Sorrir Conjugation in Portuguese
sorrir means “to smile” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 43 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to smile, and it is irregular in the present and the subjunctive: the present is sorrio, sorris, sorri, sorrimos, sorrides, sorriem, and the pretérito perfeito is regular — sorri, sorriste, sorriu, sorrimos, sorristes, sorriram. Its participle is sorrido and its gerund is sorrindo. Do not confuse it with rir, which means to laugh. This page gives you the complete conjugation of sorrir — 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 sorrio para a Maria todos os dias.” — “I smile at Maria.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: sorrir
- English: to smile
- Verb type: Irregular -ir verb
- Irregular in: presente, presente do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo
- Gerund: sorrindo
- Present participle: sorridente
- Past participle: sorrido
- Auxiliary: ter (all perfect tenses are formed with ter + the past participle)
- Ending: -ir verbs; pattern ir in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for sorrir, 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 sorrir in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about sorrir
- It is irregular in 4 tense(s): presente, presente do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo. Learn those forms as a set instead of guessing them from the infinitive, because the stem changes in ways no rule predicts.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle sorrido. 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 sorrindo, the present participle is sorridente and the past participle is sorrido: 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 sorrir. 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 | sorrio |
| tu | sorris |
| ele/ela | sorri |
| nós | sorrimos |
| vós | sorrides |
| eles/elas | sorriem |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu sorrio para a Maria todos os dias.” — “I smile at Maria”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | sorri |
| tu | sorriste |
| ele/ela | sorriu |
| nós | sorrimos |
| vós | sorristes |
| eles/elas | sorriram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu sorri para a Maria ontem.” — “I smiled at Maria”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | sorria |
| tu | sorrias |
| ele/ela | sorria |
| nós | sorríamos |
| vós | sorríeis |
| eles/elas | sorriam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu sorria para a Maria antigamente.” — “I used to smile at Maria”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | sorrira |
| tu | sorriras |
| ele/ela | sorrira |
| nós | sorríramos |
| vós | sorríreis |
| eles/elas | sorriram |
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 sorrira para a Maria antes do jantar.” — “I had smiled at Maria”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | sorrirei |
| tu | sorrirás |
| ele/ela | sorrirá |
| nós | sorriremos |
| vós | sorrireis |
| eles/elas | sorrirão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu sorrirei para a Maria amanhã.” — “I will smile at Maria”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | sorriria |
| tu | sorririas |
| ele/ela | sorriria |
| nós | sorriríamos |
| vós | sorriríeis |
| eles/elas | sorririam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu sorriria para a Maria um dia.” — “I would smile at Maria”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho sorrido |
| tu | tens sorrido |
| ele/ela | tem sorrido |
| nós | temos sorrido |
| vós | tendes sorrido |
| eles/elas | têm sorrido |
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 sorrido para a Maria esta semana.” — “He has smiled at Maria”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha sorrido |
| tu | tinhas sorrido |
| ele/ela | tinha sorrido |
| nós | tínhamos sorrido |
| vós | tínheis sorrido |
| eles/elas | tinham sorrido |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha sorrido para a Maria antes do jantar.” — “I had smiled at Maria”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei sorrido |
| tu | terás sorrido |
| ele/ela | terá sorrido |
| nós | teremos sorrido |
| vós | tereis sorrido |
| eles/elas | terão sorrido |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei sorrido para a Maria até amanhã.” — “I will have smiled at Maria”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria sorrido |
| tu | terias sorrido |
| ele/ela | teria sorrido |
| nós | teríamos sorrido |
| vós | teríeis sorrido |
| eles/elas | teriam sorrido |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria sorrido para a Maria ontem.” — “I would have smiled at Maria”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | sorria |
| tu | sorrias |
| ele/ela | sorria |
| nós | sorriamos |
| vós | sorriais |
| eles/elas | sorriam |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu sorria para a Maria.” — “It is important that I smile at Maria”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | sorrisse |
| tu | sorrisses |
| ele/ela | sorrisse |
| nós | sorríssemos |
| vós | sorrísseis |
| eles/elas | sorrissem |
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 sorrisse para a Maria.” — “It was important that I smile at Maria”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | sorrir |
| tu | sorrires |
| ele/ela | sorrir |
| nós | sorrirmos |
| vós | sorrirdes |
| eles/elas | sorrirem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu sorrir para a Maria, é bom.” — “If I smile at Maria, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | sorri |
| ele/ela | sorria |
| nós | sorriamos |
| vós | sorride |
| eles/elas | sorriam |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Sorri para a Maria!” — “Smile at Maria!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não sorrias |
| ele/ela | não sorria |
| nós | não sorriamos |
| vós | não sorriais |
| eles/elas | não sorriam |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não sorrias para a Maria.” — “Do not smile at Maria.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha sorrido |
| tu | tenhas sorrido |
| ele/ela | tenha sorrido |
| nós | tenhamos sorrido |
| vós | tenhais sorrido |
| eles/elas | tenham sorrido |
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 sorrido para a Maria.” — “It is important that I have smiled at Maria”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse sorrido |
| tu | tivesses sorrido |
| ele/ela | tivesse sorrido |
| nós | tivéssemos sorrido |
| vós | tivésseis sorrido |
| eles/elas | tivessem sorrido |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse sorrido para a Maria.” — “It was important that I had smiled at Maria”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver sorrido |
| tu | tiveres sorrido |
| ele/ela | tiver sorrido |
| nós | tivermos sorrido |
| vós | tiverdes sorrido |
| eles/elas | tiverem sorrido |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver sorrido para a Maria, é bom.” — “If I have smiled at Maria, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | sorrindo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Sorrindo para a Maria, aprendo muito.” — “While smiling at Maria, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Present participle | sorridente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle sorridente 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 sorridente 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 | sorrido |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho sorrido para a Maria esta semana.” — “I have smiled at Maria.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with sorrir, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu sorrio para a Maria todos os dias.” — “I smile at Maria”
- “Tu sorriste para a Maria ontem.” — “You smiled at Maria”
- “Ele sorria para a Maria antigamente.” — “He used to smile at Maria”
- “Eu sorrirei para a Maria amanhã.” — “I will smile at Maria”
- “Tu sorririas para a Maria um dia.” — “You would smile at Maria”
- “Ele tem sorrido para a Maria esta semana.” — “He has smiled at Maria”
- “Eu tinha sorrido para a Maria antes do jantar.” — “I had smiled at Maria”
- “Tu terás sorrido para a Maria até amanhã.” — “You will have smiled at Maria”
- “É importante que eu sorria para a Maria.” — “It is important that I smile at Maria”
- “Sorri para a Maria!” — “Smile at Maria!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu sorrir para a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu sorrio para a Maria todos os dias.”
The infinitive sorrir never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form sorrio.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu sorris para a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu sorrio para a Maria todos os dias.”
sorris is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with sorrio.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu sorrio para a Maria ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu sorri para a Maria ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito sorri for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou sorrido para a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho sorrido para a Maria esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of sorrir is formed with ter plus the past participle sorrido: the eu form is tenho sorrido. 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 sorrio para a Maria.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu sorria para a Maria.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use sorria here, not the indicative sorrio.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho sorrindo para a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho sorrido para a Maria esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle sorrido, not the gerund sorrindo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on sorrir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of sorrir in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) sorris
- B) sorrio
- C) sorri
- D) sorrimos
What is the ele/ela form of sorrir in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) sorri
- B) sorriste
- C) sorriu
- D) sorrimos
What is the nós form of sorrir in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) sorria
- B) sorrias
- C) sorríeis
- D) sorríamos
What is the tu form of sorrir in the Futuro do presente?
- A) sorrirás
- B) sorrirei
- C) sorrirá
- D) sorriremos
What is the eu form of sorrir in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) sorririas
- B) sorriria
- C) sorriríamos
- D) sorriríeis
What is the ele/ela form of sorrir in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho sorrido
- B) tens sorrido
- C) tem sorrido
- D) temos sorrido
What is the ele/ela form of sorrir in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) sorrias
- B) sorriamos
- C) sorriais
- D) sorria
What is the eu form of sorrir in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) sorrisse
- B) sorrisses
- C) sorríssemos
- D) sorrísseis
What is the gerund of sorrir?
- A) sorrido
- B) sorrindo
- C) sorrir
- D) sorrio
What does sorrir mean in English?
- A) to ask for
- B) to receive
- C) to smile
- D) to pay
Answer key
- B) sorrio — the correct form is sorrio. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) sorriu — the correct form is sorriu. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) sorríamos — the correct form is sorríamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) sorrirás — the correct form is sorrirás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) sorriria — the correct form is sorriria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem sorrido — the correct form is tem sorrido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) sorria — the correct form is sorria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) sorrisse — the correct form is sorrisse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) sorrindo — the correct form is sorrindo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to smile — the correct form is to smile. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does sorrir mean in English?
sorrir means “to smile”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is sorrir regular or irregular?
sorrir is irregular: it is irregular in presente, presente do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo. The gerund is sorrindo and the past participle is sorrido.
What are the gerund and past participle of sorrir?
The gerund is sorrindo — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is sorrido — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho sorrido.
Which auxiliary does sorrir take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
sorrir takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho sorrido. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle sorrido.
How do I say “I smile” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu sorrio para a Maria todos os dias.” — “I smile at Maria” The eu form of the present is sorrio, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of sorrir — every tense of sorrir in one place.
- Sorrir in the pretérito perfeito tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Sorrir 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.
- Portuguese irregular verbs — every common irregular Portuguese verb, grouped by pattern.
- Pedir conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Abrir 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 sorrir with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise sorrir with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise sorrir with the interactive tool.