ficar + Gerund

Keep on Doing

Level 4

The pattern ficar + gerúndio (e.g., ficar falando) is used in Brazilian Portuguese to express that someone 'keeps on' doing something. It emphasizes the duration or the repetitive nature of an action.

How It Works

This periphrastic construction is a staple of Brazilian Portuguese (BP). It is formed by conjugating the verb ficar (to stay/remain) followed by the gerund of the main verb.

1. Persistent or Iterative Action: It describes an action that continues for a significant period or is repeated over time.
Ex: Ficamos conversando por horas. (We kept chatting for hours).
Ex: Ele fica me pedindo dinheiro. (He keeps asking me for money).

2. The 'Complaint' Nuance: In colloquial speech, it often carries a negative connotation. If you say someone 'fica reclamando,' you aren't just saying they are complaining; you are implying they won't stop and it's probably annoying.

3. Resultative Sense: It can also indicate 'ending up' in a state of knowledge or discovery, particularly with verbs of perception.
Ex: Fiquei sabendo da notícia ontem. (I found out/came to know the news yesterday).

4. Regional Difference: While this is the primary construction in Brazil, it is also found in specific regions of Portugal (like Alentejo and the Algarve). However, ficar a + infinitivo remains the general rule for European Portuguese.

5. Morphology: Ficar is a regular -ar verb, but requires a spelling change (c → qu) to maintain the 'k' sound before 'e'. This occurs specifically in the first person singular of the Pretérito Perfeito (fiquei) and throughout the Present Subjunctive (fique, fiques, fique...), which is essential for forming negative imperatives like 'Não fique gritando!'

Examples (4)

  1. Ele ficou reclamando o dia inteiro.

    He kept complaining all day long.

    Word by Word: He stayed complaining the day entire.

    Here, 'ficou' emphasizes that the complaining was a continuous, persistent state throughout the day.

  2. Não fica mexendo no celular enquanto eu falo!

    Don't keep messing with your phone while I'm talking!

    Word by Word: Not stay messing in the cell phone while I speak!

    This uses the imperative 'fica' to tell someone to stop a repetitive, annoying action.

  3. Nós ficamos esperando o ônibus por uma hora.

    We kept waiting for the bus for an hour.

    Word by Word: We stayed waiting the bus for one hour.

    This highlights the duration of the wait, suggesting a sense of being 'stuck' in that action.

  4. Ela fica inventando desculpas para não sair.

    She keeps making up excuses not to go out.

    Word by Word: She stays inventing excuses for not to exit.

    This shows an iterative (repeated) action that happens over and over again.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the infinitive instead of the gerund (in Brazil).

    Eu fiquei esperar você.
    Eu fiquei esperando você.

    In Brazilian Portuguese, 'ficar' must be followed by the gerund (-ando, -endo, -indo). Using the infinitive is a common error for English speakers.

  • Confusing 'ficar + gerúndio' with 'ficar + adjective'.

    Eu fiquei cansando.
    Eu fiquei cansado.

    If you want to say 'I became tired' (a change of state), use an adjective. 'Fiquei cansando' would weirdly mean 'I kept on tiring [someone/myself]'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ficar + GerundLevel 4Keep on Doing

Learn This First

To use the 'ficar + gerúndio' pattern, you need to know how to conjugate the verb 'ficar' in various tenses and how to form the gerund (-ando, -endo, -indo) of the main verb. It is also helpful to be familiar with the basic present progressive (estar + gerúndio) to understand how 'ficar' adds a nuance of continuation or gradual change to an action.

Words in This Pattern

ficar