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'Você' and 'a gente' take third-person verbs

English speakers expect verbs to match their subject's meaning exactly. If you are talking to someone, you use the second-person verb forms for "you". If you are talking about yourself and others, you use the first-person plural verb forms for "we".

In Portuguese, however, some very common words for "you" and "we" borrow their verbs from the third person. This means you will use the verb forms for "he", "she", or "they" even when you are talking directly to someone or talking about your own group. Let us look at how words like você and a gente bend the rules.

Word list
a genteA1 we a gente + third-person singular verb a senhoraA1 you a senhora + third-person singular verb o senhormA1 you o senhor + third-person singular verb vocêA1 you você + third-person singular verb vocêsA1 you vocês + third-person plural verb as senhorasA2 you as senhoras + third-person plural verb os senhoresA2 you os senhores + third-person plural verb
The everyday you

The most common word for "you" in Brazil is você. Although it means "you", it grammatically behaves like "he" or "she". You must use the third-person singular verb conjugation.

Você quer um pouco de água?
(Do you want some water?)

When addressing a group of people, you use vocês. This word pairs with the third-person plural verb conjugation, just like the Portuguese word for "they".

Vocês moram no Brasil?
(Do you all live in Brazil?)
The polite you

When speaking to strangers, older people, or in formal situations, Portuguese uses polite titles instead of você. These include o senhor for a man and a senhora for a woman. If you are addressing multiple people formally, you use os senhores or as senhoras.

Just like você and vocês, these formal titles take third-person verbs. Singular titles take singular verbs, and plural titles take plural verbs.

O senhor sabe que horas são?
(Do you know what time it is, sir?)
A senhora gosta deste livro?
(Do you like this book, ma'am?)
Os senhores têm a chave?
(Do you have the key, gentlemen?)
As senhoras estão prontas?
(Are you ready, ladies?)
The informal we

The most surprising member of this group is a gente. In spoken and informal Portuguese, a gente is the standard, everyday way to say "we". However, literally translated, it means "the people".

Because "the people" is a singular group in Portuguese grammar, a gente requires a third-person singular verb. It uses the exact same verb form as você, "he", or "she".

A gente vai amanhã.
(We are going tomorrow.)
A gente estuda todos os dias.
(We study every day.)
Summary

Whenever you use você, o senhor, a senhora, or a gente, remember to use the third-person singular verb. When talking to multiple people using vocês, os senhores, or as senhoras, use the third-person plural verb. The meaning might be "you" or "we", but the grammar is always third person.