Subject pronouns + ser & estar
Portuguese verb endings already tell you who's acting, so subject pronouns are often dropped. But you still need them — for emphasis, for clarity, and because tu vs você is a real choice. Today we lock in the six pronouns and the full present tense of both 'to be' verbs.
The six person slots
Singular: eu = I; tu = you (informal); ele = he; ela = she. Plural: nós = we; eles = they (m or mixed); elas = they (f only). Beyond these, polite/Brazilian-default forms slot in: você behaves like a 3rd-person singular (same verb form as ele/ela); vocês = you all (3rd-person plural, used in both Portugal and Brazil).
tu vs você — the registers
European Portuguese keeps tu alive and well for friends, family, and kids. Você in Portugal is a careful middle-ground 'you' — neither truly formal nor truly intimate; some Portuguese find it cold. Brazil flipped: across most of the country você is the everyday 'you', and tu survives only in regional pockets (like the south and parts of the northeast). When in doubt in Portugal: use tu with peers, o senhor/a senhora for formal.
Ser — present tense
eu sou = I am. tu és = you are. ele é / ela é / você é = he/she is / you are. nós somos = we are. eles são / elas são / vocês são = they are / you all are. Memorize as a chant: sou, és, é, somos, são.
Estar — present tense
eu estou = I am. tu estás = you are. ele está / ela está / você está. nós estamos. eles estão / elas estão / vocês estão. The nasal -ão on the 3rd-person plural forms (são, estão) is one of the signature sounds of Portuguese — push that air through your nose.
When to use which
Use ser for identity, origin, profession, nationality, defining qualities, and time/dates: Sou portuguesa, Ela é médica, São três horas (it's three o'clock). Use estar for current location, current state, mood, and weather: Estou em casa, Está bem, Está frio (it's cold). The classic test: if it's basically permanent → ser. If it could change tomorrow → estar.
