Portuguese conjugation explanation

Spelling change: -çar → -c-

<p>In Portuguese, verbs ending in <strong style="font-style: italic">-çar</strong> undergo a spelling change to preserve the pronunciation of the soft <span style="font-style: italic">c</span> sound (/s/).</p>

<p>The cedilla (<span style="font-style: italic">ç</span>) is only required before the vowels <strong>a</strong>, <strong>o</strong>, and <strong>u</strong> to indicate that the <span style="font-style: italic">c</span> should be soft. However, normally before <strong>e</strong> and <strong>i</strong>, the letter <span style="font-style: italic">c</span> naturally makes the /s/ sound, so the cedilla is not necessary (and technically incorrect).</p>

<p>Therefore, whenever the conjugation requires an ending starting with <strong>e</strong> or <strong>i</strong>, the spelling changes:</p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>ç → c</strong></p>

<p>This change primarily affects:</p>

<ul>

<li>The <strong>first person singular</strong> (eu) of the

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

.</li>

<li>All forms of the

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

.</li>

<li>The formal (você/vocês) and first person plural (nós) forms of the

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

.</li>

</ul>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Examples in Context</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ontem eu <span class="green_emphasis">comecei</span> a trabalhar cedo. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Yesterday I started to work early.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">From

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/come%C3%A7ar/" title="Click to see conjugations for começar" target="_blank">começar</a>

. The ending is <span style="font-style: italic;">-ei</span>, so <span style="font-style: italic;">ç</span> becomes <span style="font-style: italic;">c</span>.</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Espero que você <span class="green_emphasis">alcance</span> seus objetivos. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I hope you reach your goals.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">From

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/alcan%C3%A7ar/" title="Click to see conjugations for alcançar" target="_blank">alcançar</a>

. Subjunctive form with ending <span style="font-style: italic;">-e</span>.</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Eles querem que nós <span class="green_emphasis">almocemos</span> juntos. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They want us to have lunch together.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">From

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/almo%C3%A7ar/" title="Click to see conjugations for almoçar" target="_blank">almoçar</a>

.</div>

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

<p>Common verbs that follow this pattern include:</p>

<ul>

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/come%C3%A7ar/" title="Click to see conjugations for começar" target="_blank">começar</a>

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

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/alcan%C3%A7ar/" title="Click to see conjugations for alcançar" target="_blank">alcançar</a>

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

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/almo%C3%A7ar/" title="Click to see conjugations for almoçar" target="_blank">almoçar</a>

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

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/avan%C3%A7ar/" title="Click to see conjugations for avançar" target="_blank">avançar</a>

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

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/dan%C3%A7ar/" title="Click to see conjugations for dançar" target="_blank">dançar</a>

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

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/lan%C3%A7ar/" title="Click to see conjugations for lançar" target="_blank">lançar</a>

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

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/ca%C3%A7ar/" title="Click to see conjugations for caçar" target="_blank">caçar</a>

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

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/amea%C3%A7ar/" title="Click to see conjugations for ameaçar" target="_blank">ameaçar</a>

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

<li>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/for%C3%A7ar/" title="Click to see conjugations for forçar" target="_blank">forçar</a>

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

</ul>

<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/come%C3%A7ar/" title="Click to see conjugations for começar" target="_blank">começar</a>

, the forms where <strong style="font-style: italic">ç</strong> changes to <strong style="font-style: italic">c</strong> are highlighted.</p>

<h3>Preterite Indicative</h3>

<p>Only the S/1 (<span style="font-style: italic;">eu</span>) form is affected.</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">comecei<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>começaste

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

ele

</span>começou

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

nós

</span>começamos <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>começámos <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>começastes

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

eles

</span>começaram

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<h3>Present Subjunctive</h3>

<p>Since the subjunctive endings for <span style="font-style: italic;">-ar</span> verbs all begin with <strong>e</strong> (<span style="font-style: italic;">-e, -es, -e, -emos, -eis, -em</span>), the entire tense uses <strong>c</strong>.</p>

<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">comece<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">comeces<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">comece<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">comecemos<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">comeceis<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">comecem<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<h3>Imperative</h3>

<p>The formal commands and <span style="font-style: italic;">nós</span> form are derived from the subjunctive, so they use <strong>c</strong>. The informal <span style="font-style: italic;">tu</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">vós</span> forms keep the hard vowel <strong>a</strong>, retaining the <strong>ç</strong>.</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>começa

</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">comece<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">comecemos<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>começai

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

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<p>Similar spelling changes occur in other groups of verbs to maintain pronunciation consistency. For example, see

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/portuguese_orthograpic_change_car_qu/" target="_blank">-car verbs</a>

(where <span style="font-style: italic;">c</span> becomes <span style="font-style: italic;">qu</span>) and

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/portuguese_orthograpic_change_cer_ç/" target="_blank">-cer verbs</a>

(where <span style="font-style: italic;">c</span> becomes <span style="font-style: italic;">ç</span>).</p>