Formation of the Gerund with Regular Verbs

In Portuguese, the gerund form describes an ongoing action, similar to the English present participle ending in "-ing". For regular verbs, the formation of the gerund depends on the verb ending:

• Verbs ending in -ar change to -ando. For example, lavar becomes lavando.
• Verbs ending in -er change to -endo. For example, comer becomes comendo.
• Verbs ending in -ir change to -indo. For example, partir becomes partindo.

Examples:

• Estou aprendendo português. (I am learning Portuguese.)
• Eles estão comendo agora. (They are eating now.)
• Ela está lendo um livro. (She is reading a book.)
• Você está usando o computador? (Are you using the computer?)
• Estamos vivendo em São Paulo. (We are living in São Paulo.)

Formation of the Gerund with Irregular Verbs

Some verbs in Portuguese are irregular and their gerund forms do not follow the standard pattern:

• andar becomes andando
• dizer becomes dizendo
• estar becomes estando
• ir becomes indo
• poder becomes podendo
• sentir becomes sentindo
• ter becomes tendo

Examples:

• Eu estou andando no parque. (I am walking in the park.)
• Ele está dizendo a verdade. (He is telling the truth.)
• Estamos indo para a praia. (We are going to the beach.)
• Você está podendo me ouvir? (Are you able to hear me?)
• Eles estão tendo uma reunião. (They are having a meeting.)

In Portuguese, the use of the gerund is common in everyday expressions, particularly in the continuous form with the verb estar, similar to the English "to be" + "-ing" form. In Brazil, the gerund is prevalent, while in Portugal, it might be expressed differently using other structures.