Introduction
Understanding subtle differences between Portuguese progressive expressions can unlock more natural speech and comprehension. This article compares vem fazendo and tem feito, two ways Brazilians talk about recent and ongoing actions. You will learn form, meaning, usage, and examples to help choose the right construction in everyday conversation.
- What these constructions are
- Basic forms and conjugation
- Meaning and nuance: ongoing vs completed-with-present-effect
- When to use vem fazendo
- When to use tem feito
- Contrast in similar contexts
- Interchangeability and speaker intention
- Stylistic and regional notes
- Colloquial variations and alternatives
- Common verbs and participles to practice recognition
- Practical listening and speaking tips
- Cultural or usage notes
- Quick reference summary
- Conclusion
What these constructions are
Vem fazendo combines the present of vir with a gerund: vem + gerúndio. It highlights an action that started in the past and continues up to now, often with a sense of gradual development.
Tem feito uses the present perfect with ter: tem + past participle. It emphasizes that an action has occurred repeatedly or has results relevant to the present. In Brazilian Portuguese, this construction usually signals completed actions with present relevance rather than a continuous process.
Basic forms and conjugation
How to form vem fazendo
Conjugate vir in the present and add the gerund of the main verb.
Examples:
eu venho fazendo
você/ele/ela vem fazendo
nós vimos fazendo
vocês/eles/elas vêm fazendo
How to form tem feito
Conjugate ter in the present and add the past participle of the main verb.
Examples (with fazer as model):
eu tenho feito
você/ele/ela tem feito
nós temos feito
vocês/eles/elas têm feito
Meaning and nuance: ongoing vs completed-with-present-effect
Vem fazendo stresses continuity and slow development. It often implies that the action is ongoing, frequently with a sense that it has been happening for some time and continues now.
Example:
Ela vem estudando espanhol há seis meses.
Meaning: She has been studying Spanish for six months and is still studying now.
Tem feito highlights completed actions that matter in the present or have occurred repeatedly. It can convey results, achievements, or repeated occurrences up to now.
Example:
Ela tem feito muitos exercícios este mês.
Meaning: She has done many exercises this month — focus on the completed instances and their relevance.
When to use vem fazendo
Use vem fazendo when you want to:
- Describe an ongoing process that developed over time
- Express gradual change or increasing frequency
- Emphasize continuity up to the present moment
Examples:
O time vem melhorando desde o começo da temporada.
Ele vem trabalhando mais e ganhando experiência.
When to use tem feito
Use tem feito when you want to:
- Report actions done at unspecified times before now with present relevance
- Emphasize the result, effect, or frequency of actions
- Talk about repeated completed actions within a time period that includes the present
Examples:
Ela tem feito muitos contatos para aquele projeto.
Tem chovido bastante este mês.
Contrast in similar contexts
Compare these two sentences to see how nuance changes:
Ele vem faltando às aulas.
This suggests a pattern: he has been missing classes repeatedly and the trend continues.
Ele tem faltado às aulas.
This suggests he has missed classes several times recently — focusing on the occurrences rather than the ongoing trend.
Time expressions that go well with each
Vem fazendo often appears with expressions that show duration or gradual change:
desde, há, há algum tempo, aos poucos
Examples:
Nós vem percebendo a mudança há alguns meses.
As vendas vêm aumentando aos poucos.
Tem feito pairs well with time frames showing frequency or recent occurrences:
esta semana, este mês, ultimamente, nos últimos dias
Examples:
Tenho recebido várias mensagens esta semana.
Ultimamente, ela tem feito muitas pausas durante o trabalho.
Interchangeability and speaker intention
In some contexts the two forms can both be used, but the nuance changes. Choosing one or the other depends on whether the speaker wants to stress ongoing development (vem fazendo) or the occurrence/result of actions (tem feito).
Consider the sentence about learning Portuguese:
Eu venho estudando português todos os dias.
Emphasizes a continuous study routine that developed and continues.
Eu tenho estudado português todos os dias.
Emphasizes the repeated completed actions and the present relevance of that routine.
Stylistic and regional notes
Both constructions are common in Brazilian Portuguese. Vem fazendo might sound more descriptive, narrative, or emotive, often used to explain gradual processes or trends. Tem feito is neutral and common in everyday speech, news, and formal contexts when pointing to completed actions with impact on the present.
Be aware that European Portuguese may favor other periphrastic forms; this article focuses on Brazilian usage.
Colloquial variations and alternatives
Brazilians sometimes use other progressive forms to express similar ideas. For ongoing actions, alternatives include:
estar + gerúndio: estou fazendo, está fazendo, estamos fazendo
This is the most literal progressive form and is used for actions happening right now or over a current period.
For result-oriented statements, alternatives include:
ter + past participle (as covered), and já + perfect forms to stress completion: já fez, já tem feito.
Common verbs and participles to practice recognition
Some verbs behave regularly in these constructions:
fazer — vem fazendo / tem feito
estudar — vem estudando / tem estudado
trabalhar — vem trabalhando / tem trabalhado
chegar — vem chegando / tem chegado
Recognizing gerunds and past participles will help you quickly understand whether a speaker refers to continuity or completed actions with present relevance.
Practical listening and speaking tips
1. Listen for context clues: time expressions and tone can indicate whether the emphasis is on continuity or results.
2. When in doubt, ask a clarifying question: Você quer dizer que continua acontecendo? or Você quer dizer que aconteceu várias vezes? helps confirm intention.
3. Practice both constructions in short, natural sentences about your life: Eu venho estudando… and Eu tenho estudado… will make the distinction clearer over time.
Cultural or usage notes
Brazilians often use the gerund in phone conversations and informal speech to convey ongoing actions: Estou chegando agora, estou te mandando, estamos vendo. The gerund is flexible and very common, especially in spoken Brazilian Portuguese.
The present perfect with ter is also frequent and useful for reporting recent events with consequences: Ele tem conseguido bons resultados, temos recebido convites. Both constructions appear in news reports, interviews, and daily conversation, so becoming comfortable with both is important.
Quick reference summary
Vem fazendo
Form: vir (present) + gerúndio
Meaning: ongoing action, gradual change, emphasis on continuity
Common with: desde, há, há algum tempo, aos poucos
Example: A equipe vem melhorando as estratégias.
Tem feito
Form: ter (present) + past participle
Meaning: completed actions with present relevance, repeated occurrences, emphasis on results
Common with: este mês, ultimamente, esta semana
Example: Tenho feito visitas aos clientes esta semana.
Conclusion
Mastering the difference between vem fazendo and tem feito helps you speak and understand Brazilian Portuguese with greater precision. Use vem fazendo for processes that developed and continue, and tem feito to highlight completed actions with present relevance. Pay attention to time expressions and context, and listen to native speakers to internalize the nuance.
