Introduction

Tentar means “to try”, and this page covers exactly one thing: tentar 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 tentar, 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 tentar in the present. It means to try, and it is completely regular: tento, tentas, tenta, tentamos, tentais, tentam. It can take a noun or an infinitive — tento aprender português — and it is the verb for attempts of every kind. For example: “Ele tenta aprender português todos os dias.” — “He tries to learn Portuguese.” Everything on this page uses the forms of tentar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Tentar in the Present — full table

Person Form
eu tento
tu tentas
ele/ela tenta
nós tentamos
vós tentais
eles/elas tentam
Gerund: tentando · Past participle: tentado
The gerund is tentando, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Tentando aprender português, aprendo muito.” — “While trying to learn Portuguese, I learn a lot.” The past participle is tentado, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho tentado 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 tentar is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for tentar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of tentar is formed

The present tense of tentar has six forms: eu tento, tu tentas, ele tenta, nós tentamos, vós tentais, eles tentam. Say them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. tentar 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 tentar 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 tentamos and tentais pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Portuguese uses where English would often use the continuous form, so tento can mean both “I try” and “I am trying” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because tentar 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 tentar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use tentar 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 tentar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos os dias, sempre or todas as semanas to make the routine explicit. Example: “Eu tento aprender português todos os dias.” — “I try to learn Portuguese.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about tentar does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Ele tenta aprender português todos os dias.” — “He tries to learn Portuguese.”

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 tentar 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 tentamos aprender português todos os dias.” — “We try to learn Portuguese.”

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 tentas aprender português todos os dias.” — “You try to learn Portuguese.”

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 tentar in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Eles tentam aprender português todos os dias.” — “They try to learn Portuguese.”

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 tenta aprender português todos os dias.” — “He tries to learn Portuguese”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele tentou aprender português ontem.” — “He tried to learn Portuguese”
  • 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 tento aprender português todos os dias.” — “I try to learn Portuguese”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu tentei aprender português ontem.” — “I tried to learn Portuguese”
  • 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 tentas aprender português todos os dias.” — “You try to learn Portuguese”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu tentaste aprender português ontem.” — “You tried to learn Portuguese”
  • 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: tentar 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.

  1. “Eu tento aprender português todos os dias.” — “I try to learn Portuguese”
  2. “Tu tentas aprender português todos os dias.” — “You try to learn Portuguese”
  3. “Ele tenta aprender português todos os dias.” — “He tries to learn Portuguese”
  4. “Nós tentamos aprender português todos os dias.” — “We try to learn Portuguese”
  5. “Vós tentais aprender português todos os dias.” — “You try to learn Portuguese”
  6. “Eles tentam aprender português todos os dias.” — “They try to learn Portuguese”
  7. “Eu tento aprender português todos os dias.” — “I try to learn Portuguese”
  8. “Ele tenta aprender português todos os dias.” — “He tries to learn Portuguese”

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 tentas aprender português.” Right: “Eu tento aprender português todos os dias.” Why: The eu form is tento, not tentas. tentas is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nós tento aprender português.” Right: “Nós tentamos aprender português todos os dias.” Why: Nós needs the nós form tentamos. tento belongs with eu only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Eu tento aprender português todos os dias ontem.” Right: “Eu tentei aprender português ontem.” Why: Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito tentei for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Eu tentar aprender português.” Right: “Eu tento aprender português todos os dias.” Why: The infinitive tentar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated form tento.

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.

  1. What is the eu form of tentar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) tentas
    • B) tento
    • C) tenta
    • D) tentamos

  2. What is the tu form of tentar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) tento
    • B) tenta
    • C) tentas
    • D) tentamos

  3. What is the ele/ela form of tentar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) tento
    • B) tentas
    • C) tentamos
    • D) tenta

  4. What is the nós form of tentar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) tentamos
    • B) tento
    • C) tentas
    • D) tenta

  5. What is the vós form of tentar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) tento
    • B) tentais
    • C) tentas
    • D) tenta

  6. What is the eles/elas form of tentar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) tento
    • B) tentas
    • C) tentam
    • D) tenta

  7. What is the eu form of tentar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) tentas
    • B) tenta
    • C) tentamos
    • D) tento

  8. What is the tu form of tentar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) tentas
    • B) tento
    • C) tenta
    • D) tentamos

Answer key

  1. B) tento — the correct form is tento. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) tentas — the correct form is tentas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) tenta — the correct form is tenta. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) tentamos — the correct form is tentamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) tentais — the correct form is tentais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) tentam — the correct form is tentam. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) tento — the correct form is tento. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) tentas — the correct form is tentas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does tentar mean in English?

tentar means “to try”. It is a regular -ar verb.

How is the present tense of tentar formed?

The six present forms are: eu tento, tu tentas, ele tenta, nós tentamos, vós tentais, eles tentam. tentar 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 tentar?

The gerund is tentando and the past participle is tentado.

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