Portuguese conjugation explanation

Spelling change: -car → -qu-

<p>The spelling of some verb forms changes in order <strong>to preserve the pronunciation</strong> of the infinitive. For verbs ending in <strong style="font-style: italic;">-car</strong>, the letter <span style="font-style: italic;">c</span> represents the hard <span style="font-style: italic;">/k/</span> sound.</p>

<p>When <span style="font-style: italic;">c</span> is followed by <span style="font-style: italic;">e</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">i</span>, it would normally be pronounced as a soft <span style="font-style: italic;">/s/</span>. To maintain the original <span style="font-style: italic;">/k/</span> sound before these vowels, the spelling must change from <strong style="font-style: italic;">c</strong> to <span class="green_emphasis"><strong>qu</strong></span>.</p>

<p>This change occurs in the following tenses:</p>

<ul>

<li>

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

<li>

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

<li>

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

</ul>

<p>Common verbs that follow this pattern include

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

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

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

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

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

<p>Example with the verb

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

<p style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;">to<span class="in_word_highlight">c</span>ar &#8594; eu to<span class="in_word_highlight">qu</span>ei</p>

<p>In the following conjugation tables, the forms of <span style="font-style: italic;">tocar</span> affected by this 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/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">toquei<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>tocaste

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

ele

</span>tocou

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

nós

</span>tocamos <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>tocámos <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>tocastes

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

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

eles

</span>tocaram

</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">toque<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">toques<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">toque<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">toquemos<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">toqueis<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">toquem<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></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/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>toca

</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">toque<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">toquemos<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>tocai

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

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<p>Similar spelling changes occur in other groups of verbs to preserve stem pronunciation. See also:

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/portuguese_orthograpic_change_gar_gu/" target="_blank">-gar &#8594; -gu-</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/portuguese_orthograpic_change_çar_c/" target="_blank">-çar &#8594; -c-</a>