Sometimes it’s easier to fill out a small list of verbs for different situations and operate with them than to remember a special verb for each personal situation and end up getting everything mixed up in a stressful situation.
Apanhar(to catch)
We can use this verb not only in its direct meaning, for example “apanhar a bola” (catch the ball). We can also catch a bus – apanhar o autocarro. This expression actually means just to take the bus, but the verb “apanhar” adds drama, as if we are literally running after the bus and catching it.
The Portuguese can catch a “cold” unpleasantly: apanhar uma constipação. To make it easier to remember this expression, you can imagine that microbes are flying in the air and we catch one of them with our mouth or nose.
But let’s not talk about the sad, but rather talk about the pleasant. On the beach, in addition to the ball, we can also catch – you won’t believe it – the sun! The expression “apanhar sol” means “to sunbathe,” that is, to catch every ray with your skin.
And also, to pick a flower, we need the same verb – apanhar uma flor.
- Se eu apanhar o autocarro a horas, vou à praia para apanhar sol. (If I catch the bus on time, I’ll go to the beach to sunbathe.)
- Ele queria apanhar uma flor para a Joana, mas choveu muito, ele ficou molhado e apanhou uma constipação. (He wanted to pick a flower for Joana, but it was raining, he got wet and had a cold.)
Fazer (to do)
Let’s start with the simplest situations, for example, fazer uma festa (throw a party). Here the verb performs its primary function. Likewise, we can take a vacation – fazer férias. But a very special expression is fazer anos (to have a birthday). Literally translated as “make years.” Well, living another year is not so easy! Many events can happen in a whole year, most of which we do with our own hands!
Also remember, something related to playing sports is also inextricably linked with the verb fazer. Let’s start with the fact that fazer desporto is to play sports in general, and in particular: fazer canoagem (canoeing), fazer ioga (yoga), fazer artes marciais (martial arts). Of course, the verb praticar (to engage) is better, but both are correct.
- Faço anos na próxima semana e quero fazer uma festa. (Next week is my birthday and I want to throw a party.)
- Os meus pais vão fazer férias, por isso podemos fazer canoagem na nossa piscina enorme. (My parents will take a vacation and we can go canoeing in our huge swimming pool.)
Pôr (to put)
Even though it’s easy to explain, it still doesn’t always occur to us to use the verb pôr to describe putting something on ourselves. For example, we can pôr o chapéu (put on a hat) or pôr os óculos (put on glasses).
If we mentally move to the kitchen, we can set the table – pôr a mesa, or add salt to the dish – pôr sal. But you can put a car in the garage – pôr o carro na garagem.
Põe a bicicleta na garagem e vai pôr a mesa. Os convidados estão quase a chegar! (Put your bike in the garage and go set the table. The guests are almost here!)
Empurrar (to push)
Surely you have already come across this verb in the premises. Usually, we see the inscription on the door “puxe” or “empurra”. That is, the door can be “puxar” (pull towards you) or “empurrar” (push away from you). In general, any expressions with this verb one way or another reflect its true meaning – to push.
Let’s make sure of this!
Empurrar uma gaveta – to push a drawer, that is, in essence, to push away from oneself, and empurrar a cadeira – accordingly, to push a chair. But empurrar o carro das compras means simply carrying a shopping cart in front of us, because we still have to make an effort to move it, namely, push it!
Tirar
We can’t even give a specific translation for this verb because it depends on the context. In one case it is to tear it off, in the other it is to throw it away. It has many meanings! But let’s look at some options specifically.
So, for example, you can say tirar a roupa (take off your clothes) or tirar os ténis (take off your sneakers).
If apanhar a bola is to catch the ball, then someone has to throw it! Tirar a bola – throw the ball. You can also throw garbage, that is, throw it out – tirar o lixo. Keep this in mind and move on to the next paragraph.
The most unusual use of the verb is tirar fotografias (take photographs). To remember this expression at the level of associations, remember the Polaroid camera, which “spit out” photographs, practically throwing them out of itself.
- Tira uma fotografia! (Take a photo!)
Tomar (to take)
If the previous two verbs denoted an action in which we get rid of something or push away from ourselves, then the verb tomar, on the contrary, denotes approaching ourselves. This verb exudes human warmth because it helps us describe manipulations with ourselves. Namely, tomar banho (take a bath), tomar o pequeno-almoço (have breakfast) or tomar café (drink coffee).
The phrase tomar comprimidos (take pills), although associated with some kind of disease, still leads to relief of symptoms or recovery. Note that in most situations something is placed inside a person.
There is also the expression “tomar uma decisão” (to make a decision). You can remember this in such a way that the decision is also made inside a person – in his head.
- Tomo comprimidos depois de tomar banho. (I take the pills after I take a bath.)
- Nós tomamos decisões depois de tomar café. (We make decisions after we drink coffee.)
Conclusion
Of course, most of our explanations and analogies do not have a scientific evidence base. We just tried to guess why some verbs are used in unexpected contexts in Portuguese. But this happens in any language, we are sure!