Portuguese conjugation explanation

Spelling change: -cer → -ç-

<p>The spelling of some verb forms changes in order <strong>to preserve the pronunciation</strong> of the infinitive.</p>

<p>In verbs ending in <strong style="font-style: italic;">-cer</strong>, the consonant <span style="font-style: italic;">c</span> is pronounced as a soft <span style="font-style: italic;">/s/</span> sound because it is followed by the vowel <span style="font-style: italic;">e</span>. However, when <span style="font-style: italic;">c</span> is followed by <span style="font-style: italic;">a</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">o</span>, the pronunciation naturally changes to a hard <span style="font-style: italic;">/k/</span> sound.</p>

<p>To maintain the soft <span style="font-style: italic;">/s/</span> sound found in the infinitive stem, we must replace the <span style="font-style: italic;">c</span> with <span style="font-style: italic;">ç</span> (c-cedilla) whenever it is followed by <strong>a</strong> or <strong>o</strong>.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Common Affected Verbs</div>

<p>This change affects many common verbs, including:</p>

<ul>

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/conhecer/" title="Click to see conjugations for conhecer" target="_blank">conhecer</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to know</span>)</li>

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/parecer/" title="Click to see conjugations for parecer" target="_blank">parecer</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to seem</span>)</li>

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/esquecer/" title="Click to see conjugations for esquecer" target="_blank">esquecer</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to forget</span>)</li>

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/agradecer/" title="Click to see conjugations for agradecer" target="_blank">agradecer</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to thank</span>)</li>

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/vencer/" title="Click to see conjugations for vencer" target="_blank">vencer</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to win</span>)</li>

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/oferecer/" title="Click to see conjugations for oferecer" target="_blank">oferecer</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to offer</span>)</li>

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/nascer/" title="Click to see conjugations for nascer" target="_blank">nascer</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to be born</span>)</li>

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/crescer/" title="Click to see conjugations for crescer" target="_blank">crescer</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to grow</span>)</li>

</ul>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Present Indicative</div>

<p>In the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/1/" target="_blank">Present Indicative</a>

, this spelling change occurs in the first person singular (S/1) because the ending is <strong style="font-style: italic;">-o</strong>.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Eu <span class="green_emphasis">conheço</span> muito bem a cidade. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I know the city very well.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Você <strong>conhece</strong> a cidade? (<span style="font-style: italic;">Do you know the city?</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">Note that the S/2 and S/3 forms keep the <span style="font-style: italic;">c</span> because they end in <span style="font-style: italic;">es</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">e</span>.</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Eu <span class="green_emphasis">agradeço</span> a sua ajuda. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I appreciate your help.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Present Subjunctive</div>

<p>In the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/8/" target="_blank">Present Subjunctive</a>

, the change happens in <strong>all forms</strong> because the personal endings for <em>-er</em> verbs all begin with <strong>a</strong> (<em>-a, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -am</em>).</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">É provável que eles <span class="green_emphasis">vençam</span> o jogo. (<span style="font-style: italic;">It is likely that they will win the game.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ela quer que você não a <span class="green_emphasis">esqueça</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She wants you not to forget her.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Conjugation Tables</div>

<p>In the following tables for the verb

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/conhecer/" title="Click to see conjugations for conhecer" target="_blank">conhecer</a>

, the forms with the <strong>ç</strong> spelling change are highlighted:</p>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/1/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

eu

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">conheço<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

tu

</span>conheces

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

ele

</span>conhece

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

nós

</span>conhecemos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

vós

</span>conheceis

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

eles

</span>conhecem

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/8/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente do Subjuntivo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

que eu

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">conheça<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

que tu

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">conheças<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

que ele

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">conheça<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

que nós

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">conheçamos<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

que vós

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">conheçais<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

que eles

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">conheçam<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<p>The Imperative forms derived from the Present Subjunctive (Você, Nós, Vocês) also require the change:</p>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/11/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperativo Afirmativo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">---</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(tu)

</span>conhece

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(você)

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">conheça<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(nós)

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">conheçamos<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(vós)

</span>conhecei

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(vocês)

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">conheçam<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>