Introduction
Usar means “to use”, and this page covers exactly one thing: usar 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 usar, 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 usar in the present. It means to use, and it is completely regular: uso, usas, usa, usamos, usais, usam. Its pretérito perfeito is usei, usaste, usou, and its participle is usado. It is the verb for using anything, from a computer to a word. For example: “Ele usa um computador todos os dias.” — “He uses a computer.” Everything on this page uses the forms of usar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Usar in the Present — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | uso |
| tu | usas |
| ele/ela | usa |
| nós | usamos |
| vós | usais |
| eles/elas | usam |
| Gerund: usando · Past participle: usado | |
| The gerund is usando, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Usando um computador, aprendo muito.” — “While using a computer, I learn a lot.” The past participle is usado, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho usado 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 usar is used. | |
| Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for usar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. |
How the present of usar is formed
The present tense of usar has six forms: eu uso, tu usas, ele usa, nós usamos, vós usais, eles usam. Say them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. usar 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 usar 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 usamos and usais pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Portuguese uses where English would often use the continuous form, so uso can mean both “I use” and “I am using” — context tells the listener which one you mean.
Because usar 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 usar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use usar 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 usar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos os dias, sempre or todas as semanas to make the routine explicit. Example: “Eu uso um computador todos os dias.” — “I use a computer.”
2. General truths
Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about usar does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Ele usa um computador todos os dias.” — “He uses a computer.”
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 usar 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 usamos um computador todos os dias.” — “We use a computer.”
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 usas um computador todos os dias.” — “You use a computer.”
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 usar in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Eles usam um computador todos os dias.” — “They use a computer.”
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 usa um computador todos os dias.” — “He uses a computer”
- Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele usou um computador ontem.” — “He used a computer”
- 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 uso um computador todos os dias.” — “I use a computer”
- Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu usei um computador ontem.” — “I used a computer”
- 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 usas um computador todos os dias.” — “You use a computer”
- Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu usaste um computador ontem.” — “You used a computer”
- 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: usar 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.
- “Eu uso um computador todos os dias.” — “I use a computer”
- “Tu usas um computador todos os dias.” — “You use a computer”
- “Ele usa um computador todos os dias.” — “He uses a computer”
- “Nós usamos um computador todos os dias.” — “We use a computer”
- “Vós usais um computador todos os dias.” — “You use a computer”
- “Eles usam um computador todos os dias.” — “They use a computer”
- “Eu uso um computador todos os dias.” — “I use a computer”
- “Ele usa um computador todos os dias.” — “He uses a computer”
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 usas um computador.” Right: “Eu uso um computador todos os dias.” Why: The eu form is uso, not usas. usas is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
- Wrong: “Nós uso um computador.” Right: “Nós usamos um computador todos os dias.” Why: Nós needs the nós form usamos. uso belongs with eu only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
- Wrong: “Eu uso um computador todos os dias ontem.” Right: “Eu usei um computador ontem.” Why: Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito usei for a finished action yesterday.
- Wrong: “Eu usar um computador.” Right: “Eu uso um computador todos os dias.” Why: The infinitive usar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated form uso.
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.
What is the eu form of usar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) usas
- B) uso
- C) usa
- D) usamos
What is the tu form of usar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) uso
- B) usa
- C) usas
- D) usamos
What is the ele/ela form of usar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) uso
- B) usas
- C) usamos
- D) usa
What is the nós form of usar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) usamos
- B) uso
- C) usas
- D) usa
What is the vós form of usar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) uso
- B) usais
- C) usas
- D) usa
What is the eles/elas form of usar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) uso
- B) usas
- C) usam
- D) usa
What is the eu form of usar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) usas
- B) usa
- C) usamos
- D) uso
What is the tu form of usar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) usas
- B) uso
- C) usa
- D) usamos
Answer key
- B) uso — the correct form is uso. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) usas — the correct form is usas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) usa — the correct form is usa. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) usamos — the correct form is usamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) usais — the correct form is usais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) usam — the correct form is usam. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) uso — the correct form is uso. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) usas — the correct form is usas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does usar mean in English?
usar means “to use”. It is a regular -ar verb.
How is the present tense of usar formed?
The six present forms are: eu uso, tu usas, ele usa, nós usamos, vós usais, eles usam. usar 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 usar?
The gerund is usando and the past participle is usado.
Related pages
- usar conjugation — full tables
- usar examples and quiz
- Portuguese present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense in Portuguese.
- Pagar conjugation — another Portuguese verb in this batch.
- Comprar conjugation — another Portuguese verb in this batch.
- Portuguese verbs — the full hub of Portuguese conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise usar with the interactive tool.
- Verb Quiz — practise usar with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise usar with the interactive tool.