Unipersonal Verbs: When Nature Speaks
Explore unipersonal verbs in Portuguese, those that express natural phenomena and are conjugated only in the third person.
By FaleBrasil
Unipersonal verbs represent a special category of verbs that, due to their semantic nature, are conjugated only in the third person singular. These verbs generally express natural phenomena or situations that cannot have a defined personal subject.
What are Unipersonal Verbs?
Unipersonal verbs are those that, for semantic reasons, only admit conjugation in the third person singular. Unlike defective verbs, which lack some forms due to phonetic issues, unipersonal verbs have this limitation because of the meaning they express.
Fundamental Characteristics
- ☁️ Conjugated only in 3rd person singular
- 🚫 Have no determined subject (non-existent subject)
- 🌍 Express mainly natural phenomena
- 🎭 Can be used figuratively with other subjects
Main Types of Unipersonal Verbs
1. Meteorological Phenomena
Most unipersonal verbs express atmospheric phenomena:
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| Chover (to rain) | Choveu muito ontem (It rained a lot yesterday) |
| Nevar (to snow) | Neva raramente no sul do Brasil (It rarely snows in southern Brazil) |
| Ventar (to be windy) | Ventou a noite toda (It was windy all night) |
| Trovejar (to thunder) | Trovejou durante a tempestade (It thundered during the storm) |
| Relampejar (to lightning) | Relampejava sem parar (Lightning flashed non-stop) |
| Garoar (to drizzle) | Garoou levemente pela manhã (It drizzled lightly in the morning) |
| Gear (to frost) | Geou nas montanhas (It frosted in the mountains) |
| Granizar (to hail) | Granizou destruindo as plantações (It hailed, destroying the crops) |
2. Temporal Phenomena
Verbs that indicate the passage of time or change of periods:
- Amanhecer (to dawn): Amanhece mais cedo no verão (It dawns earlier in summer)
- Anoitecer (to get dark): Anoiteceu rapidamente (It got dark quickly)
- Entardecer (to become evening): Entardecia quando chegamos (Evening was falling when we arrived)
- Escurecer (to darken): Escureceu de repente (It darkened suddenly)
- Clarear (to brighten): Clareou após a tempestade (It brightened after the storm)
Figurative Use of Unipersonal Verbs
Although essentially unipersonal, many of these verbs can be used figuratively with determined subjects, thus losing their unipersonal characteristic:
Examples of Figurative Use
| Literal Use (Unipersonal) | Figurative Use (With Subject) |
|---|---|
| Choveu ontem (It rained yesterday) | Choveram críticas sobre o projeto (Criticism rained on the project) |
| Amanheceu nublado (Dawn broke cloudy) | O dia amanheceu bonito (The day dawned beautiful) |
| Trovejou forte (It thundered loudly) | O chefe trovejou ordens (The boss thundered orders) |
| Anoiteceu cedo (It got dark early) | Sua vida anoiteceu após a perda (His life darkened after the loss) |
Haver and Fazer as Unipersonal Verbs
Some common verbs become unipersonal in specific contexts:
Haver (indicating existence or elapsed time)
- Existence: Há muitos problemas a resolver (There are many problems to solve)
- Time: Há três anos que não o vejo (It’s been three years since I saw him)
❌ Incorrect: Haviam muitas pessoas
✅ Correct: Havia muitas pessoas (There were many people)
Fazer (indicating time or weather phenomena)
- Time: Faz dois meses que estudo português (It’s been two months since I started studying Portuguese)
- Weather: Faz calor no verão brasileiro (It’s hot in Brazilian summer)
❌ Incorrect: Fazem anos que…
✅ Correct: Faz anos que… (It’s been years since…)
Agreement with Unipersonal Verbs
A common error is trying to make unipersonal verbs agree with supposed plural subjects:
⚠️ Common Agreement Errors:
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| ❌ Choveram gotas grossas | ✅ Choveu em gotas grossas (It rained in thick drops) |
| ❌ Haviam muitos candidatos | ✅ Havia muitos candidatos (There were many candidates) |
| ❌ Fazem três dias | ✅ Faz três dias (It’s been three days) |
Phrases with Unipersonal Verbs
Unipersonal verbs can form verbal phrases while maintaining their characteristic:
- Vai chover: Parece que vai chover (It looks like it’s going to rain)
- Está amanhecendo: Está amanhecendo mais tarde (It’s dawning later)
- Pode nevar: Pode nevar nas serras (It might snow in the mountains)
- Costuma ventar: Costuma ventar nesta época (It’s usually windy at this time)
Idiomatic Expressions
Many popular expressions use unipersonal verbs:
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ”Chover no molhado” (Rain on the wet) | Do something unnecessary |
| ”Depois da tempestade vem a bonança” | After the storm comes calm |
| ”Fazer tempestade em copo d’água” | Make a storm in a glass of water (exaggerate small problems) |
| “Chover canivete” (Rain knives) | Very difficult situation |
Regional Differences
The use of unipersonal verbs can vary regionally in Brazil:
- South Region: “Está garoando” (it’s drizzling) is more common than “está chuviscando”
- Northeast Region: “Está serenando” for night dew
- North Region: Specific expressions for tropical rains
Importance in Learning
Understanding unipersonal verbs is essential for:
- ✅ Avoiding verb agreement errors
- ✅ Enriching written and oral expression
- ✅ Understanding literary and poetic texts
- ✅ Using idiomatic expressions correctly
Conclusion
Unipersonal verbs are a fascinating window into understanding how Portuguese structures the expression of natural and temporal phenomena. Mastering them not only prevents common grammatical errors but also enriches expressive capacity, especially in figurative and poetic use of the language.