Verb Lessons: Intermediate List of Commonly Used Verbs

BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL VERB LIST

Impress your Brazilian colleagues by memorizing this list of verbs!

atar – to tie

assombrar – to astonish, shock, surprise, haunt

assobiar – to whistle

arrebentar – to burst, break, explode, pop (estourar – to blow up, explode, burst, pop)

arrancar – to pull, jerk, tear out/up/off, to start (motor or engine)

apostar – to bet, wager

apontar – to point (at/out), indicate, aim at, sharpen (to a point)

apodrecer – to rot, decay, decompose

apanhar – to get beat up, for example, in a fight- if your friend takes a beating you might say: “ele apanhou muito daquele cara.” Or, to say “you’re going to get the shit kicked out of you,” say: “você vai apanhar”.

ameaçar – to threaten

agarrar – to grasp, grab, seize, (with -se – to hold/hang onto)

afastar – to move/push away, (with -se –  to go away, depart, withdraw)

acudir – to go/rush to the aid/help of

aconselhar – to advise

abotoar – to button, fasten

atingir – to reach, arrive at, attain, achieve

bastar – to be enough/sufficient, suffice

beliscar – to pinch

caber – to fit (in). Remember, this is irregular: “Eu nao caibo” – “I dont fit.”

caçar – to hunt

cavar – to dig

cegar – to blind

chuviscar – to drizzle, sprinkle

cobrar – to charge, collect

conjugar – to conjugate, combine, merge

cumprimentar – to greet, welcome

cumprir – to fulfill, comply, keep (as a promise) (descumprir – to not comply with)

desenvolver – to develop, grow (into)

desmaiar – to faint, pass out

despachar – to send (off), fire, get rid of, (with -se – to hurry (up), get going)

despedir – to fire, dismiss

dobrar – to fold, bend, double, turn (as a corner) (desdobrar – to unfold)

embrulhar – to wrap (up), (with -se – to get involved in) (desembrulhar – to unwrap, open up) (envolver-se em – to get invloved in)

empregar – to hire, employ, make use of (desempregar – to fire, dismiss (with -se – to get fired, lose ones job))

enfeitar – to adorn, decorate, embellish, (with -se – to dress up)

enganar – to decieve, fool, mislead, (with -se – to me mistaken/wrong) (iludir-se – to delude, decieve, trick, dupe)

engomar – to starch/iron (clothes)

ensaiar – to rehearse, practice, try out, attempt

escorregar – to slip, slide, glide

esgotar – to exhaust, tire/wear out (with -se – to be exhausted, worn out, out of print, sold out)

espantar – to frighten, scare, shoo

espirrar – to sneeze, squirt

estirar – to stretch, extend (with -se – to stretch out, spread out) (esticar – to stretch, extend)

ferir – to wound

fornecer – to furnish, supply, provide

implicar – to imply, implicate (with -com – to tease, pick on)

inchar – to swell up

indicar – to indicate, point out, single out

latir – to bark

ligar – to join, tie, pay attention to, turn on

magoar – to hurt, wound, upset, distress

manchar – to stain

mastigar – to chew

medir – to measure

meter – to put/stick in (with -se – to get oneself into) (also has a slang meaning – meter – “to have sex”)

multar – to fine, give a ticket/citation to

murchar – to wilt, wither

ousar – to dare, venture (atrever-se – to dare, risk)

pecar – to sin

pendurar – to hang up, suspend

pentear – to comb

pertencer -to belong to

pesar – to weigh

pingar – to drip

polir – to polish, shine

possuir – to possess, own, have

poupar – to save (up money), (with -se – to spare oneself)

progredir – to progress, proceed, advance

puxar – to pull

queixar-se – to complain

recear – to fear, be afraid of

recusar – to refuse, reject

relacionar – to relate, associate, enumerate, list

roer – to gnaw, nibble, consume (this is the appropriate verb to use for someone biting their nails “roendo as unhas“)

rogar – to beg, plead, implore (mendingar – to beg, panhandle)

romper – to rip, tear, break (off), break thorugh

sacudir – to shake, wave

servir – to serve, be of use, be good

soar – to sound, ring, strike (bell)

sobrar – to be left over (for example, food), in excess

soltar – to let lgo/loose, release, set free

somar – to add (up)

soprar – to blow

torcer – to twist, wring (out), root/cheer (for)

torrar – to toast, roast, burn, scorch

tossir – to cough

tragar – to devour, swallow, take a drag of, inhale

tratar – to deal with, treat, try to

varrer – to sweep

vencer – to defeat, overcome, win, expire (as a deadline)

zangar – to anger, (with -se – to get/become angry/mad)