A2Lesson 1: Present Continuous & Gerund
Brazilian Portuguese strongly prefers gerunds (-ando, -endo, -indo) in many contexts where European Portuguese and other languages use infinitives, making it a defining characteristic of Brazilian speech and essential for sounding authentically Brazilian.
Brazil: Continua chovendo (keeps raining)
Portugal: Continua a chover
After verbs like ficar, continuar, andar, vir, ir → gerund
Perception verbs (ver, ouvir) + gerund: Vi ele correndo
Progressive auxiliary verbs take gerund: anda fazendo, vem dizendo
Simultaneous actions use gerund: Trabalha cantando
Purpose/intention still uses infinitive: Veio para falar
This preference is uniquely Brazilian
Use an infinitive where Brazilians expect a gerund and you'll immediately sound foreign or overly formal! This isn't just a minor preference – it's one of the biggest differences between Brazilian and European Portuguese. Saying "Continua a trabalhar" instead of "Continua trabalhando" marks you as either Portuguese or someone who learned from European textbooks. Master this preference and you'll sound naturally Brazilian in everyday conversation.
auxiliary/perception verb + gerund (Brazil) vs. verb + a/de + infinitive (Portugal)
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| Verb | Meaning | Brazil (Gerund) | Portugal (Infinitive) |
|---|---|---|---|
| continuar | continue | continua fazendo | continua a fazer |
| ficar | keep/stay | fica falando | fica a falar |
| andar | go around | anda dizendo | anda a dizer |
| vir | have been | vem melhorando | vem a melhorar |
| seguir | keep on | segue trabalhando | segue a trabalhar |
| acabar | end up | acabou concordando | acabou por concordar |
"Continua trabalhando lá?" (Still working there?)
"Fica ligando pra mim" (Keeps calling me)
"Ando pensando em viajar" (I've been thinking about traveling)
"Ela vem reclamando disso" (She's been complaining about that)
"Seguiu cantando no chuveiro" (Kept singing in the shower)
"Vi você entrando na loja" (I saw you entering the store)
"Ouço os vizinhos discutindo" (I hear the neighbors arguing)
"Encontrei ele estudando" (I found him studying)
"Senti a casa tremendo" (I felt the house shaking)
"Começar" can take both constructions:
Começou a chover (Started to rain) - more traditional
Começou chovendo (Started raining) - increasingly common
Both are acceptable in Brazil
Weather strongly prefers gerund:
Continua chovendo ✓
Parou de chover ✓ (after preposition)
Está nevando ✓
Vai esquentando ✓
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