Participial Verbs: When Verbs Become Adjectives
Explore participial verbs, their regular and irregular forms, and how to correctly use participles in different contexts.
By FaleBrasil
Participial verbs represent one of the nominal forms of verbs, often functioning as adjectives. The participle is essential for forming compound tenses and the passive voice, while also enriching expression through its adjectival function.
What is a Participle?
The participle is a nominal verb form that:
- Expresses the result of an action
- Functions as an adjective
- Forms compound tenses
- Constructs the passive voice
- Can have regular or irregular forms
Formation of Regular Participles
1st Conjugation Verbs (-ar)
| Infinitive | Stem | Participle |
|---|---|---|
| amar | am- | amado |
| cantar | cant- | cantado |
| estudar | estud- | estudado |
2nd and 3rd Conjugation Verbs (-er, -ir)
| Infinitive | Stem | Participle |
|---|---|---|
| vender | vend- | vendido |
| partir | part- | partido |
| receber | receb- | recebido |
Irregular Participles
Main Irregular Forms
| Infinitive | Irregular Participle | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| abrir | aberto | A porta está aberta (door is open) |
| cobrir | coberto | O carro está coberto (car is covered) |
| dizer | dito | Dito e feito (said and done) |
| escrever | escrito | O livro foi escrito (book was written) |
| fazer | feito | O trabalho está feito (work is done) |
| pôr | posto | O livro foi posto na mesa (book was placed) |
| ver | visto | O filme foi visto (movie was seen) |
| vir | vindo | Bem-vindo! (Welcome!) |
Verbs with Double Participles
Some verbs have two participle forms:
Usage of Double Forms
| Verb | Regular | Irregular | Regular Usage | Irregular Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aceitar | aceitado | aceito | Tinha aceitado (had accepted) | Foi aceito (was accepted) |
| eleger | elegido | eleito | Havia elegido (had elected) | Foi eleito (was elected) |
| imprimir | imprimido | impresso | Tinha imprimido (had printed) | Está impresso (is printed) |
| prender | prendido | preso | Tinha prendido (had arrested) | Foi preso (was arrested) |
| suspender | suspendido | suspenso | Havia suspendido (had suspended) | Está suspenso (is suspended) |
General Rule
- Regular form: with auxiliaries TER and HAVER
- Irregular form: with auxiliaries SER and ESTAR
Functions of the Participle
1. Compound Tenses
- Present Perfect: Tenho estudado muito (I have been studying a lot)
- Past Perfect: Tinha chegado cedo (Had arrived early)
- Future Perfect: Terei terminado amanhã (I will have finished tomorrow)
2. Passive Voice
- Simple Passive: O livro foi lido (The book was read)
- Compound Passive: O livro tem sido lido (The book has been read)
- Passive with Estar: A porta está fechada (The door is closed)
3. Adjectival Function
The participle as adjective agrees in gender and number:
- Homem cansado / Mulher cansada (tired man/woman)
- Livros lidos / Revistas lidas (read books/magazines)
- Porta aberta / Portão aberto (open door/gate)
Reduced Participle Clauses
Structure and Usage
- Temporal: Terminada a reunião, todos saíram (Meeting finished, everyone left)
- Causal: Cansado da viagem, dormiu cedo (Tired from the trip, he slept early)
- Conditional: Aceitas as condições, assinaremos o contrato (Conditions accepted, we’ll sign)
Equivalence with Developed Clauses
| Reduced | Developed |
|---|---|
| Lido o livro, fez o resumo | After reading the book, he made… |
| Eleito presidente, mudou | When elected president, he changed… |
| Fechada a porta, saiu | After closing the door, he left |
Present Participle vs. Past Participle
Present Participle (rare in Portuguese)
- Forms: amante, ouvinte, seguinte (lover, listener, following)
- Function: mainly nouns and adjectives
- Not used in compound tenses
Past Participle (common)
- Forms: amado, ouvido, seguido (loved, heard, followed)
- Function: compound tenses, passive voice, adjective
- Widely used in the language
Common Errors
1. Form Confusion
❌ O documento foi imprimido
✅ O documento foi impresso (The document was printed)
❌ Tinha pego o livro
✅ Tinha pegado o livro (Had taken the book)
2. Incorrect Agreement
❌ As portas estão aberto
✅ As portas estão abertas (The doors are open)
❌ Ela está cansado
✅ Ela está cansada (She is tired)
Participles in Literature
Great writers explore the expressiveness of participles:
- Camões: “Cessem do sábio Grego e do Troiano / As navegações grandes que fizeram”
- Machado: “Marcela loved me for fifteen months and eleven contos de réis”
- Drummond: “In the middle of the road there was a stone”
Importance of Participles
Mastering participles allows:
- ✅ Correctly forming compound tenses
- ✅ Constructing passive voice
- ✅ Enriching expression with adjectival function
- ✅ Creating elegant reduced clauses
- ✅ Avoiding unnecessary repetitions
Conclusion
The participle is a versatile verbal form that transcends its original function, becoming an adjective and essential element in constructing complex structures. Mastering it is fundamental for fluency and elegance in Portuguese expression.