Responder Conjugation in Portuguese
responder means “to answer” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 47 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to answer, and it is completely regular: respondo, respondes, responde, respondemos, respondeis, respondem. Its pretérito perfeito is respondi, respondeste, respondeu, and its participle is respondido. It takes the question as its object, with a: respondo à pergunta. This page gives you the complete conjugation of responder — 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 respondo à pergunta todos os dias.” — “I answer the question.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: responder
- English: to answer
- Verb type: Regular -er verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: respondendo
- Present participle: respondente
- Past participle: respondido
- 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 responder, 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 responder in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about responder
- 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 respondido. 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 respondendo, the present participle is respondente and the past participle is respondido: 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 responder. 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 | respondo |
| tu | respondes |
| ele/ela | responde |
| nós | respondemos |
| vós | respondeis |
| eles/elas | respondem |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu respondo à pergunta todos os dias.” — “I answer the question”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | respondi |
| tu | respondeste |
| ele/ela | respondeu |
| nós | respondemos |
| vós | respondestes |
| eles/elas | responderam |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu respondi à pergunta ontem.” — “I answered the question”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | respondia |
| tu | respondias |
| ele/ela | respondia |
| nós | respondíamos |
| vós | respondíeis |
| eles/elas | respondiam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu respondia à pergunta antigamente.” — “I used to answer the question”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | respondera |
| tu | responderas |
| ele/ela | respondera |
| nós | respondéramos |
| vós | respondéreis |
| eles/elas | responderam |
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 respondera à pergunta antes do jantar.” — “I had answered the question”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | responderei |
| tu | responderás |
| ele/ela | responderá |
| nós | responderemos |
| vós | respondereis |
| eles/elas | responderão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu responderei à pergunta amanhã.” — “I will answer the question”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | responderia |
| tu | responderias |
| ele/ela | responderia |
| nós | responderíamos |
| vós | responderíeis |
| eles/elas | responderiam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu responderia à pergunta um dia.” — “I would answer the question”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho respondido |
| tu | tens respondido |
| ele/ela | tem respondido |
| nós | temos respondido |
| vós | tendes respondido |
| eles/elas | têm respondido |
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 respondido à pergunta esta semana.” — “He has answered the question”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha respondido |
| tu | tinhas respondido |
| ele/ela | tinha respondido |
| nós | tínhamos respondido |
| vós | tínheis respondido |
| eles/elas | tinham respondido |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha respondido à pergunta antes do jantar.” — “I had answered the question”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei respondido |
| tu | terás respondido |
| ele/ela | terá respondido |
| nós | teremos respondido |
| vós | tereis respondido |
| eles/elas | terão respondido |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei respondido à pergunta até amanhã.” — “I will have answered the question”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria respondido |
| tu | terias respondido |
| ele/ela | teria respondido |
| nós | teríamos respondido |
| vós | teríeis respondido |
| eles/elas | teriam respondido |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria respondido à pergunta ontem.” — “I would have answered the question”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | responda |
| tu | respondas |
| ele/ela | responda |
| nós | respondamos |
| vós | respondais |
| eles/elas | respondam |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu responda à pergunta.” — “It is important that I answer the question”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | respondesse |
| tu | respondesses |
| ele/ela | respondesse |
| nós | respondêssemos |
| vós | respondêsseis |
| eles/elas | respondessem |
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 respondesse à pergunta.” — “It was important that I answer the question”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | responder |
| tu | responderes |
| ele/ela | responder |
| nós | respondermos |
| vós | responderdes |
| eles/elas | responderem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu responder à pergunta, é bom.” — “If I answer the question, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | responde |
| ele/ela | responda |
| nós | respondamos |
| vós | respondei |
| eles/elas | respondam |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Responde à pergunta!” — “Answer the question!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não respondas |
| ele/ela | não responda |
| nós | não respondamos |
| vós | não respondais |
| eles/elas | não respondam |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não respondas à pergunta.” — “Do not answer the question.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha respondido |
| tu | tenhas respondido |
| ele/ela | tenha respondido |
| nós | tenhamos respondido |
| vós | tenhais respondido |
| eles/elas | tenham respondido |
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 respondido à pergunta.” — “It is important that I have answered the question”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse respondido |
| tu | tivesses respondido |
| ele/ela | tivesse respondido |
| nós | tivéssemos respondido |
| vós | tivésseis respondido |
| eles/elas | tivessem respondido |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse respondido à pergunta.” — “It was important that I had answered the question”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver respondido |
| tu | tiveres respondido |
| ele/ela | tiver respondido |
| nós | tivermos respondido |
| vós | tiverdes respondido |
| eles/elas | tiverem respondido |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver respondido à pergunta, é bom.” — “If I have answered the question, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | respondendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Respondendo à pergunta, aprendo muito.” — “While answering the question, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Present participle | respondente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle respondente 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 respondente 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 | respondido |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho respondido à pergunta esta semana.” — “I have answered the question.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with responder, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu respondo à pergunta todos os dias.” — “I answer the question”
- “Tu respondeste à pergunta ontem.” — “You answered the question”
- “Ele respondia à pergunta antigamente.” — “He used to answer the question”
- “Eu responderei à pergunta amanhã.” — “I will answer the question”
- “Tu responderias à pergunta um dia.” — “You would answer the question”
- “Ele tem respondido à pergunta esta semana.” — “He has answered the question”
- “Eu tinha respondido à pergunta antes do jantar.” — “I had answered the question”
- “Tu terás respondido à pergunta até amanhã.” — “You will have answered the question”
- “É importante que eu responda à pergunta.” — “It is important that I answer the question”
- “Responde à pergunta!” — “Answer the question!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu responder à pergunta.”
✓ Right: “Eu respondo à pergunta todos os dias.”
The infinitive responder never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form respondo.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu respondes à pergunta.”
✓ Right: “Eu respondo à pergunta todos os dias.”
respondes is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with respondo.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu respondo à pergunta ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu respondi à pergunta ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito respondi for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou respondido à pergunta.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho respondido à pergunta esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of responder is formed with ter plus the past participle respondido: the eu form is tenho respondido. 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 respondo à pergunta.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu responda à pergunta.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use responda here, not the indicative respondo.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho respondendo à pergunta.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho respondido à pergunta esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle respondido, not the gerund respondendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on responder. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of responder in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) respondes
- B) respondo
- C) responde
- D) respondemos
What is the ele/ela form of responder in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) respondi
- B) respondeste
- C) respondeu
- D) respondemos
What is the nós form of responder in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) respondia
- B) respondias
- C) respondíeis
- D) respondíamos
What is the tu form of responder in the Futuro do presente?
- A) responderás
- B) responderei
- C) responderá
- D) responderemos
What is the eu form of responder in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) responderias
- B) responderia
- C) responderíamos
- D) responderíeis
What is the ele/ela form of responder in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho respondido
- B) tens respondido
- C) tem respondido
- D) temos respondido
What is the ele/ela form of responder in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) respondas
- B) respondamos
- C) respondais
- D) responda
What is the eu form of responder in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) respondesse
- B) respondesses
- C) respondêssemos
- D) respondêsseis
What is the gerund of responder?
- A) respondido
- B) respondendo
- C) responder
- D) respondo
What does responder mean in English?
- A) to ask for
- B) to receive
- C) to answer
- D) to pay
Answer key
- B) respondo — the correct form is respondo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) respondeu — the correct form is respondeu. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) respondíamos — the correct form is respondíamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) responderás — the correct form is responderás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) responderia — the correct form is responderia. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem respondido — the correct form is tem respondido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) responda — the correct form is responda. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) respondesse — the correct form is respondesse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) respondendo — the correct form is respondendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to answer — the correct form is to answer. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does responder mean in English?
responder means “to answer”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is responder regular or irregular?
responder is regular: it follows the ordinary -er pattern in every tense. The gerund is respondendo and the past participle is respondido.
What are the gerund and past participle of responder?
The gerund is respondendo — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is respondido — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho respondido.
Which auxiliary does responder take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
responder takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho respondido. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle respondido.
How do I say “I answer” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu respondo à pergunta todos os dias.” — “I answer the question” The eu form of the present is respondo, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of responder — every tense of responder in one place.
- Responder in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Responder 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.
- 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 responder with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise responder with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise responder with the interactive tool.