Verb VIR (to come)

In Portuguese, vir is an irregular verb. This means it changes its stem quite often. You cannot just drop the ending and add a standard one. It behaves like a shapeshifter. In the present tense, the "I" form looks very different from the "he/she" form. In the past, it changes even more. It is like a grammar traffic light. You have to stop and think for a second before you go. The most important thing to remember is the direction. Vir always implies coming toward the speaker or a specific point of reference. If you are at a party and call a friend, you ask if they are vindo. If you are at home and they are at the party, you use a different verb. It is all about your perspective.

1. 1To master vir, you need to memorize its core forms. It does not play fair, but it is consistent in its weirdness. Here is how you build it in the Present Tense:
2. 2Start with the irregular "I" form: Eu venho. Notice that extra nh? It adds a nasal sound.
3. 3For "you/he/she," use Você/Ele/Ela vem. It is short and punchy.
4. 4For "we," use Nós vimos. Yes, this looks like the past tense of "to see," but context helps!
5. 5For "they/you all," use Eles/Elas/Vocês vêm. Notice the circumflex accent (^). It is crucial for the plural.
6. 6In the Past Tense (Pretérito Perfeito), it changes again:
7. 7Eu vim (I came).
8. 8Você/Ele/Ela veio (He/She/You came).
9. 9Nós viemos (We came).
10. 10Eles/Vocês vieram (They/You all came).

Use vir whenever someone or something is moving toward your current location.

• Physical movement: Você vem à minha casa? (Are you coming to my house?).
• Origin: Eu venho do Brasil. (I come from Brazil). This is how you tell people where you are from.
• Events: O carnaval vem aí! (Carnival is coming!).
• Invitations: Quer vir conosco? (Do you want to come with us?).

Imagine you are at a cafe. You see a friend walking toward you. You would say, "Ele vem vindo" (He is coming). Or imagine a job interview. The recruiter asks, "De onde você vem?" (Where do you come from?). It is perfect for professional and casual settings alike. Even native speakers mess up the accents sometimes, so take your time!

Do not use vir if the movement is away from you. This is the biggest trap for English speakers. In English, we sometimes say "I'm coming!" when we are actually leaving our house to go to a friend. In Portuguese, if you are leaving your house to go to them, you use ir (to go).

• Wrong: Eu venho para a sua casa agora. (If you are not there yet).
• Right: Eu vou para a sua casa agora. (I am going to your house now).

Also, do not confuse vir (to come) with ver (to see). They look like twins but act like strangers. Eu vi means "I saw," but Eu vim means "I came." Think of the m in vim as "Movement."

One of the most common slips is the accent in the plural. Ele vem (singular) has no accent. Eles vêm (plural) has the ^ accent. If you forget it, it looks like the singular. Another mistake is mixing up vimos (we come) and viemos (we came).

• Mistake: Eles vem amanhã. (Missing the accent).
• Correction: Eles vêm amanhã.
• Mistake: Eu venho ontem. (Using present for past).
• Correction: Eu vim ontem.

It is like mixing up your left and right shoes. You can still walk, but it feels a bit awkward for everyone watching. Don't sweat it too much; just keep practicing the nasal "nh" sound in venho!

The biggest showdown is Vir vs. Ir.

• Vir = Toward you (Come).
• Ir = Away from you (Go).

Then there is the showdown with Ver (To see).

• Eles vêm = They come.
• Eles veem = They see.

Notice the double e in "see"? That is a great way to remember it! Veem has two eyes (two es) to see with. Vêm only has one e but wears a little hat (the accent) because it traveled from far away. It is a silly trick, but it works every time.