Parecer Conjugation in Portuguese
parecer means “to seem” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 55 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to seem, and it is regular apart from its spelling: the stem-final c becomes ç before a and o, so the eu form is pareço. Its present is pareço, pareces, parece, and its pretérito perfeito is pareci, pareceste, pareceu. It is often used in the phrase parece que, meaning it seems that. This page gives you the complete conjugation of parecer — 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 pareço feliz todos os dias.” — “I seem happy.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: parecer
- English: to seem
- Verb type: Regular -er verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: parecendo
- Present participle: parecente
- Past participle: parecido
- 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 parecer, 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 parecer in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about parecer
- 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 stem-final c becomes ç before a and o, so the eu form is pareço and the subjunctive eu form is pareça.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle parecido. 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 parecendo, the present participle is parecente and the past participle is parecido: keep all three in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions, the present participle appears as an adjective, and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those three 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 parecer. 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 | pareço |
| tu | pareces |
| ele/ela | parece |
| nós | parecemos |
| vós | pareceis |
| eles/elas | parecem |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu pareço feliz todos os dias.” — “I seem happy”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | pareci |
| tu | pareceste |
| ele/ela | pareceu |
| nós | parecemos |
| vós | parecestes |
| eles/elas | pareceram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu pareci feliz ontem.” — “I seemed happy”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | parecia |
| tu | parecias |
| ele/ela | parecia |
| nós | parecíamos |
| vós | parecíeis |
| eles/elas | pareciam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu parecia feliz antigamente.” — “I used to seem happy”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | parecera |
| tu | pareceras |
| ele/ela | parecera |
| nós | parecéramos |
| vós | parecéreis |
| eles/elas | pareceram |
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 parecera feliz antes do jantar.” — “I had seemed happy”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | parecerei |
| tu | parecerás |
| ele/ela | parecerá |
| nós | pareceremos |
| vós | parecereis |
| eles/elas | parecerão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu parecerei feliz amanhã.” — “I will seem happy”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | pareceria |
| tu | parecerias |
| ele/ela | pareceria |
| nós | pareceríamos |
| vós | pareceríeis |
| eles/elas | pareceriam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu pareceria feliz um dia.” — “I would seem happy”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho parecido |
| tu | tens parecido |
| ele/ela | tem parecido |
| nós | temos parecido |
| vós | tendes parecido |
| eles/elas | têm parecido |
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 parecido feliz esta semana.” — “He has seemed happy”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha parecido |
| tu | tinhas parecido |
| ele/ela | tinha parecido |
| nós | tínhamos parecido |
| vós | tínheis parecido |
| eles/elas | tinham parecido |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha parecido feliz antes do jantar.” — “I had seemed happy”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei parecido |
| tu | terás parecido |
| ele/ela | terá parecido |
| nós | teremos parecido |
| vós | tereis parecido |
| eles/elas | terão parecido |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei parecido feliz até amanhã.” — “I will have seemed happy”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria parecido |
| tu | terias parecido |
| ele/ela | teria parecido |
| nós | teríamos parecido |
| vós | teríeis parecido |
| eles/elas | teriam parecido |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria parecido feliz ontem.” — “I would have seemed happy”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | pareça |
| tu | pareças |
| ele/ela | pareça |
| nós | pareçamos |
| vós | pareçais |
| eles/elas | pareçam |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu pareça feliz.” — “It is important that I seem happy”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | parecesse |
| tu | parecesses |
| ele/ela | parecesse |
| nós | parecêssemos |
| vós | parecêsseis |
| eles/elas | parecessem |
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 parecesse feliz.” — “It was important that I seem happy”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | parecer |
| tu | pareceres |
| ele/ela | parecer |
| nós | parecermos |
| vós | parecerdes |
| eles/elas | parecerem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu parecer feliz, é bom.” — “If I seem happy, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | parece |
| ele/ela | pareça |
| nós | pareçamos |
| vós | parecei |
| eles/elas | pareçam |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Parece feliz!” — “Seem happy!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não pareças |
| ele/ela | não pareça |
| nós | não pareçamos |
| vós | não pareçais |
| eles/elas | não pareçam |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não pareças feliz.” — “Do not seem happy.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha parecido |
| tu | tenhas parecido |
| ele/ela | tenha parecido |
| nós | tenhamos parecido |
| vós | tenhais parecido |
| eles/elas | tenham parecido |
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 parecido feliz.” — “It is important that I have seemed happy”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse parecido |
| tu | tivesses parecido |
| ele/ela | tivesse parecido |
| nós | tivéssemos parecido |
| vós | tivésseis parecido |
| eles/elas | tivessem parecido |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse parecido feliz.” — “It was important that I had seemed happy”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver parecido |
| tu | tiveres parecido |
| ele/ela | tiver parecido |
| nós | tivermos parecido |
| vós | tiverdes parecido |
| eles/elas | tiverem parecido |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver parecido feliz, é bom.” — “If I have seemed happy, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | parecendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Parecendo feliz, aprendo muito.” — “While seeming happy, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Present participle | parecente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle parecente is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective. You will meet parecente more often as an adjective or a noun than as a verb form, so learn it as a word in its own right.
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | parecido |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho parecido feliz esta semana.” — “I have seemed happy.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with parecer, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu pareço feliz todos os dias.” — “I seem happy”
- “Tu pareceste feliz ontem.” — “You seemed happy”
- “Ele parecia feliz antigamente.” — “He used to seem happy”
- “Eu parecerei feliz amanhã.” — “I will seem happy”
- “Tu parecerias feliz um dia.” — “You would seem happy”
- “Ele tem parecido feliz esta semana.” — “He has seemed happy”
- “Eu tinha parecido feliz antes do jantar.” — “I had seemed happy”
- “Tu terás parecido feliz até amanhã.” — “You will have seemed happy”
- “É importante que eu pareça feliz.” — “It is important that I seem happy”
- “Parece feliz!” — “Seem happy!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu parecer feliz.”
✓ Right: “Eu pareço feliz todos os dias.”
The infinitive parecer never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form pareço.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu pareces feliz.”
✓ Right: “Eu pareço feliz todos os dias.”
pareces is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with pareço.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu pareço feliz ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu pareci feliz ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito pareci for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou parecido feliz.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho parecido feliz esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of parecer is formed with ter plus the past participle parecido: the eu form is tenho parecido. 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 pareço feliz.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu pareça feliz.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use pareça here, not the indicative pareço.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho parecendo feliz.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho parecido feliz esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle parecido, not the gerund parecendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on parecer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of parecer in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) pareces
- B) pareço
- C) parece
- D) parecemos
What is the ele/ela form of parecer in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) pareci
- B) pareceste
- C) pareceu
- D) parecemos
What is the nós form of parecer in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) parecia
- B) parecias
- C) parecíeis
- D) parecíamos
What is the tu form of parecer in the Futuro do presente?
- A) parecerás
- B) parecerei
- C) parecerá
- D) pareceremos
What is the eu form of parecer in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) parecerias
- B) pareceria
- C) pareceríamos
- D) pareceríeis
What is the ele/ela form of parecer in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho parecido
- B) tens parecido
- C) tem parecido
- D) temos parecido
What is the ele/ela form of parecer in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) pareças
- B) pareçamos
- C) pareçais
- D) pareça
What is the eu form of parecer in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) parecesse
- B) parecesses
- C) parecêssemos
- D) parecêsseis
What is the gerund of parecer?
- A) parecido
- B) parecendo
- C) parecer
- D) pareço
What does parecer mean in English?
- A) to ask for
- B) to receive
- C) to seem
- D) to pay
Answer key
- B) pareço — the correct form is pareço. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) pareceu — the correct form is pareceu. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) parecíamos — the correct form is parecíamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) parecerás — the correct form is parecerás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) pareceria — the correct form is pareceria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem parecido — the correct form is tem parecido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) pareça — the correct form is pareça. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) parecesse — the correct form is parecesse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) parecendo — the correct form is parecendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to seem — the correct form is to seem. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does parecer mean in English?
parecer means “to seem”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is parecer regular or irregular?
parecer is regular: it follows the ordinary -er pattern in every tense. The gerund is parecendo and the past participle is parecido.
What are the gerund and past participle of parecer?
The gerund is parecendo — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is parecido — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho parecido.
Which auxiliary does parecer take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
parecer takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho parecido. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle parecido.
How do I say “I seem” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu pareço feliz todos os dias.” — “I seem happy” The eu form of the present is pareço, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of parecer — every tense of parecer in one place.
- Parecer in the pretérito perfeito tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Parecer examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Portuguese pretérito perfeito tense guide — the full guide to the pretérito perfeito tense in Portuguese.
- Receber conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Vender 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 parecer with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise parecer with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise parecer with the interactive tool.