D) levanto

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

    • A) levantas
    • B) levanto
    • C) levanta
    • D) levantamos

Answer key

  1. B) levanto — the correct form is levanto. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) levantas — the correct form is levantas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) levanta — the correct form is levanta. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) levantamos — the correct form is levantamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) levantais — the correct form is levantais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) levantam — the correct form is levantam. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) levanto — the correct form is levanto. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) levantas — the correct form is levantas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does levantar mean in English?

levantar means “to lift”. It is a regular -ar verb.

How is the present tense of levantar formed?

The six present forms are: eu levanto, tu levantas, ele levanta, nós levantamos, vós levantais, eles levantam. levantar 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 levantar?

The gerund is levantando and the past participle is levantado.

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