Past Participles
Past participles are verbal forms that are used in combination with the verb
Past participles in English usually end in “ — ed” and are similar to the past tense form: “talked” and “have talked.” However, there are some that end in “ — en,” such as “written” and “given”; use of these forms is decreasing, especially in colloquial speech. On the other hand, past participles are very frequently used in Portuguese.
The following table shows how to arrive at the past participle form of the verb.
— ar verbs > drop the — ar ending and add — ado ( — ados, — ada, — adas)
— er verbs > drop the — er ending and add — ido ( — idos, — ida, — idas)
— ir verbs > drop the — ir ending and add — ido ( — idos, — ida — idas)
However, there are some irregular past participles in Portuguese.
The following are sample sentences with the
TRACK 75
estar + past participle |
English |
The restaurant is open. |
|
The door is closed. |
|
The checks are signed. |
|
The tables are set. |
Notice that with the past participle after the verb
Exercise: Past Participles
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the past participle of the verb in parentheses. Check your answers in Appendix C.
As portas estavam _________________(abrir) . (The doors were open.)O mecânico está muito _________________(ocupar) . (The mechanic is very busy.)O que está _________________(escrever) ali? (What is written there?)A mesa está _________________(pôr) para o jantar . (The table is set for the dinner.)Os bancos estão _________________(cobrir) de neve . (The benches are covered with snow.)
