One challenge of learning Portuguese, or any language, is that you can’t simply translate literally. Each language has its own conventions for how to word different concepts. This is known as idiomatic language.
In this Learning Note, we’re focusing mostly on how to translate English “phrasal verbs” into Portuguese. (If you’re looking for other types of idioms, check out Idioms 1 and Idioms 2). Phrasal verbs refer to an expression consisting of a verb plus a preposition, adverb, or both. The combination of the words creates a meaning that is different from that of the verb itself. In Portuguese, this classification doesn’t exist. We do have similar types of expressions, in which adding a preposition changes the meaning of the verb, but there’s just no name for it in Portuguese.
Below you’ll find a long alphabetical list of many common English phrasal verbs, as well as a few other common expressions, so that you can see and hear how to express the same idea in European Portuguese.
A
Ask (someone) out
She asked him out on a date.
To ask someone out is convidar alguém para sairto ask someone out from the verb convidarto invite
B
Back down
He backed down from the argument.
To back down can be translated into a few verbs in Portuguese: desistirto give up , recuarto back up, recede, pull back , cederto give in, yield, compromise, cede
Boil down to
It all boils down to one thing: respect.
This phrase essentially means to simplify or summarize something, or to get to the essence of or reason for something. As such, in Portuguese we use the verb resumirto summarize plus the preposition a.
Bring (something) up
I was afraid to bring it up in case you got mad.
If you bring something up, that means you mention it or talk about it, so we can use falarto talk in Portuguese. One of the prepositions em, sobre, or de will be attached to it, as well.
We can also use: tocar no assuntoto touch on the subject
Break up (relationship)
The couple broke up last week.
If we’re using break up in the context of a relationship, the most precise translation is the reflexive verb [definir inline separar-se/to separate, split up]. However, you could also use terminarto finish or acabarto end , with the latter being the more informal version.
Eles acabaram na semana passadaThey broke up last week
Break up (fight)
We tried to break up the fight.
Of course, we can also say to break up in the context of a fight, or when trying to separate a person from another. Here again, we can use terminarto finish or acabarto end , which are usually coupled with the preposition com.
Bump into / Run into
I ran into Maria on the way to the bank.
Sometimes when we say we ran into or bumped into someone, we don’t mean it literally, we mean that we met by chance. These expressions translate to the Portuguese cruzar comto bump into, to cross paths with or encontrarto find, meet, come across . The former is more in line with the English meaning.
C
Catch up to/with (distance)
I had to walk faster to catch up with my friend.
In the context of the first sentence, if we’re walking behind someone and we say we’ll catch up with them, this translates to alcançarreach or acompanharaccompany .
Catch up with (meet up with)
I’ll catch up with you later.
However, it’s possible to use the same term if we mean we’ll get together with someone later. Here, in Portuguese, we’d use ter commeet with .
Catch up (conversation)
We need to catch up soon!
In English, we use catch up to mean getting the latest news about what’s going on in someone’s life. In Portuguese, there’s a fairly common expression that conveys that exact meaning: pôr a conversa em diato catch up, to get the conversation up to date
Temos de pôr a conversa em dia!We have to catch up!
Cheat on (someone)
His girlfriend cheated on him with another man.
This is a rather simple one. To cheat on someone is trairto cheat, betray that someone.
Cheer up (someone)
He was sad, so I cheered him up by taking him to see his favorite movie.
To cheer up someone is animarto animate, cheer up . It’s not uncommon to simply state Anima-te!Cheer up! (sing.,inf.,imp.) to someone, when we see them upset or sad.
Ele estava triste, por isso levei-o a ver o filme favorito dele para o animarHe was sad, so I took him to see his favorite movie to cheer him up
Isto vai-te animar!This will cheer you up!
Chicken out
I was going to go skydiving, but then I chickened out.
To chicken out is an informal way of saying ‘to not do something because you «got scared»’. In Portuguese, we could use the verb acobardarto cower, shy away from, chicken out or the expression ter medoto get scared, to have fear .
Come apart
These shoes are so old that they’re coming apart.
When we want to say something is so damaged or worn out that it is coming apart, we can use the verbs desfazerto undo, tear or desmancharto dismantle .
Get in / Come in
He got in the car and drove away.
Both these phrasal verbs essentially mean «to enter», so in Portuguese you can simply use entrarto enter
Entra!Come in!, Get in!, Enter!
It’s also possible to use the reflexive verb , although this is more informal and more commonly used with getting in vehicles.
Come over
Do you want to come over later?
Whenever you want to ask someone to come over, you can use the expressions vir até cáto come here or vir aquito come here .
The preposition até is optional and you can use either aqui or cá.
It’s also possible to use the verb aparecerto appear, show up or irto go , if you’re not at the place you’re inviting the other person over to.
Queres aparecer lá em casa amanhã?Do you want to come over to my house tomorrow?
Come up with
He always comes up with some excuse.
«To come up with something» is to think of/about or find something, usually ideas, excuses, solutions, etc. As such, we can use the expression pensar emto think about (or of) or the verb arranjarto arrange, get, set up, fix
Cool down (temperature)
We are waiting for the soup to cool down.
Literally, «cool down» translates to arrefecerto cool down .
Cool down (relax)
If you mean ‘cool down’ in the sense of relax or calm down, in that case, we’d go with the verb acalmar-seto calm (oneself) down
Come along (progress)
The construction is coming along well.
In Portuguese, you can use one of these verbs: avançarto advance, move on, proceed or progredirto progress .
You can also use the expression correr bemgo well, turn out well .
Count on
I can always count on you to help me.
The expression for «count on» in Portuguese is contar comto count on, fall back on, factor in
Cross off / Cross out
He crossed it off the list.
Another simple one, «cross off» translates to riscarto cross(out) , scratch .
D
Dress up
We are getting dressed up to go to the party.
When we dress up, we’re dressing ourselves better or fancier than usual. In Portuguese, it’s common to use the verb arranjarto arrange, fix as a synonym for dressing elegantly. It’s also not rare to hear the verb aprumarto straighten up .
Drop off
I can drop you off at school on the way to work.
If you want to talk about taking something/someone with us and dropping it/them off somewhere, we use the verb deixarto leave (something) .
E
End up / Turn out
I thought it would be boring, but it ended up being really fun.
With this one, the Portuguese version is pretty straightforward. We use the expression acabar porto end up.
F
Fall behind
If you don’t study harder, you’re going to fall behind in your classes.
To «fall behind» can be taken both literally or metaphorically, but in either case, the Portuguese translation is the same: ficar para trásto fall behind .
Fall through
The deal fell through the day before we were supposed to sign the paperwork.
The best translation for «fall through» is the somewhat colloquial expression cair por terra . If you want to keep things a little more formal, you could use the verbs falharto fail, mess up, falter or fracassarto fail .
Figure out
I can’t figure out how to use this keyboard.
The best translation is the verb perceberunderstand, realize, figure out , but entenderto understand can also be used.
When the meaning of «figure out» has more to do with «discovering» something, we use the verb descobrirto discover .
Fill (someone) in
You’ll never believe what happened! I’ll fill you in on the details.
When you fill someone in, you’re telling them what happened. There are two common expressions in Portuguese that we can use to express this: pôr a parto fill in, catch up, update and pôr ao correnteto keep (someone) informed, update .
Find out
We’ll find out what happened later.
The simplest way of saying «find out» in Portuguese is to use the verb descobrirto discover , but there’s also this expression: ficar a saberto learn, find out .
Flip out / Freak out
My brother freaked out when I told him I had dented his car.
In Portuguese, when someone «freaks out», we usually go with the reflexive verb passar-seto freak out, go nuts
If we mean «freaking out» as in «panicking», then the translation should be entrar em pânicopanic, enter into a (state of) panic .
Ok, estou em entrar em pânicoOk, I'm panicking
Follow up (business)
We’re just following up on some leads.
If it’s about contacting someone again to get more information or check-in with them, you could simply use falarto talk .
If its more about keeping track of or investigating the status of a project, for example, you could go with seguirto follow
Follow up (medical)
He’s being followed up by his doctors.
Other possible meaning is the medical one, in which case we use acompanharto accompany, join, follow, keep up with .
G
Give up
This is too difficult. I give up!
Here’s a simple one! This translates to the verb desistirto give up
Get along (people)
We used to be friends, but now we don’t get along.
In Portuguese, we usually go with dar-se bemto get along (well) . Similarly as in English, where you can use «get along well» or just «get along», in Portuguese, you can use «dar-se bem» or just the reflexive verb , although that one’s bit more informal.
Get away with
I won’t let him get away with murder.
If we’re talking about escaping conviction or punishment, then an informal option issafar-seto get away with, get by, make it through , while more formal options would be sair impuneto get away with it, to leave unpunished or ficar impuneto get away with it, to remain unpunished .
Get back to
I’ll get back to you next week, when I have an answer.
There are two possible translations in Portuguese, one more formal than the other. is the formal one, while voltar a falarto speak again, to get back to can be used in any setting.
Get (something) over with
I want to do my presentation first because I’m nervous and I want to get it over with.
Generally, the appropriate translation here is acabar comto stop, put an end to .
It’s also possible to add adverbs such as lá or já , which emphasize the need to get it over with:
However, if we’re in some sort of hurry or the situation is more time sensitive, we can go with the verb despacharto hurry, speed up, do quickly, dispatch
Get over (something)
You broke up 2 years ago. You need to get over it.
The most direct translation to «get over it» is the verb superarto overcome, surpass, go beyond . Or you can use the verb esquecerto forget , which is more in line with forgetting or letting something go.
Give in
I will not give in to your demands.
We usually give in to demands or to pressure, so the best translation here is the verb cederto give in, yield, compromise, cede
Give out
That store is giving out free samples.
This one is pretty much the same as «to offer», so in Portuguese we use oferecerto offer, give .
Go along with
I’ll go along with whatever you decide.
This means to conform with or agree to. In a context like the example given, you can use alinharto align, conform , along with the preposition com or em.
If you mean go along with in the literal sense, just use ir comto go with .
Eu vou contigoI'll go with you(sing.,inf.)
Go for
I’m going for a walk
If you want to talk about going for (or taking) a walk, a ride, a run, etc., you can use phrases such as:
dar uma voltato go for a walk, to take a ride
Vamos dar uma voltaLet's go for a walk
dar um passeioto go for a walk
dar uma corridato go for a run
If you want to say Go for it! there are a few possibilities. If you mean «take a chance», use the verb arriscarto risk, take a chance or just irto go .
Vai!Go (for it) !
Or, if you mean Go ahead, you could say something like:
Go through with
I can’t go through with this.
Here, we can use the verb avançarto advance, move on, proceed paired with the preposition com, or this common expression: ir em frente comto move forward with . We can also use the variation «ir para a frente com».
Goof around
My son likes to goof around and tell jokes with his friends.
«Goof around» can be translated to a few different words or expressions, depending on the context, but the most common and straightforward is the verb brincarto play .
H
Hang out
Do you want to hang out at the park?
«Hang out» has several different translations in Portuguese, although they all share a somewhat similar meaning, which is conviverto get together, socialize, hang out . However, the best and most commonly used terms are probably sairto go out , estarto be , and the expression dar uma volta
– hang out outside of a home
Vamos dar uma voltaLet's go for a walk
Hang up
I tried to talk to him about it on the phone, but he was so angry that he hung up on me!
When you hang up posters and signs, it’s the same as pendurarto hang up . However, in the context of a phone call, it translates to desligarto disconnect, turn off, hang up (the phone) .
Na cara emphasizes that he hung up in anger / “hung up in my face“.
Hold against
You did something wrong, but it was an accident, so I won’t hold it against you.
If you want to say you don’t blame someone for something that happened, you can simply use the verb culparto blame .
Other possible translations, which are somewhat similar with each other, are the verb oporto oppose, counter, pit (against) , use (against) and the expressions usar (algo) contrato use (something) against and ter (algo) contrato have (something) against
Hold on
Hold on a second.
In Portuguese you can use the verbs esperarto wait and aguentarto hold .
Hurry up
Hurry up, we’re waiting for you!
The verb despacharto hurry, speed up, do quickly, dispatch is the best translation and it’s often used in the imperative.
K
Keep down
The music is too loud. Can you keep it down?
When we associate this phrasal verb with volume or noise, we are more literal in Portuguese:
If, however, we’re talking about maintaining low prices or numbers in general, we can use the expressions manter baixoto keep down or manter em baixoto keep down .
Keep in mind
Thank you for the suggestion. I will keep that in mind!
Another phrasal verb with a few similar translations. The most direct are ter em menteto keep in mind, to have in mind and ter em contato keep in mind, to have in mind .
Obrigado pela sugestão. Vou ter isso em mente!Thanks for the suggestion. I will keep that in mind!
Keep on
I keep on trying until I reach my goals.
This expression is the same as saying continuarto continue, keep, remain .
Keep up with
I can’t keep up with this busy schedule.
In general, the translation for this phrasal verb is acompanharto accompany, join, follow, keep up with .
If you’re talking about keeping up with something more abstract, such as a schedule or lifestyle, then the best translation is dar conta deto keep up with, handle .
Knock over
She accidentally knocked over the lamp.
You can use the verb derrubarto knock over, overthrow, take down .
L
Let (someone) down
You can trust me. I would never let you down.
There’s two verbs we can use here, which are synonyms: desiludir and desapontar
Let (someone) know
Let me know if you have any questions.
In Portuguese you can be more literal, using the verbs avisarto notify, warn or dizerto tell
Line up
Please line up along the wall.
The appropriate translation here is fazer filato line up, make a line . It’s also common to hear fazer uma fila.
Look around
We started looking around for a new car.
To mean searching for, go with the verb procurarto search, look for, seek
Or, if you meant it more literally, you could say olhar à voltato look around or olhar em redorto look around which are essentially the same.
Look for
I’m looking for a book about Portuguese history.
Just like the previous phrase, «looking for» also translates to the verb procurarto search, look for, seek . However, we typically use it within the expression estar à procura deto be looking for, to be in search of , in which procura is actually a noun.
Look forward to
We’re looking forward to your visit.
This one can be translated to a few different expressions. The simplest and most common is estar ansioso porto look forward to, to be eager to .
There’s also a colloquial expression you can use: mal posso esperarI look forward to, I can hardly wait
Mal posso esperar por te voltar a verI can hardly wait to see you(sing.,inf.) again
If the meaning is more subtle or you want to be slightly more formal, go with the verbs esperarto wait, hope or aguardarto await, wait for . You can also add the adverb ansiosamenteanxiously, eagerly .
Look into
I’ll look into this problem and get back to you soon with a solution.
Here, we have two options depending on the level of «looking into» that we’re going to do.
If we’re going to investigate, then the translation could be investigarto investigate and analisarto analyze .
But if we just mean we’re going to look or check, it simply translates to verto see .
Look out for
You’re always looking out for me (making sure I’m okay).
To «look out for» someone is to be concerned about and/or take care of that person. If the meaning is related to «making sure someone is okay», then we would use the expression olhar porto look out for .
If the meaning is more about «taking care of someone», who is sick, for example, then we can use the expression tomar conta deto take care of or the verb cuidarto take care (of) , look after
Look up to
She looks up to her grandmother.
Here, we can use the verb admirarto admire or the expression ter admiraçãoto admire, have admiration (for) , which is essentially the same.
M
Make up
We had a fight, but then we made up.
To «make up», in the context of a relationship, for example, is fazer as pazesto make up, make peace .
Mess up
You’re messing up my kitchen.
When we mean we’re making something «untidy», then the correct translation is the verb desarrumarto mess up .
If something is being ruined or getting dirtier, then «mess up» is the same as estragarto ruin, mess up, break in Portuguese.
If we’re talking about hair, we also have a term that is specific to hair: despentearto ruffle, mess up (hair)
Mix up
The papers got mixed up when they fell off my desk.
If something, like papers, get mixed up, you can simply use misturarto mix . In this example, it’s basically like saying the papers mixed themselves up.
It’s also possible for the phrasal verb to mean the same as «getting involved» and, in this case, the translation becomes the reflexive verb .
N
Narrow down
We narrowed down the list of suspects.
Since «narrow down» is used more commonly with lists / numbers, the best translation is the verb reduzirto reduce .
P
Pass out (faint)
I got really lightheaded and then I passed out.
In Portuguese you would use the verb desmaiarto pass out, faint
Pass out (something)
Please pass out the pamphlets to every attendee.
You can also pass out objects. Here, the translation can be distribuirto distribute or entregarto deliver, submit , with the former being the best choice.
Pay back
I will pay you back when I get the money.
A somewhat straightforward translation for this one: pagar de voltapay back . The de volta can be omitted when the context is clear.
Pick up
Your room is a mess! Pick up your toys!
When you mean to tidy up, you could use arrumarto arrange, set, tidy, store .
A família arruma a casaThe family tidies up the house
Or to be more specific, to pick up something is the same as apanharto take, catch, grab, pick up something in Portuguese.
Just like English, it applies to picking up people (with a vehicle) too:
Plan ahead
When I go on vacation, I like to plan ahead and create an itinerary.
There are two ways of saying this in Portuguese, using the same verb, planear. You could say planear com antecedênciato plan ahead or planear antecipadamenteto plan ahead , which is exactly the same thing.
Plug in
Can I plug in my phone here?
To plug in something is the same as ligarto connect, turn on, to call(on the phone) .
Point out
Thank you for pointing out that mistake.
There are many ways to say this in Portuguese, but we’ll stick to these three options: referirto refer (to) , mention , salientarto highlight , and apontarto point out, note, aim, jot down . As you can tell from the translations, each verb is slightly different and used in different contexts.
Pull (something) off
I didn’t think the project would go well, but somehow we pulled it off!
This one is more complicated, as there is no direct translation. The closest verb is conseguirto get, reach, achieve, succeed, be able to or conseguir fazerto be able to do , depending on what the subject is pulling off.
Put away
Put away your toys!
To «put away» something is essentially to «store» it somewhere, maybe out of reach. The best translation is guardarto put away, keep, store, save , but you may also hear largarto drop, let go of, put down in some contexts.
Put off
I have so much work to do, but I keep putting it off.
You can use the verb adiarto delay, postpone, put off .
Estava a chover, por isso a festa foi adiadaIt was raining, so the party was postponed
Put (something) past
Do you think he was lying? Well, I wouldn’t put it past him.
There is no direct translation for this one. In Portuguese we would express this sentiment by saying something like I wouldn’t be surprised, using the verb , or I don’t doubt it, using the verb duvidarto doubt ). For example:
Put up with
You need to be nicer. I have been putting up with your anger for too long.
For this one, we have two options: aturarto endure, put up with , which is the most popular, or tolerarto tolerate which sounds a little more formal compared to aturar.
R
Rip off
This TV is way more expensive than it should be. You’re trying to rip me off!
The meaning is similar to deceive, so in Portuguese we would use the verb enganarto deceive .
When rip-off is used as a noun, you could use the word roubotheft in an expression like:
Rule out
We need to do some medical tests to rule out more serious diseases.
The verb descartardiscard is probably the closest translation in Portuguese. The verb excluirexclude is also a good option, but it sounds a bit more formal than descartar.
Run out
We ran out of milk, so I need to stop at the store.
You could use ficar semto run out, to be without if the subject of the sentence is a person/people, or you can use acabarto end, finish or esgotarto run out, sell out, deplete if the subject is the milk itself.
Ficámos sem leite, por isso tenho de passar na lojaWe ran out of mlk, so I have to stop by the store
O leite acabou, por isso tenho de passar na lojaThe milk ran out, so I have to stop by the store
S
Set up
Can you help me set up the camera equipment?
If you’re talking about hardware, the appropriate translations would be montarto set up, mount, assemble or instalarto install, set up, deploy .
If the issue at hand is more related to software, for example, use configurarto configure, set up instead.
If the meaning is more abstract, like setting up a business, then you should use criarto create or estabelecerto establish, set up .
It’s possible to set up meetings, as well. Here, we can use marcarto schedule, arrange, mark or organizarto organize .
Show off
She buys expensive things just to show off how much money she has.
In general, show off is best translated to Portuguese with the verb mostrarto show .
If the meaning is showing off oneself, as opposed to showing off a thing (like a car), use the reflexive version: . Alternatively, you can use the verb exibirto display or the reflexive verb .
Sort out
Don’t worry, we’ll get this problem sorted out.
This basically means the same as resolve, so an acceptable translation in Portuguese is simply resolverto resolve, sort out, settle .
Space out / Zone out
I tried to pay attention, but I kept zoning out.
The verb distrairto distract is a good translation. It would also sound okay to use the verb desligarto disconnect, turn off .
Stand up for
They always stand up for what they believe in.
To stand up for can be translated to either defenderto defend or lutar porto fight for , which have somewhat similar meanings.
Stick with / Stick to
If you stick with it, it will get easier over time.
This one has a few different meanings and translations.
If the intention is to stay close-by, then it translates to ficar comto stay with, stick with .
When you mean continue doing (something), use the verb continuarto continue, keep, remain with the preposition comwith , which is sometimes optional.
Finally, if we’re making some sort of choice, or standing by it, we can use manterto maintain, keep , or even manter a escolharto stick to one's choice, maintain the choice .
Stop by
Can I stop by your house later to pick up the dish I lent to you?
We can use passar porto stop by, pass by, go through or passar emto stop by, stop at, go to
Stress out
This new job is really stressing me out.
The word stressstress has been a part of the Portuguese language for years now. While you may hear estressar in the Brazilian dialect, in Portugal we use the verb stressarto stress .
You can use stressar, or the expression deixar stressado / deixar stressada…
…or you could use adjectives, such as tenso / tensa:
T
Take apart
I have to take apart the watch before I can fix it.
To take apart something is desmontarto disassemble it.
Take after
He takes after his father.
If you want to say that someone takes after someone else, as in, their personalities are similar, use the verb sairto leave followed by the preposition a.
Talk (someone) into
I didn’t want to go, but you finally talked me into it.
You can use the verbs convencerto convince or persuadirto persuade .
Tell apart
You and your sister look so much alike! I can hardly tell you apart!
The best possible translation is distinguirto distinguish , which you can use for both things and people. For things, you can also use the verb diferenciarto differentiate, distinguish .
Try out / Try on
Can I try out the product before I buy it?
The verb experimentarto try out, experience can be used to cover most contexts, such as trying out a product, or trying on a piece of clothing. For products, you can also use testarto test .
If we’re talking about food, we usually go with the verb provarto taste, try, sample, prove
Turn in
Please turn in your homework.
Another simple one. Here, we’d use the verb entregarto deliver, submit, give
W
Wear off
I take my medication in the morning, but the effects start to wear off by the afternoon.
When talking about effects, you have two options: passarto pass , the most common one, and desaparecerto disappear .
Work out (succeed)
If it doesn’t work out, we’ll try something else.
When the meaning is to be successful, this can be translated using the verbs funcionarto function, work, run , resultarto result (in) , work out , or, in certain situations, the expression dar certoto work out .
Vai dar tudo certoEverything will work out fine
Work out (exercise)
I’m going to work out at the gym.
When you’re talking about exercise, you could use: fazer exercícioto work out, do exercise or treinarto train, practice
Vou treinar para o ginásioI'm going to work out at the gym
Wrap up
The class is almost over, so try to wrap up what you’re working on.
There are various similar translations in Portuguese. The verb terminarto finish is one good choice. If you want to portray the idea of finalizing something, like a project or a study, for example, you can use the verb concluirto conclude or finalizarto finalize .