Procurar Conjugation in Portuguese
procurar means “to look for” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 70 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to look for something or someone, and it is completely regular: procuro, procuras, procura, procuramos, procurais, procuram. Its pretérito perfeito is procurei, procuraste, procurou, and its participle is procurado. It takes a direct object with no preposition — procuro a Maria. This page gives you the complete conjugation of procurar — 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 procuro a Maria todos os dias.” — “I look for Maria.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: procurar
- English: to look for
- Verb type: Regular -ar verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: procurando
- Present participle: —
- Past participle: procurado
- Auxiliary: ter (all perfect tenses are formed with ter + the past participle)
- Ending: -ar verbs; pattern ar in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for procurar, 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 procurar in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about procurar
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -ar 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 procurado. 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 procurando and the past participle is procurado: 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 procurar. 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 | procuro |
| tu | procuras |
| ele/ela | procura |
| nós | procuramos |
| vós | procurais |
| eles/elas | procuram |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu procuro a Maria todos os dias.” — “I look for Maria”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | procurei |
| tu | procuraste |
| ele/ela | procurou |
| nós | procurámos |
| vós | procurastes |
| eles/elas | procuraram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu procurei a Maria ontem.” — “I looked for Maria”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | procurava |
| tu | procuravas |
| ele/ela | procurava |
| nós | procurávamos |
| vós | procuráveis |
| eles/elas | procuravam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu procurava a Maria antigamente.” — “I used to look for Maria”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | procurara |
| tu | procuraras |
| ele/ela | procurara |
| nós | procuráramos |
| vós | procuráreis |
| eles/elas | procuraram |
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 procurara a Maria antes do jantar.” — “I had looked for Maria”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | procurarei |
| tu | procurarás |
| ele/ela | procurará |
| nós | procuraremos |
| vós | procurareis |
| eles/elas | procurarão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu procurarei a Maria amanhã.” — “I will look for Maria”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | procuraria |
| tu | procurarias |
| ele/ela | procuraria |
| nós | procuraríamos |
| vós | procuraríeis |
| eles/elas | procurariam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu procuraria a Maria um dia.” — “I would look for Maria”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho procurado |
| tu | tens procurado |
| ele/ela | tem procurado |
| nós | temos procurado |
| vós | tendes procurado |
| eles/elas | têm procurado |
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 procurado a Maria esta semana.” — “He has looked for Maria”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha procurado |
| tu | tinhas procurado |
| ele/ela | tinha procurado |
| nós | tínhamos procurado |
| vós | tínheis procurado |
| eles/elas | tinham procurado |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha procurado a Maria antes do jantar.” — “I had looked for Maria”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei procurado |
| tu | terás procurado |
| ele/ela | terá procurado |
| nós | teremos procurado |
| vós | tereis procurado |
| eles/elas | terão procurado |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei procurado a Maria até amanhã.” — “I will have looked for Maria”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria procurado |
| tu | terias procurado |
| ele/ela | teria procurado |
| nós | teríamos procurado |
| vós | teríeis procurado |
| eles/elas | teriam procurado |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria procurado a Maria ontem.” — “I would have looked for Maria”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | procure |
| tu | procures |
| ele/ela | procure |
| nós | procuremos |
| vós | procureis |
| eles/elas | procurem |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu procure a Maria.” — “It is important that I look for Maria”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | procurasse |
| tu | procurasses |
| ele/ela | procurasse |
| nós | procurássemos |
| vós | procurásseis |
| eles/elas | procurassem |
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 procurasse a Maria.” — “It was important that I look for Maria”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | procurar |
| tu | procurares |
| ele/ela | procurar |
| nós | procurarmos |
| vós | procurardes |
| eles/elas | procurarem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu procurar a Maria, é bom.” — “If I look for Maria, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | procura |
| ele/ela | procure |
| nós | procuremos |
| vós | procurai |
| eles/elas | procurem |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Procura a Maria!” — “Look for Maria!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não procures |
| ele/ela | não procure |
| nós | não procuremos |
| vós | não procureis |
| eles/elas | não procurem |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não procures a Maria.” — “Do not look for Maria.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha procurado |
| tu | tenhas procurado |
| ele/ela | tenha procurado |
| nós | tenhamos procurado |
| vós | tenhais procurado |
| eles/elas | tenham procurado |
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 procurado a Maria.” — “It is important that I have looked for Maria”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse procurado |
| tu | tivesses procurado |
| ele/ela | tivesse procurado |
| nós | tivéssemos procurado |
| vós | tivésseis procurado |
| eles/elas | tivessem procurado |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse procurado a Maria.” — “It was important that I had looked for Maria”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver procurado |
| tu | tiveres procurado |
| ele/ela | tiver procurado |
| nós | tivermos procurado |
| vós | tiverdes procurado |
| eles/elas | tiverem procurado |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver procurado a Maria, é bom.” — “If I have looked for Maria, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | procurando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Procurando a Maria, aprendo muito.” — “While looking for Maria, I learn a lot.”
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | procurado |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho procurado a Maria esta semana.” — “I have looked for Maria.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with procurar, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu procuro a Maria todos os dias.” — “I look for Maria”
- “Tu procuraste a Maria ontem.” — “You looked for Maria”
- “Ele procurava a Maria antigamente.” — “He used to look for Maria”
- “Eu procurarei a Maria amanhã.” — “I will look for Maria”
- “Tu procurarias a Maria um dia.” — “You would look for Maria”
- “Ele tem procurado a Maria esta semana.” — “He has looked for Maria”
- “Eu tinha procurado a Maria antes do jantar.” — “I had looked for Maria”
- “Tu terás procurado a Maria até amanhã.” — “You will have looked for Maria”
- “É importante que eu procure a Maria.” — “It is important that I look for Maria”
- “Procura a Maria!” — “Look for Maria!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu procurar a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu procuro a Maria todos os dias.”
The infinitive procurar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form procuro.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu procuras a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu procuro a Maria todos os dias.”
procuras is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with procuro.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu procuro a Maria ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu procurei a Maria ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito procurei for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou procurado a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho procurado a Maria esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of procurar is formed with ter plus the past participle procurado: the eu form is tenho procurado. 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 procuro a Maria.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu procure a Maria.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use procure here, not the indicative procuro.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho procurando a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho procurado a Maria esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle procurado, not the gerund procurando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on procurar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of procurar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) procuras
- B) procuro
- C) procura
- D) procuramos
What is the ele/ela form of procurar in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) procurei
- B) procuraste
- C) procurou
- D) procurámos
What is the nós form of procurar in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) procurava
- B) procuravas
- C) procuráveis
- D) procurávamos
What is the tu form of procurar in the Futuro do presente?
- A) procurarás
- B) procurarei
- C) procurará
- D) procuraremos
What is the eu form of procurar in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) procurarias
- B) procuraria
- C) procuraríamos
- D) procuraríeis
What is the ele/ela form of procurar in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho procurado
- B) tens procurado
- C) tem procurado
- D) temos procurado
What is the ele/ela form of procurar in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) procures
- B) procuremos
- C) procureis
- D) procure
What is the eu form of procurar in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) procurasse
- B) procurasses
- C) procurássemos
- D) procurásseis
What is the gerund of procurar?
- A) procurado
- B) procurando
- C) procurar
- D) procuro
What does procurar mean in English?
- A) to ask for
- B) to receive
- C) to look for
- D) to pay
Answer key
- B) procuro — the correct form is procuro. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) procurou — the correct form is procurou. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) procurávamos — the correct form is procurávamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) procurarás — the correct form is procurarás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) procuraria — the correct form is procuraria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem procurado — the correct form is tem procurado. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) procure — the correct form is procure. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) procurasse — the correct form is procurasse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) procurando — the correct form is procurando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to look for — the correct form is to look for. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does procurar mean in English?
procurar means “to look for”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is procurar regular or irregular?
procurar is regular: it follows the ordinary -ar pattern in every tense. The gerund is procurando and the past participle is procurado.
What are the gerund and past participle of procurar?
The gerund is procurando — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is procurado — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho procurado.
Which auxiliary does procurar take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
procurar takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho procurado. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle procurado.
How do I say “I look for” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu procuro a Maria todos os dias.” — “I look for Maria” The eu form of the present is procuro, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of procurar — every tense of procurar in one place.
- Procurar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Procurar 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.
- Pagar conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Comprar 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 procurar with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise procurar with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise procurar with the interactive tool.