Portuguese verb

Conjugation of ligar

The Portuguese verb ligar means "to turn on, call". Below are its 7 tenses as tables, with the irregular forms marked, 4 example sentences and answers to 3 common questions. Press play next to a present tense form or an example to hear it.

Meaning
to turn on, call
Type
Regular -ar verb
Gerund
ligando
Past participle
ligado
Quick answer

The present tense of ligar is eu ligo, tu ligas, ele/ela liga, nós ligamos, vós ligais, eles/elas ligam. It counts as a regular -ar verb, though 10 of its forms differ from the model pattern and are marked in the tables. The tables below cover 7 tenses, from the present to the imperative.

Present tense of ligar

Forms in orange break the regular -ar pattern.

Present Presente
eu ligo
tu ligas
ele/ela liga
nós ligamos
vós ligais
eles/elas ligam

More tenses of ligar

Simple past Pretérito perfeito
eu liguei (irregular)
tu ligaste
ele/ela ligou
nós ligámos
vós ligastes
eles/elas ligaram
Imperfect Pretérito imperfeito
eu ligava
tu ligavas
ele/ela ligava
nós ligávamos
vós ligáveis
eles/elas ligavam
Future Futuro
eu ligarei
tu ligarás
ele/ela ligará
nós ligaremos
vós ligareis
eles/elas ligarão
Conditional Condicional
eu ligaria
tu ligarias
ele/ela ligaria
nós ligaríamos
vós ligaríeis
eles/elas ligariam
Present subjunctive Presente do subjuntivo
que eu ligue (irregular)
que tu ligues (irregular)
que ele/ela ligue (irregular)
que nós liguemos (irregular)
que vós ligueis (irregular)
que eles/elas liguem (irregular)
Imperative Imperativo
tu liga
você ligue (irregular)
nós liguemos (irregular)
vós ligai
vocês liguem (irregular)

Notes on ligar

Ligar is regular, with spelling changes only. The spelling changes appear in the simple past eu form liguei, all present subjunctive forms such as ligue and liguem, and the você, nós, and vocês commands.

Meet ligar in real Portuguese books

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Example sentences with ligar

  • Ligo a televisão depois do jantar. I turn on the television after dinner.
  • Ontem liguei para a minha mãe. Yesterday I called my mother.
  • Quando era criança, ligava sempre o rádio. When I was a child, I always turned on the radio.
  • Amanhã ligarei para marcar a consulta. Tomorrow I will call to book the appointment.
falar to speak ficar to stay, become começar to begin

Conjugate any other Portuguese verb in the conjugator →

All 150 common Portuguese verbs →

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Frequently asked questions

Is ligar a regular verb?

Yes, ligar is regular, with spelling changes only. Its forms follow the regular ar model shown in the table.

Why is the simple past eu form liguei?

The simple past eu form is liguei. Its spelling changes from ligar to keep the hard g sound before the e in the ending.

What are the present subjunctive forms of ligar?

They are ligue, ligues, ligue, liguemos, ligueis, and liguem. The same spelling pattern appears in the você, nós, and vocês commands.