fiz/fizeste/fez/fizemos/fizeram

Pretérito Perfeito De Fazer

Level 2

The verb fazer is highly irregular in the past. Instead of the usual endings, it uses a special stem: fiz- (or fez for 'he/she').

How It Works

The verb fazer belongs to a group of 'strong' irregular verbs, known in Portuguese grammar as Pretéritos Fortes. This means it changes its root (stem) in the past tense and uses a unique set of endings.

1. Conjugation Table:

  • Eu fiz (I did/made)
  • Tu fizeste (You did - informal EP)
  • Ele/Ela/Você fez (He/She/You did)
  • Nós fizemos (We did)
  • Eles/Elas/Vocês fizeram (They/You all did)

2. Key Functions:

  • Completed Actions: Used for things you finished doing. Eu fiz o jantar (I made dinner).
  • Weather: In the 3rd person singular (fez), it describes past weather. Fez sol ontem (It was sunny yesterday).
  • Elapsed Time: To say how long ago something happened. Fez dois anos ontem (It was two years ago yesterday).
  • Birthdays and Age: To express turning a certain age. Ele fez 30 anos em maio (He turned 30 in May).

3. Pronunciation Note:
Be careful with fizemos (we did). In speech, it sounds very similar to the present tense fazemos (we do), but the first vowel is different ('i' vs 'a').

Examples (5)

  1. Eu fiz o meu trabalho de casa sozinho.

    I did my homework by myself.

    Word by Word: I did the my work of house alone.

    Uses 'fiz' to show a completed personal action.

  2. Ontem fez muito frio em São Paulo.

    Yesterday it was very cold in São Paulo.

    Word by Word: Yesterday made much cold in São Paulo.

    The 3rd person 'fez' is used impersonally to describe weather.

  3. O que é que vocês fizeram no sábado?

    What did you (plural) do on Saturday?

    Word by Word: The what is that you all did on Saturday?

    Uses 'fizeram' for a completed action involving multiple people.

  4. Nós fizemos um bolo para a festa.

    We made a cake for the party.

    Word by Word: We made a cake for the party.

    Note the 'i' in 'fizemos', distinguishing it from the present 'fazemos'.

  5. A Maria fez vinte anos na semana passada.

    Maria turned twenty last week.

    Word by Word: The Maria made twenty years in the week past.

    In Portuguese, you use 'fazer' to express turning a certain age or having a birthday.

Common Mistakes

  • Regularizing the verb (treating it like a normal -er verb).

    Eu fazi o bolo.
    Eu fiz o bolo.

    Learners often try to say 'fazi' or 'fazeu' based on regular patterns, but 'fazer' is irregular and must use 'fiz' and 'fez'.

  • Confusing the 1st person (Eu) and 3rd person (Ele) stems.

    Ele fiz a cama.
    Ele fez a cama.

    Remember: 'fiz' is only for 'Eu'. For 'Ele/Ela/Você', the vowel changes to 'e' (fez).

  • Adding an unnecessary accent to 'fez'.

    Ontem fêz sol.
    Ontem fez sol.

    Under modern spelling rules, the word 'fez' does not take a circumflex accent.

How It Connects

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

fiz/fizeste/fez/fizemos/fizeramLevel 2Pretérito Perfeito De Fazer

Learn This First

To learn the irregular preterite forms of 'fazer', learners must first be comfortable with Portuguese subject pronouns to know which form to use. Additionally, familiarity with regular -er verb conjugation helps in identifying 'fazer' as an irregular verb that requires specific memorization in the past tense.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern