Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.
Quick answer
Vem is singular; vêm adds the circumflex for a plural subject.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
What each word does
vem
comes, singular
Use vem for the present form of vir with ele, ela, or você.
vêm
come, plural
Use vêm for the present form of vir with eles, elas, or vocês.
How to choose
- vem: Choose vem if the sentence points to the present form of vir with ele, ela, or você.
- vêm: Choose vêm if the sentence points to the present form of vir with eles, elas, or vocês.
Examples
Ele vem de ônibus.
He comes by bus.
Eles vêm de ônibus.
They come by bus.
Common trap
Do not add an extra e. The plural of vem is vêm, while veem belongs to the verb ver.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with vem, then once with vêm. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.