Subir Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Portuguese

subir — to go up — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Portuguese. It is a regular -ir verb, and it comes up in conversation, at work and at home. It means to go up, and it is completely regular: subo, subes, sobe, subimos, subis, subem. Its pretérito perfeito is subi, subiste, subiu, subimos, subistes, subiram, and its participle is subido. It is the opposite of descer, which means to go down. On this page you will find subir in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself. The full conjugation tables are on the subir conjugation page, and the deep dive into its most practised tense is on the subir present tense page.

Example sentences with subir

In the present tense

  • “Eu subo as escadas todos os dias.” — “I go up the stairs”
  • “Tu subes as escadas todos os dias.” — “You go up the stairs”
  • “Ele sube as escadas todos os dias.” — “He goes up the stairs”
  • “Nós subimos as escadas todos os dias.” — “We go up the stairs”
  • “Vós subis as escadas todos os dias.” — “You go up the stairs”
  • “Eles subem as escadas todos os dias.” — “They go up the stairs”

In the pretérito perfeito

  • “Eu subi as escadas ontem.” — “I went up the stairs”
  • “Tu subiste as escadas ontem.” — “You went up the stairs”
  • “Ele subiu as escadas ontem.” — “He went up the stairs”
  • “Nós subimos as escadas ontem.” — “We went up the stairs”
  • “Vós subistes as escadas ontem.” — “You went up the stairs”
  • “Eles subiram as escadas ontem.” — “They went up the stairs”

In other tenses

The same verb in the pretérito imperfeito, the futuro do presente, the futuro do pretérito, the presente do subjuntivo and the imperative — the tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “Eu subia as escadas antigamente.” — “I used to go up the stairs”
  • “Tu subirás as escadas amanhã.” — “You will go up the stairs”
  • “Ele subiria as escadas um dia.” — “He would go up the stairs”
  • “É importante que nós subamos as escadas.” — “It is important that we go up the stairs”
  • “Sube as escadas!” — “Go up the stairs!”

How subir is used

The first thing to know about subir is its core meaning: to go up. It means to go up, and it is completely regular: subo, subes, sobe, subimos, subis, subem. Its pretérito perfeito is subi, subiste, subiu, subimos, subistes, subiram, and its participle is subido. It is the opposite of descer, which means to go down. In everyday speech it appears most often in the present and the pretérito perfeito, the two tenses on this page, because most of what we say is either what we do every day or what we have just done. Learn those two tenses first and the rest of the conjugation becomes a matter of adding forms one at a time. The second thing to know is the company subir keeps. The present eu form is subo, and it pairs naturally with the time words todos os dias and sempre for habits, and with agora for what is happening right now. The pretérito perfeito composto eu form is tenho subido, and it pairs with ontem and esta semana for finished actions. When you learn a verb form, learn its time words with it, and choosing the tense becomes automatic. The third thing to know is what subir does not do. It never appears as a bare infinitive after a subject pronoun — after eu you need subo, never subir. It never takes the wrong auxiliary in the perfect tenses: the pretérito perfeito composto is tenho subido, built with ter, and the other auxiliary does not belong here. And its participle subido is given in the masculine singular form in the tables, with agreement depending on the sentence, not on the verb table.

Subir in context

Eu subo as escadas todos os dias. Tu subes as escadas todos os dias. Ele sube as escadas todos os dias. Nós subimos as escadas todos os dias. That is a normal part of the routine, and that is why the present of subir is the first form worth learning. Each sentence uses a different person, so read them aloud and notice how the form changes — subo, subes, sube, subimos — while the meaning stays the same: to go up. Eu subi as escadas ontem. Tu subiste as escadas ontem. Ele subiu as escadas ontem. Nós subimos as escadas ontem. That was a normal day, but it is exactly on days like this that the pretérito perfeito of subir appears constantly: a finished action, a precise moment, and the story goes on. Compare these sentences with the present ones above: the verb changes tense, but the basic meaning — to go up — does not change. That is the difference between a habit and a finished event.

Common mistakes

1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

✗ Wrong: “Eu subir as escadas.”

✓ Right: “Eu subo as escadas todos os dias.”

The infinitive subir never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form subo.

2. Using the wrong person

✗ Wrong: “Eu subes as escadas.”

✓ Right: “Eu subo as escadas todos os dias.”

subes is the tu form, not the eu form. The eu form is subo — check the person before you write the form.

3. Using the present for a finished past action

✗ Wrong: “Eu subo as escadas ontem.”

✓ Right: “Eu subi as escadas ontem.”

Ontem points to the past, so use the pretérito perfeito subi here, not the present subo.

4. Mixing up the auxiliary

✗ Wrong: “Eu sou subido as escadas.”

✓ Right: “Eu tenho subido as escadas esta semana.”

subir takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto. The eu form is tenho subido — the other auxiliary never belongs with this verb.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on subir across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

  1. What is the tu form of subir in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) subo
    • B) subes
    • C) sube
    • D) subimos

  2. What is the eu form of subir in the Pretérito perfeito composto?

    • A) tens subido
    • B) tem subido
    • C) tenho subido
    • D) temos subido

  3. What is the ele/ela form of subir in the Pretérito imperfeito?

    • A) subias
    • B) subíamos
    • C) subíeis
    • D) subia

  4. What is the nós form of subir in the Futuro do presente?

    • A) subiremos
    • B) subirei
    • C) subirás
    • D) subirá

  5. What is the tu form of subir in the Futuro do pretérito?

    • A) subiria
    • B) subirias
    • C) subiríamos
    • D) subiríeis

  6. What is the eu form of subir in the Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples?

    • A) subiras
    • B) subíramos
    • C) subira
    • D) subíreis

  7. What is the nós form of subir in the Presente do subjuntivo?

    • A) suba
    • B) subas
    • C) subais
    • D) subamos

  8. What is the gerund of subir?

    • A) subindo
    • B) subido
    • C) subir
    • D) subo

  9. What is the past participle of subir?

    • A) subindo
    • B) subido
    • C) subir
    • D) subo

  10. What does subir mean in English?

  • A) to ask for
  • B) to receive
  • C) to go up
  • D) to pay

Answer key

  1. B) subes — the correct form is subes. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) tenho subido — the correct form is tenho subido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) subia — the correct form is subia. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) subiremos — the correct form is subiremos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) subirias — the correct form is subirias. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) subira — the correct form is subira. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) subamos — the correct form is subamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) subindo — the correct form is subindo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  9. B) subido — the correct form is subido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  10. C) to go up — the correct form is to go up. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does subir mean in English?

subir means “to go up”. You use it whenever you talk about to go up in Portuguese, in the present, the past and the future.

Is subir regular or irregular?

subir is regular. subir is regular: every form follows the standard -ir endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

What are the gerund and past participle of subir?

The gerund is subindo and the past participle is subido. The perfect tenses use ter + subido.

Where can I see the full conjugation of subir?

On the subir conjugation page — every tense, every person, with tables. The subir present tense page goes deeper into its most practised tense.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for subir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

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