The learning path
All 133 grammar topics in the order in which they support one another — numbered from 1 to 133.
Your progress at a glance
Your progress at a glanceEach petal is a category: easy topics on the inside, hard ones on the outside. Tap a petal to see only its topics.
Where are you right now?
- A1Introducing yourself, asking questions, saying everyday things.
- Words first · 6 · 1/2Words first · 5 · 2/2The alphabetTwenty-six letters, their names, and how to spell a name out loud.
- Words first · 9 · 1/2Words first · 9 · 2/2The vowelsStressed, they sound full; unstressed, hardly at all.
- Words first · 6 · 1/2Words first · 6 · 2/2Nasal vowels: ã, õ, ãoThe vowel goes through the nose — with no n to be heard.
- Words first · 7 · 1/3Words first · 7 · 2/3Words first · 7 · 3/3Consonants: s, z, r, lh, nh, chThe letters that do not sound the way English reads them.
- Words first · 10Stress and accentsWhere the stress falls — and when an accent shows it.
- Words first · 8ser — being what staysSix forms, none regular — and no article in front of your job.
- Words first · 4Present tense: -ar verbsYour only ending is an -s on « he » — and here the -s belongs to « you ».
- Words first · 8 · 1/2Words first · 7 · 2/2Definite article: o, a, os, asFour forms, and nothing about the next word decides which — only the noun's own gender.
- Words first · 6Masculine or feminineEnglish has no gender to transfer — but four words in five say theirs out loud.
- Words first · 6Asking a questionThe voice goes up and the sentence stays as it is.
- Words first · 8Place and direction: a, para, emYour single « to » is two here, and the difference is whether you come back.
- Words first · 7Forms of address: tu, vocêThree ways of saying « you », and the polite one conjugates like « he ».
- Words first · 7estar — being what passesestar a plus the infinitive is your -ing form, built out of a preposition.
- Words first · 6Present tense: -er, -ir verbsTwo groups, and they part company in exactly one form.
- Words first · 8Simple past (pretérito perfeito)No auxiliary at all — there is nothing to choose and nothing to put in front.
- Words first · 6Going to: ir + infinitiveGoing to, minus the to.
- Words first · 8ser or estar« The soup is cold » is either a recipe or a complaint, and here you have to say which.
- Words first · 1poder and querer: can, wantThese conjugate all the way through; « can » cannot even manage a participle.
- Words first · 9Contractions: do, na, ao, peloFour prepositions swallow the article — almost always.
- Words first · 9The pluralAdding -s is the reflex, and it fails on animal, homem and hotel.
- Words first · 10Adjective agreementFour forms if it ends in -o, two if it does not — and a two-word colour has one.
- Words first · 4Possessives: meu, teu, seuseu is not « his » — it is « your », and « his » goes behind the noun.
- Words first · 5Negation with nãoOne word before the verb — and « yes » is answered with the verb itself.
- Words first · 9Expressions with terYou are twenty; here you have twenty years.
- Words first · 6The prepositions a, em, deThe fusion is compulsory: there is no de o, no em o, no a o.
- Words first · 6Everyday polite phrases« Thank you » changes with who is speaking, not with who is thanked.
- Words first · 3Irregular verbs in the presentSix verbs — and one of them, with its own family, has the only infinitives in the language ending in -or.
- Words first · 6The indefinite article« She is a doctor » loses its article — and an adjective brings it back.
- Words first · 6 · 1/2Words first · 6 · 2/2Numbers, the time and the dateNumbers have a gender, and the time of day is plural.
- Words first · 2The question words« What is your name? » asks with « which » here.
- Words first · 8há — there is« There is » and « there are » are the same word, and it never goes plural.
- A2Talking about what happened and saying what comes next.
- Words first · 4Where the adjective standsYour one position is the marked one here.
- Words first · 3Demonstratives: este, esse, aqueleYou have two distances; here there are three, and the middle one belongs to the person you are talking to.
- Words first · 3gostar de and similar verbs« I like » keeps its subject here; « I need » and « I feel like » lose theirs.
- Words first · 6Imperfect (imperfeito)Four irregular verbs in the whole tense — and it doubles as the polite « I would like ».
- Words first · 5The imperative for tuYour bare verb; here it is the « he speaks » form.
- Words first · 3The three ways of saying « must »« Have to », « must » and « need » — the same three, cut along a different line.
- Words first · 1Nouns in -ão and their pluralsThree plurals for one ending — and mãos and mães are not the same word.
- Words first · 7Stem-changing verbsOne form changes and five do not — and the temptation is to change all six.
- Words first · 4Articles where English has none« The my car » is the ordinary way to say it here.
- Words first · 5Comparisons: mais … do queEverything takes mais — except the four words you use most.
- Object pronouns: o, a, lheIt hangs on the back with a hyphen — and the verb loses a letter to make room.
- Words first · 9The verb ficar: stay, become, beWhere the station is, and what you became — one verb for both.
- Words first · 3Perfeito or imperfeito?Length is the wrong test, and « for ten years » is the sentence that proves it.
- Words first · 5Present for the futureEnglish splits this between two presents; Portuguese has one.
- Words first · 4Formal imperative: vocêOne form for asking, telling and the instructions on a packet.
- Words first · 4To know: saber or conhecerAnd in the past they stop meaning know and start meaning found out and met.
- Words first · 1The reflexive verbs« I wash myself » is a strange thing to say; lavo-me is not.
- Words first · 5The participle: falado, feito, escrito-ado and -ido — and a good dozen verbs that do it differently.
- Words first · 10Infinitive without preposition« Can » is three different verbs here.
- Words first · 6 · 1/2Words first · 5 · 2/2Diminutives: -inho, -inhaIt reaches adverbs too — and sozinho no longer means « a bit alone ».
- Words first · 4Verbs with a fixed preposition« I like fish » has no preposition; gosto de peixe cannot do without one.
- Words first · 4Double negatives: não … nadaWhere the negative word stands decides whether não is there at all.
- Words first · 2Relative pronouns: que, quemThe same word introduces « that he came » and « the man that came ».
- Words first · 3Polite verb forms: queriaPoliteness is a verb form here, not a word added to the end.
- Words first · 4Absolute superlative: -íssimoOne of the two compares with somebody; the other compares with nobody.
- Words first · 1Pronouns after prepositionscomigo is one word, and you cannot see the com in it.
- Written accentsThe accent writes a different word, and both words exist.
- Present progressive: estar aYour -ing form is compulsory; this one is an emphasis, and using it for a habit says something odd.
- Words first · 1Articles with countries and namesPortugal takes none and Brazil takes one — and the exceptions are a short list.
- Words first · 2Irregular past: fui, tiveOne form belongs to two verbs: fui is « I was » and « I went ».
- Words first · 2Pronouns with the imperativeTwo pronouns can fuse into one word: dá-mo.
- Words first · 1Asking politelyWhere English reaches for « would », this reaches for a past tense.
- Words first · 3Possession with de: do Pedro« Pedro's car » is o carro do Pedro — with an article inside the fusion.
- Words first · 5Adverbs in -mente« Drive fast » has no counterpart here — and -mente hangs on the feminine.
- Words first · 5todo and tudo, algum and nenhumtodo goes with a noun, tudo stands alone — one letter apart.
- Words first · 5Capitals and punctuationYour quotation marks are not used here, and dialogue opens with a dash.
- B1Explaining how things connect, giving reasons, reporting.
- Words first · 7Verb phrases: voltar a, andar a« Again » and « these days » are not words here — they are verbs.
- Words first · 6Simple future (futuro simples)The future you would only ever write.
- Words first · 10The passive with serThe participle agrees like an adjective, which English participles never do.
- Words first · 2Subjunctive: the formsBuilt from the « I » form, which is why the irregular verbs come out right.
- Words first · 5Gender that changes meaning« Capital » is one word in English too — here the article separates the two.
- Words first · 3Mustn't and needn'tThe two halves differ by a preposition: não tens de against não podes.
- Words first · 2Impersonal se: vende-seThe verb agrees with the thing sold: vende-se casa, vendem-se casas.
- Words first · 4Verb + a + infinitive« Going to » is here just going, with nothing in between.
- Words first · 2por or paraOne English « for » where Portuguese has a reason and a destination.
- Words first · 2The personal infinitive« Before we leave » is one word here — an infinitive with a person on it.
- Words first · 2Reported statementsThe listener is hung onto the verb — and one word unhooks it.
- Conditional (condicional)« Would » does four jobs in English; this form takes two of them.
- Words first · 4The passive with seThis is the one you will actually hear — and it cannot name who did it.
- Words first · 4What triggers the subjunctiveIt is a list of trigger words, not a feeling — and « I don't think » is on it.
- Words first · 7 · 1/2Words first · 7 · 2/2Compound nounsYour two nouns swap places and a de appears between them — and it is always de.
- Words first · 4Verb + de + infinitive« I have just arrived » is a verb here, not an adverb.
- Words first · 1Spelling changes in the presentTwo of these rules add a letter and two swap one — and none of them is an irregularity.
- Words first · 1Pluperfect (mais-que-perfeito)There is a one-word version, falara, that you need to read and never to say.
- Words first · 2First conditional: se tiver« If I have time » takes a form here that English cannot even name.
- Words first · 2The negative imperativeThe polarity changes the form for a friend and leaves it alone for a stranger.
- Guessing with deverDuty or guess is decided by the word after it, not by the verb.
- Words first · 1Each other: reciprocal se« Get on well » is dar-se bem — a reflexive where English has none.
- Pronoun position: before the verbFour kinds of word pull it forward, and they are in every other sentence.
- Words first · 1Indirect questionsYou already know to undo the inversion; here there is none — what goes is the é que.
- Words first · 1Address without a pronounThe politest address contains no word for « you » at all.
- Words first · 1Portugal vs BrazilYou already live with lift and elevator — same split, same rule: pick one.
- Words first · 3Verbs that take a, de and emOne verb, three continuations — and « to give up » is none of them.
- Words first · 8Choosing a future formThe form nearest your grammar book is the one you will use least.
- Words first · 5estar + participle: the stateAfter estar it is simply an adjective — you can put « very » in front of it.
- Words first · 2The future subjunctiveThe one form to be learnt from nothing: no English word corresponds to it.
- Words first · 4Collective nouns: a gentea gente means « we » and takes the verb form of « he ».
- Words first · 5Adjective + infinitive« Something to drink » picks its own preposition, and « to » does not say which.
- Words first · 3Adjectives + prepositionThree prepositions carry nearly all of them, and yours is no guide.
- Words first · 2Conjunctions: embora, porque« Although » takes a subjunctive; « despite » takes an infinitive that carries its own subject.
- Words first · 1Reported requests« He told us to wait » leaves out who waits. Here the verb says it.
- Words first · 3Advising and recommendingThree weights of advice, and the heaviest is already a reproach.
- Words first · 2Verbs that change with seThe same verb twice: esquecer takes an object, esquecer-se takes a preposition.
- Words first · 1The future after quando and seEnglish forbids a future after « when »; Portuguese demands a tense of its own.
- Words first · 2Third person plural as passive« I was told » cannot be built here; « they told me » stands in its place.
- Words first · 6The conjuntivo in relative clausesWhoever is not yet known goes into the conjuntivo.
- Words first · 5Professions in the feminineThe -ista group behaves like every English job title: only the article moves.
- Words first · 3estar a and the gerúndioYou already make this difference; here it is built two different ways.
- B2Getting exact: stance, degree, subordinate clause.
- Second conditional: se tivesse« If I were » extended to every verb — and the main clause has two right answers.
- Words first · 4Tense shift in reported speechThree of your past forms arrive here as one.
- Words first · 3The future for guesses« Onde estarão as chaves? » is a question English cannot ask this way.
- Past subjunctive: fosse, tivesse« If I were » is the survivor; here that same mood has a full set of forms.
- Words first · 2Conditions without seOnly se takes the future subjunctive; the others take the present one.
- Perfeito composto: tenho faladoIt looks exactly like « I have spoken » and means « I keep speaking ».
- Modals in the past« Wouldn't » means refused in English too — and here it is a tense.
- Words first · 5mandar and deixar + infinitive« Let » and « leave » are one verb here.
- Words first · 9Relative pronouns: cujo, o qual« Whose » agrees with the thing owned, not the owner.
- Reported questionsOne se does two jobs, and only one of them takes that tense.
- Words first · 5Mixed conditionsThe condition is in the past and the consequence is now — English mixes them too.
- Words first · 2Future perfect (futuro composto)Two jobs: what will be done by Friday, and what probably happened yesterday.
- Words first · 2The conjuntivo perfeito and the sequence of tensesA main clause in the present and a subordinate clause that looks back.
- Words first · 8The reporting verbs« Say » and « tell » are one verb, and a pronoun carries the difference.
- Words first · 3Wishes and regretsThere is no verb for « I wish »: two phrases do the work, and one is Arabic.
- C1The fine grain: tone, register, rare forms.
- Words first · 5Subject after the verb« Your mother did » has no equivalent; here the answer is the word order.
- Third conditional: se tivesse sabido« If I had known, I would have come » — the same shape, and the participle never moves.
- Words first · 3Mesoclisis: dar-lhe-eiA pronoun wedged into the middle of the verb — English has nothing remotely like it.
- Words first · 7 · 1/2Words first · 6 · 2/2Rules and signs« No smoking » is a gerund; here the sign takes an infinitive.
- Words first · 7 · 1/2Words first · 7 · 2/2The nominal style« After leaving » has no form here, so the choice is a noun or a clause.
- Words first · 7Connectors instead of se« Provided that » is desde que — and with the wrong mood it means « since ».
- Words first · 10Hedging and softeningYour hedging sits in a modal verb; here it sits in which word you pick — and it changes the mood.
- C2The rest — the part native speakers look up too.
- Words first · 4The simple form in -raA tense you mostly read — and two phrases everybody says.
- Words first · 4The pronoun in elevated languageWhere the pronoun stands in careful writing — and what you need to read but hardly ever write.
The finish: the whole grammar
133 topics, from the first sentences to the finishing touches.
How to read the path. Every dot is a grammar topic; a click opens it. The colour of a dot is its category, the colour of the path is the difficulty — green and easy at the top, berry red and hard at the bottom. Within a level the categories follow one another, but you need not take them in order: you can work on a tense and on a topic from another category side by side.
On every topic page you can note how well it has sunk in — understood or not sure yet. The path shows it here and highlights the next open topic.
Your progress is kept only in your browser. Without JavaScript every topic is still listed, just without your progress.