falar

Falar is a Portuguese verb in the infinitive meaning “to speak” or “to talk.” It is a regular -ar verb and forms the basis for many phrases about communication. The etymology traces back to Latin fabulari, related to telling stories or fables, reflected in related Romance words for “to speak” or “to tell.”

Usage and meaning

Falar describes the act of speaking or using a language, and it is commonly combined with prepositions to indicate the direction or topic of speech. For example, falar português means to speak Portuguese; falar com alguém means to speak with someone; falar de algo or falar sobre algo means to talk about something. The verb also appears in expressions such as falar bem (to speak well) and falar mal (to speak ill).

Conjugation and forms

As a regular -ar verb, falar follows standard conjugation patterns. Present indicative: eu falo, tu falas, ele fala, nós falamos, vós falais, eles falam. Preterite perfeito: eu falei, tu falaste, ele falou, nós falamos, vós falastes, eles falaram. Imperfect: eu falava, tu falavas, ele falava, nós falávamos, eles falavam. Future: eu falarei, tu falarás, ele falará, nós falaremos, eles falarão. Subjunctive present: que eu fale, que tu fales, que ele fale, que nós falemos, que vós faleis, que eles falem. Imperative: fala (tu), fale (você), falemos, falai, falem. In European Portuguese, the second-person plural form falais and the vós forms are more common; Brazilian usage favors você/falam forms.

Notes

Falar is a core verb for basic communication and appears in many idiomatic expressions with varying nuances depending on region. It is typically taught as the first -ar verb in Portuguese language courses.