It may seem like this would get confusing, but with context there’s usually no problem understanding the intended meaning. That means it’s just one less thing for you to memorize!

Ir and ser are “irregular” verbs, so they do not follow the typical patterns for Portuguese verb endings. Here are the words for was, were, or went, corresponding to each personal pronoun:

fui: eu - I

foste: tu - you(singular,informal)

foi: você/ele/ela - you(singular,formal)/he/she/it

fomos: we - nós

foram: eles/elas/vocês - you(plural)/they(masc.)/they(fem.)

Keep in mind that there is another verb for “to be”, which is estar. This one does not have the same conjugation. The conjugations for ir and ser also match in 2 other tenses: imperfeito do conjuntivo (imperfect subjunctive) and futuro do conjuntivo (future subjunctive), but that’s for another lesson!

Now it’s time for 2 challenges: 1. Can you fill in the blanks to complete these sentences? (without peeking!)

and 2. What does each sentence mean?

• Tu _______ o meu melhor amigo.

• Eles _______ a um café.

• Ele _______ muito simpático.

• Nós _______ a Sintra visitar o palácio.

• A Maria _______ comigo.

• Eu _______ ao cinema novamente.

• O meu cartão de débito _______ recusado.

• Ela _______ naquela direção.

• Nós _______ à praia.

• Elas _______ as primeiras a chegar.

• O aniversário dela _______ há uma semana.

• Eu _______ questionado pela detetive.

• O teste _______ fácil.

• Vocês _______ embora, e ela _______ convosco.

To check your answers and learn more, visit www.PracticePortuguese.com/AnswerKey