prever

Galician

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *per-

Proto-Indo-European *preh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *-i

Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i?

Proto-Italic *prai

Proto-Italic *prai-

Latin prae-

Proto-Indo-European *weyd-

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti

Proto-Indo-European *widéh₁yeti

Proto-Italic *widēō

Latin videō

Latin praevidērelbor.

Galician prever

Learned borrowing from Latin praevidēre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾeˈbeɾ/ [pɾeˈβ̞eɾ]
• Rhymes: -eɾ
• Hyphenation: pre‧ver

Verb

prever (first-person singular present prevexo, first-person singular preterite prevín, past participle previsto)
prever (first-person singular present prevejo, first-person singular preterite previm or previ, past participle previsto, reintegrationist norm)

1. to foresee, predict

   Synonym: antever

Conjugation

    Conjugation of prever (irregular)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti)	Third-person (el / ela / Vde.)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / Vdes.)
Infinitive
Impersonal	prever
Personal	prever	preveres	prever	prevermos	preverdes	preveren
Gerund
	prevendo
Past participle
Masculine	previsto			previstos
Feminine	prevista			previstas
Indicative
Present	prevexo	prevés	prevé	prevemos	prevedes	prevén
Imperfect	prevía	prevías	prevía	previamos	previades	prevían
Preterite	prevín	previches	previu	previmos	previstes	previron
Pluperfect	previra	previras	previra	previramos	previrades	previran
Future	preverei	preverás	preverá	preveremos	preveredes	preverán
Conditional	prevería	preverías	prevería	preveriamos	preveriades	preverían
Subjunctive
Present	prevexa	prevexas	prevexa	prevexamos	prevexades	prevexan
Imperfect	previse	previses	previse	prevísemos	prevísedes	previsen
Future	previr	previres	previr	previrmos	previrdes	previren
Imperative
Affirmative		prevé	prevexa	prevexamos	prevede	prevexan
Negative (non)		non prevexas	non prevexa	non prevexamos	non prevexades	non prevexan

    Reintegrated conjugation of prever (irregular) (See Appendix:Reintegrationism)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti / tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	prever
Personal	prever	preveres	prever	prevermos	preverdes	preverem
Gerund
	prevendo
Past participle
Masculine	previsto			previstos
Feminine	prevista			previstas
Indicative
Present	prevejo	prevês	prevê	prevemos	prevedes	prevêm, preveem
Imperfect	previa	previas	previa	prevíamos	prevíades, prevíeis, prevíais1	previam
Preterite	previm, previ	previste, previche1	previu	previmos	previstes	prevírom, previram
Pluperfect	previra	previras	previra	prevíramos	prevírades, prevíreis, prevírais1	previram
Future	preverei	preverás	preverá	preveremos	preveredes, prevereis	preverám, preverão
Conditional	preveria	preverias	preveria	preveríamos	preveríades, preveríeis, preveríais1	preveriam
Subjunctive
Present	preveja	prevejas	preveja	prevejamos	prevejades, prevejais	prevejam
Imperfect	previsse	previsses	previsse	prevíssemos	prevíssedes, prevísseis	previssem
Future	previr	previres	previr	previrmos	previrdes	previrem
Imperative
Affirmative		prevê	preveja	prevejamos	prevede	prevejam
Negative (nom)		nom prevejas	nom preveja	nom prevejamos	nom prevejades, nom prevejais	nom prevejam

¹Less recommended.

Related terms

• entrever
• rever
• ver

Further reading

• “prever”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026
• “prever”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2026

Portuguese

Etymology

Adapted from Latin praevidēre, corresponding to pré- +‎ ver (“to see”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /pɾeˈve(ʁ)/ [pɾeˈve(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /pɾeˈve(ʁ)/ [pɾeˈve(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /pɾeˈve(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /pɾeˈve(ʁ)/ [pɾeˈve(χ)]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /pɾeˈve(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɾɨˈveɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɾɨˈveɾ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɾɨˈbeɾ/ [pɾɨˈβeɾ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɾɨˈve.ɾi/

Verb

prever (first-person singular present prevejo, first-person singular preterite previ, past participle previsto)

1. (transitive) to foresee; to predict (to estimate a future event on the basis of reasoning)

   Synonym: antever

   Prevemos que vamos precisar de alguns milhares de reais.

   We predict that we will need a few thousand reais.

2. (chiefly law, transitive) to prescribe (to explicitly specify as a procedure or direction)

   Nenhuma lei prevê o que fazer nessa situação.

   There is no law prescribing what to do in this situation.

3. (supernatural, transitive) to foretell; to predict (to tell the future)

   Synonyms: adivinhar, predizer

   A cigana previu minha morte.

   The gypsy foretold my death.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of prever (irregular) (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	prever
Personal	prever	preveres	prever	prevermos	preverdes	preverem
Gerund
	prevendo
Past participle
Masculine	previsto			previstos
Feminine	prevista			previstas
Indicative
Present	prevejo	prevês	prevê	prevemos	prevedes	preveem, prevêem1
Imperfect	previa	previas	previa	prevíamos	prevíeis	previam
Preterite	previ	previste	previu	previmos	previstes	previram
Pluperfect	previra	previras	previra	prevíramos	prevíreis	previram
Future	preverei	preverás	preverá	preveremos	prevereis	preverão
Conditional	preveria	preverias	preveria	preveríamos	preveríeis	preveriam
Subjunctive
Present	preveja	prevejas	preveja	prevejamos	prevejais	prevejam
Imperfect	previsse	previsses	previsse	prevíssemos	prevísseis	previssem
Future	previr	previres	previr	previrmos	previrdes	previrem
Imperative
Affirmative		prevê	preveja	prevejamos	prevede	prevejam
Negative (não)		não prevejas	não preveja	não prevejamos	não prevejais	não prevejam

¹Superseded.

Related terms

• imprevisto
• previdência
• previsão
• previsto
• ver

Further reading

• “prever”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “prever”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Alternative forms

• preveer (proscribed)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin praevidēre. By surface analysis, pre- +‎ ver. Cognate with English preview.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾeˈbeɾ/ [pɾeˈβ̞eɾ]
• Rhymes: -eɾ
• Syllabification: pre‧ver

Verb

prever (first-person singular present preveo, first-person singular preterite preví, past participle previsto)

1. to foresee, to anticipate

   Si se prevé que... ― If it is anticipated that...

2. to envisage

Conjugation

    Conjugation of prever (irregular) (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			prever
gerund			previendo
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		previsto		prevista
		plural		previstos		previstas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	preveo	prevés	prevé	prevemos	prevéis	prevén
	imperfect	preveía	preveías	preveía	preveíamos	preveíais	preveían
	preterite	preví	previste	previó	previmos	previsteis	previeron
	future	preveré	preverás	preverá	preveremos	preveréis	preverán
	conditional	prevería	preverías	prevería	preveríamos	preveríais	preverían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	prevea	preveastú preveásvos2	prevea	preveamos	preveáis	prevean
	imperfect (ra)	previera	previeras	previera	previéramos	previerais	previeran
	imperfect (se)	previese	previeses	previese	previésemos	previeseis	previesen
	future1	previere	previeres	previere	previéremos	previereis	previeren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		prevé	prevea	preveamos	preved	prevean
	negative		no preveas	no prevea	no preveamos	no preveáis	no prevean

¹Rare; now chiefly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tuteo-form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of prever (irregular)

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive prever	dative	preverme	preverte	preverle, preverse	prevernos	preveros	preverles, preverse
	accusative	preverme	preverte	preverlo, preverla, preverse	prevernos	preveros	preverlos, preverlas, preverse
with gerund previendo	dative	previéndome	previéndote	previéndole, previéndose	previéndonos	previéndoos	previéndoles, previéndose
	accusative	previéndome	previéndote	previéndolo, previéndola, previéndose	previéndonos	previéndoos	previéndolos, previéndolas, previéndose
with informal second-person singular tuteo/voseo imperative prevé	dative	preveme	prevete	prevele	prevenos	not used	preveles
	accusative	preveme	prevete	prevelo, prevela	prevenos	not used	prevelos, prevelas
with formal second-person singular imperative prevea	dative	prevéame	not used	prevéale, prevéase	prevéanos	not used	prevéales
	accusative	prevéame	not used	prevéalo, prevéala, prevéase	prevéanos	not used	prevéalos, prevéalas
with first-person plural imperative preveamos	dative	not used	preveámoste	preveámosle	preveámonos	preveámoos	preveámosles
	accusative	not used	preveámoste	preveámoslo, preveámosla	preveámonos	preveámoos	preveámoslos, preveámoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative preved	dative	prevedme	not used	prevedle	prevednos	preveos	prevedles
	accusative	prevedme	not used	prevedlo, prevedla	prevednos	preveos	prevedlos, prevedlas
with formal second-person plural imperative prevean	dative	prevéanme	not used	prevéanle	prevéannos	not used	prevéanles, prevéanse
	accusative	prevéanme	not used	prevéanlo, prevéanla	prevéannos	not used	prevéanlos, prevéanlas, prevéanse

Related terms

• previsión
• ver

See also

• pronosticar
• predecir

Further reading

• “prever”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025