Portuguese conjugation explanation

Stress rules and accent marks

<p>In Portuguese, accent marks (like <strong>´</strong> and <strong>^</strong>) are not random decoration. They are primarily used to indicate where the <strong>stress</strong> (emphasis) falls in a word when it breaks the standard pronunciation rules. Understanding these rules is the key to knowing when to spell a verb with an accent mark.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">The Two "Natural" Rules</div>

<p>To know if a verb needs a written accent, you first need to know where the stress naturally falls without one.</p>

<ul>

<li>

<p><strong>Rule 1: The Penultimate Rule</strong><br />If a word ends in <strong>a, e, o</strong>, <strong>am, em</strong>, or <strong>s</strong>, the stress naturally falls on the <strong>second-to-last</strong> syllable. <u>No visible accent is needed.</u></p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">fa-<span class="green_emphasis">la</span>-mos (<span style="font-style: italic;">we speak</span>) &#8594; ends in <strong>s</strong>, stress is regular.</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">can-<span class="green_emphasis">ta</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">he sings</span>) &#8594; ends in <strong>a</strong>, stress is regular.</div>

</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Rule 2: The Ultimate Rule</strong><br />If a word ends in <strong>i, u, r, l, z</strong>, the stress naturally falls on the <strong>last</strong> syllable. <u>No visible accent is needed.</u> This is why infinitives do not have accents.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">fa-<span class="green_emphasis">lar</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">to speak</span>) &#8594; ends in <strong>r</strong>, stress is regular.</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">par-<span class="green_emphasis">ti</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">I left</span>) &#8594; ends in <strong>i</strong>, stress is regular.</div>

</li>

</ul>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">When to use an Accent Mark</div>

<p>You generally write an accent mark when a verb <strong>breaks</strong> the natural rules above. The most common example is distinguishing

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

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

<div class="table_container">

<div class="two_column_table">

<div><div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Regular: fala</strong></div></div>

<div><div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Irregular: está</strong></div></div>

<div>Ends in <strong>a</strong>.</div>

<div>Ends in <strong>a</strong>.</div>

<div>Stress is on the <strong>penultimate</strong> (fa-la).</div>

<div>Stress is on the <strong>last</strong> (es-ta).</div>

<div>Follows Rule 1.<br><span class="green_emphasis">No accent needed.</span></div>

<div>Breaks Rule 1.<br><span class="green_emphasis">Needs accent (á).</span></div>

</div>

</div>

<p>This is why forms of

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

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

<p>Compare the

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

<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">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

eu

</span>falo

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

tu

</span>falas

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

ele

</span>fala

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

nós

</span>falamos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

vós

</span>falais

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

eles

</span>falam

</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/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">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

eu

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">estou<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">

tu

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">estás<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">

ele

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">está<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">

nós

</span>estamos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

vós

</span>estais

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

eles

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

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">The "Boot" Pattern (Root Stress)</div>

<p>In the Present Tense, most verbs follow a shape often called the "boot." The stress falls on the <strong>stem (root)</strong> for the singular forms and the third person plural. These forms end in ordinary vowels, so they follow the natural stress rule and <strong>do not</strong> need accents.</p>

<p>Notice how the stress shifts in

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

<ul>

<li><strong>Eu <span class="green_emphasis">mo</span>-ro</strong> (Stress on stem)</li>

<li><strong>Nós mo-<span class="green_emphasis">ra</span>-mos</strong> (Stress shifts to the ending)</li>

</ul>

<p>In conjugation tables, the naturally stressed stems are highlighted below. Because they follow Rule 1 (ending in o, a, am), they require no accent marks:</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>moro

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

tu

</span>moras

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

ele

</span>mora

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

nós

</span>moramos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

vós

</span>morais

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

eles

</span>moram

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Special Case: Hiatus (i and u)</div>

<p>Sometimes an accent acts as a separator. If the letters <strong>i</strong> or <strong>u</strong> are stressed and stand alone (or with 's') between vowels, they get an acute accent. This prevents them from blending into a diphthong/glide.</p>

<p>Some typical examples include:</p>

<ul>

<li>

<div><strong>saír:</strong>

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

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Eu <strong>saí</strong> ontem. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I went out yesterday.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">Without the accent, it might be read like "sai" (rhyming with 'pie'), but it is pronounced "sa-í".</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>saudar:</strong>

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

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Eu <strong>saúdo</strong> o rei. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I greet the king.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">The accent separates the 'a' and 'u' into two distinct syllables: sa-ú-do.</div>

</li>

</ul>

<br />

<p>Related topic:

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/portuguese_accents_ter_vir/" target="_blank">Singular vs. Plural accents (tem/têm)</a>