Portuguese conjugation explanation

Spelling change: -gar → -gu-

<p>In Portuguese, the pronunciation of the letter <strong>g</strong> depends on the vowel that follows it. It has a "hard" sound (/g/, like in <span style="font-style: italic;">gate</span>) before <strong>a</strong>, <strong>o</strong>, and <strong>u</strong>, but a "soft" sound (/ʒ/, like in <span style="font-style: italic;">measure</span>) before <strong>e</strong> and <strong>i</strong>.</p>

<p>For verbs ending in <strong style="font-style: italic;">-gar</strong> (like

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

or

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

), the stem always ends in a hard /g/ sound. However, some conjugation endings start with the letter <strong>e</strong>. If we simply added the <em>e</em>, the pronunciation would change to a soft sound.</p>

<p>To <strong>preserve the hard /g/ sound</strong> of the infinitive, we must change the spelling from <span style="font-style: italic;">g</span> to <strong>gu</strong> before the letter <em>e</em>.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;"> -gar → <span class="in_word_highlight">gu</span>e </p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Affected Tenses</div>

<p>This change occurs primarily in the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/2/" target="_blank">Preterite</a>

(first person singular) and the

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

(all persons).</p>

<ul>

<li>

<div><strong>Preterite (S/1):</strong></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Eu <span class="green_emphasis">cheguei</span> atrasado ao escritório. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I arrived late to the office.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>Present Subjunctive:</strong></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">É importante que você <span class="green_emphasis">pague</span> a conta hoje. (<span style="font-style: italic;">It is important that you pay the bill today.</span>)</div>

</li>

</ul>

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

<p>This rule applies to all verbs ending in <span style="font-style: italic;">-gar</span>. Common examples include:</p>

<ul>

<li>

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

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

<li>

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

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

<li>

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

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

<li>

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

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

<li>

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

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

<li>

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

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

<li>

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

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

<li>

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

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

<li>

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

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

<li>

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

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

</ul>

<p>In the following conjugation tables, the affected verb forms of

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

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/2/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Pretérito Perfeito</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">cheguei<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>chegaste

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

ele

</span>chegou

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

nós

</span>chegamos <img src="/static/main/images/flags/brazil.png" title="Brazilian"></span>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

nós

</span>chegámos <img src="/static/main/images/flags/portugal.png" title="European"></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

vós

</span>chegastes

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

eles

</span>chegaram

</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">chegue<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">chegues<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">chegue<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">cheguemos<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">chegueis<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">cheguem<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<p>The

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/11/" target="_blank">Imperative</a>

forms derived from the subjunctive also undergo this spelling 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>chega

</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">chegue<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">cheguemos<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>chegai

</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">cheguem<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<p>A similar change happens with verbs ending in <span style="font-style: italic;">-car</span>. See:

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/portuguese_orthograpic_change_car_qu/" target="_blank">Spelling change: -car → -qu-</a>

.</p>