Welcome to Thomas’s Classroom
Each word with a plain meaning, natural examples, the words it goes with, and notes for Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish speakers.
Translations and notes in
Points to a specific person or thing that the listener knows or can identify.
Goes withthe samethe firstthe endthe worldthe United States
Portuguêso, a, os, asFor things in general, English uses no article: “Life is short,” not “The life is short.”
Españolel, la, los, lasFor things in general, English uses no article: “People love music,” not “The people love the music.”
Connects a person or thing to a description, place, age, or identity: am, is, are, was, were, been.
Goes withbe able tobe surebe likely tobe afraidbe careful
Portuguêsser, estarAge and feelings use be: “I’m 30,” “I’m hungry,” not “I have 30 years,” “I have hunger.”
Españolser, estarAge, hunger, and cold use be: “I’m 30,” “I’m cold,” not “I have 30 years,” “I have cold.”
Joins words or ideas that go together.
Goes withand thenand so onboth … andmore and more
Portuguêse
Españoly (e before words that start with an i sound)
Connects a part, an amount, or a detail to the thing it belongs to.
Goes witha lot ofbecause ofin front ofout ofinstead of
PortuguêsdeFor people, English usually uses ’s: “Maria’s car,” not “the car of Maria.”
EspañoldeFor people, English usually uses ’s: “María’s car,” not “the car of María.”
One person or thing, not a specific one. Use an before a vowel sound: an hour, an idea.
Goes witha lota fewa littlea bitonce a week
Portuguêsum, umaJobs need a or an: “She’s a doctor,” not “She’s doctor.”
Españolun, unaJobs need a or an: “He’s an architect,” not “He’s architect.”
Inside a place, or during a period of time.
Goes within the morningin factin generalin timein the United States
Portuguêsem, dentro deUse in for months, years, and parts of the day (in May, in the morning), on for days (on Monday), and at for clock times (at 6:00).
Españolen, dentro deSpanish en covers in, on, and at. English chooses: in May, on Monday, at 6:00, on the table.
Comes before the base form of a verb to make an infinitive.
Goes withwant toneed totry tohave tobe able to
Português(not translated) / paraAfter can, must, and should there is no to: “I can swim,” not “I can to swim.”
Español(not translated) / paraAfter want, use someone + to + verb: “I want you to come,” not “I want that you come.”
Own or hold something. Also a helper verb in the present perfect: I have finished.
Goes withhave a lookhave breakfasthave troublehave a good timehave to
Portuguêster, haverTo say that something exists, use there is or there are: “There is a problem,” not “Have a problem.”
Españoltener, haberAge uses be, not have: “I’m 25,” not “I have 25 years.”
Toward a place, a person, or an end point.
Goes withgo totalk tolisten tofrom … tonext to
Portuguêspara, aWith home, there is no to: “I’m going home,” not “I’m going to home.”
Española, haciaWith home, there is no to: “Let’s go home,” not “Let’s go to home.”
Refers to a thing, an animal, or a situation. Also the subject for weather, time, and distance.
Goes withit’s hard toit seemsit’s clearmake itit’s worth it
Portuguêsele, ela (para coisas); o, aEnglish needs a subject: “It’s raining,” “It’s important,” not “Is raining,” “Is important.”
Españolél, ella (para cosas); lo, laEnglish needs a subject: “It’s late,” “It’s important,” not “Is late,” “Is important.”
The person speaking or writing. It always has a capital letter.
Goes withI thinkI knowI meanI guessI’m sure
PortuguêseuEnglish always says the subject: “I’m tired,” not “Am tired.”
EspañolyoEnglish always says the subject: “I live in Lima,” not “Live in Lima.”
Joins a statement to a verb like say, think, or know. Often left out in conversation.
Goes withthe fact thatmake sure thatso thatnow that
PortuguêsqueIn conversation, English often drops that: “I think she’s right.” Both forms are correct.
EspañolqueIn conversation, English often drops that: “I know he’s busy.” Both forms are correct.
Shows a purpose, the person who receives something, or a length of time.
Goes withfor a whilewait forlook forfor examplethank you for
Portuguêspara, porA length of time uses for: “I’ve lived here for two years,” not “since two years.” Since is for the start: since 2020.
Españolpara, por, duranteA length of time uses for: “for two years,” not “since two years.” Since is for the start: since 2020.
The person or people you are talking to. Also people in general.
Goes withyou knowthank yousee youif you want
Portuguêsvocê, vocês; te, lheYou is the same for one person or many, formal or informal.
Españoltú, usted, ustedes, vosotrosYou is the same for tú, usted, ustedes, and vosotros.
A man or boy already mentioned.
Goes withhe saidhe told mehe’s backhe was born
PortuguêseleHe is for people. For things, use it: “The car is new. It’s red.”
EspañolélHe is for people. For things, use it: “The table is old. It’s from Italy.”
Together with; using; having.
Goes withdeal withhelp withagree withwith friendsangry with
PortuguêscomMarry has no with: “She married him,” not “She married with him.”
EspañolconMarry has no with: “He married her,” not “He married with her.”
Touching a surface; for days and dates; about a topic.
Goes withon Mondayon timeon the phonedepend onfocus on
Portuguêsem, sobreDays and dates use on: “on Monday,” “on May 3.”
Españolen, sobreIt’s depend on, not depend of: “It depends on the weather.”
Perform an action. Also the helper for questions and negatives in the present simple.
Goes withdo homeworkdo the dishesdo your bestdo businessdo someone a favor
PortuguêsfazerFazer can be do or make: do homework, but make a decision. Questions need do: “Do you like it?” not “You like it?”
EspañolhacerHacer can be do or make: do exercise, but make a mistake. Questions need do: “Do you live here?” not “You live here?”
Shows that something belongs to a person or group: Maria’s car.
Goes withmy mother’s housetoday’s datethe company’s plana friend’s place
Portuguêsde (o carro da Maria)English puts the owner first: “Maria’s car,” not “the car of Maria.”
Españolde (el carro de María)English puts the owner first: “María’s car,” not “the car of María.”
Speak words, or express something in words. Past: said.
Goes withsay goodbyesay yessay sorrysay somethingneedless to say
Portuguêsdizer, falarSay something, but tell someone: “She told me the news,” not “She said me the news.”
EspañoldecirSay something, but tell someone: “He told me the truth,” not “He said me the truth.”
Two or more people or things. Also one person whose gender is unknown or not given.
Goes withthey saythey wantthey’re rightthey decided
Portuguêseles, elasThings also use they: “The shoes are nice. They’re new.”
Españolellos, ellasThings also use they: “The tickets are here. They’re on the table.”
The thing or person near you, or the time happening now.
Goes withthis yearthis morningthis timethis weekendlike this
Portuguêseste, esta, istoNo in or on before this: “this week,” “this morning,” not “in this week.”
Españoleste, esta, estoNo in or on before this: “this year,” “this Friday,” not “in this year.”
Introduces a contrast.
Goes withbut alsonot only … butbut thennothing but
Portuguêsmas, porém
Españolpero, sinoAfter a negative, sino is usually but or but rather: “not red but blue.”
Shows an exact place or an exact time.
Goes withat homeat workat nightat the endat least
Portuguêsem, às (para horas)Clock times and exact points use at: “at 6:00,” “at the door,” “at home.”
Españolen, a (las)Clock times use at: “at 6:00” (a las seis). Home and work also use at: “at home,” “at work.”
The speaker and one or more other people.
Goes withwe canwe needwe shouldlet’s (let us)
Portuguêsnós; a genteA gente means we, not the people: “We went to the beach,” not “The people went to the beach.”
Españolnosotros, nosotrasEnglish always says the subject: “We arrived late,” not “Arrived late.”
Belonging to a man or boy already mentioned.
Goes withhis ownhis wifehis jobhis familyhis name
Portuguêsdele, seu, suaChoose by the owner: his for a man, her for a woman. “Ana called her brother,” not “his brother.”
Españolsu (de él)Su can mean his, her, its, their, or your. English chooses by the owner: “Ana loves her job.”
Shows a starting point, an origin, or a source.
Goes withfrom … tocome fromfar fromdifferent fromfrom now on
PortuguêsdeFor origin, use from: “I’m from Recife,” not “I’m of Recife.”
Españolde, desdeFor origin, use from: “I’m from Colombia,” not “I’m of Colombia.”
The thing or person farther away, or one already mentioned.
Goes withthat onethat wayat that timethat’s rightlike that
Portuguêsaquele, aquela, esse, essa, isso
Españolese, esa, eso, aquel, aquella
Makes a verb or an idea negative.
Goes withnot onlynot yetnot surenot enoughof course not
PortuguêsnãoMost verbs need do: “I don’t know,” not “I no know.”
EspañolnoMost verbs need do: “She doesn’t eat meat,” not “She no eats meat.”
The short form of not after helper verbs: isn’t, don’t, can’t, won’t.
Goes withdon’t knowcan’t waitdoesn’t matterdidn’t wantwon’t be long
PortuguêsnãoHe, she, and it take doesn’t: “He doesn’t work,” not “He don’t work.”
EspañolnoHe, she, and it take doesn’t: “She doesn’t live here,” not “She don’t live here.”
Shows who does something, how, where (near), or a deadline.
Goes withby carby the wayby Fridayby myselfstep by step
Portuguêspor, de, até (prazo)Transport uses by with no article: “by bus,” “by car,” but “on foot.”
Españolpor, en, para (fecha límite)By Friday means no later than Friday (para el viernes).
Gives a choice.
Goes withor soeither … orsooner or latermore or less
Portuguêsou
Españolo (u before words that start with an o sound)
A woman or girl already mentioned.
Goes withshe saidshe told meshe’s fromshe was born
PortuguêselaEnglish needs the subject: “She is a teacher,” not “Is a teacher.”
EspañolellaEnglish needs the subject: “She is a lawyer,” not “Is a lawyer.”
While; because; in the same way.
Goes withas soon asas long asas well asas ifas far as I know
Portuguêsenquanto, como, já que
Españolmientras, como, ya que
Asks about a thing. Also means the thing that.
Goes withwhat timewhat kind ofwhat happenedwhat aboutwhat if
Portuguêso que, qual, queAsk “What’s your name?” not “How is your name?” For a description, ask “What is it like?” (Como é?).
Españolqué, cuál, lo queAsk “What’s your name?” not “How is your name?” (¿Cómo te llamas?).
Move from one place to another; leave. Past: went, gone.
Goes withgo homego to bedgo outgo aheadgo shopping
PortuguêsirNo to before home or shopping: “go home,” “go shopping,” not “go to home,” “go to shopping.”
EspañolirNo to before home or shopping: “go home,” “go shopping,” not “go to home,” “go to shopping.”
Belonging to them.
Goes withtheir owntheir childrentheir parentstheir home
Portuguêsdeles, delas, seu, suaTheir (possessive), there (place), and they’re (they are) sound the same. Check the spelling.
Españolsu, sus (de ellos)Their (possessive), there (place), and they’re (they are) sound the same. Check the spelling.
Talks about the future, decisions made now, offers, and promises.
Goes withwill be able towill probablyI’ll helpwill youwon’t
Português(futuro) vou, vaiAfter will, use the base verb: “I will go,” not “I will to go” or “I will going.”
Español(futuro) -é, -áAfter will, use the base verb: “She will call,” not “She will calls.”
Asks about a person. Also adds information about a person.
Goes withwho knowssomeone whopeople whothe person whowho else
Portuguêsquem, queFor people, use who, not which: “the man who called,” not “the man which called.”
Españolquién, queFor people, use who, not which: “the doctor who helped me,” not “the doctor which helped me.”
Shows ability, possibility, or permission.
Goes withcan’t affordcan’t waitcan Ican helpcan’t imagine
Portuguêspoder, conseguir, saber (fazer)No to after can: “I can swim,” not “I can to swim.”
Españolpoder, saber (hacer)Saber nadar is can swim: “I can swim,” not “I know swim.”
Receive, obtain, become, or arrive. Past: got.
Goes withget a jobget homeget betterget readyget married
Portuguêsconseguir, receber, ficar, chegarGet + adjective often means ficar: “I got nervous” (fiquei nervoso).
Españolconseguir, recibir, ponerse, llegarGet + adjective often means ponerse or quedarse: “He got angry” (se enojó).
Introduces a condition or a possibility.
Goes withif you wanteven ifas ifif necessarywhat if
PortuguêsseNo will after if for the future: “If it rains,” not “If it will rain.”
EspañolsiNo will after if for the future: “If you call,” not “If you will call.”
Every one, or the whole amount.
Goes withall dayall the timeafter allall overall right
Portuguêstodo, toda, todos, todasAll day is the whole day (o dia todo); every day is each day (todos os dias).
Españoltodo, todosAll day is the whole day (todo el día); every day is each day (todos los días).
Polite requests and offers, imagined situations, and the past of will.
Goes withwould likewould ratherwould you mindI’d love to
Português(condicional) -ia; gostariaI would like is a polite I want: “I’d like a table for two.”
Español(condicional) -ía; me gustaríaI would like is a polite I want: “I’d like the check, please.”
Belonging to a woman or girl.
Goes withher ownher husbandher motherher job
Portuguêsdela, seu, suaHer follows the owner, not the thing: “Ana visited her father.”
Españolsu (de ella)Su can be his, her, or their. English follows the owner: “María called her brother.”
Create or produce something; cause something to happen. Past: made.
Goes withmake a decisionmake a mistakemake moneymake sensemake sure
Portuguêsfazer, criarThese use make, not do: make a decision, make a mistake, make money, make a plan.
Españolhacer, crearThese use make, not do: make a decision, make a mistake, make money, make a plan.
On the subject of. Also means approximately.
Goes withtalk aboutthink aboutworry abouthow aboutabout time
Portuguêssobre, a respeito de, cerca deThink about (or of), not think in: “I’m thinking about you,” not “thinking in you.”
Españolsobre, acerca de, unosThink about (or of), not think in: “I’m thinking about you,” not “thinking in you.”
Belonging to me.
Goes withmy ownmy namemy familymy turnin my opinion
Portuguêsmeu, minhaBody parts take my: “I washed my hands,” not “I washed the hands.”
Españolmi, misBody parts and clothes take my: “I broke my arm,” not “I broke the arm.”
Have information in your mind; be familiar with a person or place. Past: knew, known.
Goes withyou knowI don’t knowknow how toget to knowlet me know
Portuguêssaber, conhecerKnow covers saber and conhecer, but the first time is meet: “I met her yesterday,” not “I knew her yesterday.”
Españolsaber, conocerKnow covers saber and conocer, but the first time is meet: “I met him yesterday,” not “I knew him yesterday.”
In the role of; in the way of.
Goes withas a resultsuch asas usualas a childknown as
PortuguêscomoA job or a role uses as, not like: “She works as a nurse.”
EspañolcomoA job or a role uses as, not like: “He works as a driver.”
Used with be to say that something exists.
Goes withthere isthere arethere wasthere’s nothere seems to be
Portuguêshá, temSay “There is a bank near here,” not “Have a bank near here.”
EspañolhayHay is there is or there are, and the verb agrees: “There are two banks near here.”
The number 1. Also a single person or thing.
Goes withone dayone ofthe only oneone morethis one
Portuguêsum, umaOne replaces a noun you already said: “I like the blue one.”
Españoluno, unaOne replaces a noun you already said: “I’ll take the small one.”
Toward a higher place. Also completes the meaning of many phrasal verbs.
Goes withget upwake upgive uppick upset up
Portuguêspara cimaUp changes many verbs: give up (desistir), set up (montar), pick up (buscar alguém).
EspañolarribaUp changes many verbs: give up (rendirse), set up (montar), pick up (recoger).
Minutes, hours, and days. Also one occasion.
Goes withfree timeon timea long timespend timehave a good time
Portuguêstempo, hora, vezTime is also vez: “three times” (três vezes). Weather is tempo for rain and sun.
Españoltiempo, hora, vezTime is also vez: “three times” (tres veces). Weather is tiempo for rain and sun.
A period of twelve months.
Goes withlast yearnext yearthis yearyears agoa year and a half
PortuguêsanoAge uses be: “I’m 30 years old” or “I’m 30,” not “I have 30 years.”
EspañolañoAge uses be: “I’m 30 years old” or “I’m 30,” not “I have 30 years.”
Very. Also in this way, or to replace an idea: I think so.
Goes withso muchso manyso farI think soand so on
Portuguêstão, então, assimAcho que sim is “I think so,” not “I think yes.”
Españoltan, asíCreo que sí is “I think so,” not “I think yes.”
Have an opinion; use your mind. Past: thought.
Goes withthink aboutthink ofI don’t think sothink twicethink ahead
Portuguêsachar, pensarAchar que is think: “I think he’s right.”
Españolpensar, creer“I don’t think it’s true” is more natural than “I think it’s not true.”
Notice with your eyes; understand; meet. Past: saw, seen.
Goes withsee you laterlet me seeI seesee a doctorsee the point
Portuguêsver, entenderFor TV and games, use watch: “I watched the game,” not “I assisted the game.”
Españolver, entenderFor TV and games, use watch: “I watched TV last night,” not “I saw TV.”
Asks for a choice from a limited group. Also adds information about a thing.
Goes withwhich onewhich wayin whichwhich means
Portuguêsqual, que, o qualWhich is for things, who is for people.
Españolcuál, qué, el cual, queWhich is for things, who is for people.
At the time that.
Goes withwhen I wassince wheneven whenjust when
PortuguêsquandoNo will after when for the future: “Call me when you arrive,” not “when you will arrive.”
EspañolcuandoSpanish uses the subjunctive (cuando llegues). English uses the present: “Call me when you arrive.”
An amount or a number that is not exact.
Goes withsome timesome offor some reasonsome kind of
Portuguêsalgum, alguma, um pouco deUse some in positive sentences and offers, and any in most questions and negatives: “Do you have any water?”
Españolalgún, algunos, un poco deUse some in positive sentences and offers, and any in most questions and negatives: “Is there any milk?”
The object form of they.
Goes withtell themhelp themlet themall of themone of them
Portuguêseles, elas, os, as, lhesObject pronouns come after the verb: “I love them,” not “I them love.”
Españollos, las, lesObject pronouns come after the verb: “I see them” (Los veo), not “I them see.”
Persons. The usual plural of person.
Goes withyoung peoplea lot of peoplemost peoplepeople sayother people
Portuguêspessoas, gentePeople is plural: “People are,” not “People is.” A gente means we.
Españolgente, personasLa gente is singular, but people is plural: “People are nice,” not “People is nice.”
Get hold of; carry; need an amount of time; accept. Past: took, taken.
Goes withtake a breaktake a phototake caretake placetake a shower
Portuguêspegar, levar, tomarTake a shower (tomar banho), take a photo (tirar foto), take a break (fazer uma pausa).
Españoltomar, llevar, agarrarTake a photo (sacar una foto), take a break (tomar un descanso). Americans make a decision, not take one.
The object form of I.
Goes withtell melet meexcuse megive meme too
Portuguêsme, mimExplain needs to: “Explain it to me,” not “Explain me.”
Españolme, míExplain needs to: “Explain it to me” (Explícamelo), not “Explain me.”
Away from the inside. Also completes the meaning of many phrasal verbs.
Goes withgo outfind outcheck outfigure outwork out
PortuguêsforaFind out is descobrir; work out can be malhar or dar certo.
EspañolafueraFind out is enterarse or averiguar; work out can be hacer ejercicio or salir bien.
Moving to the inside of something. Also changing from one thing to another.
Goes withget intoturn intolook intorun intotake into account
Portuguêspara dentro de, emInto shows movement: “He jumped into the pool.” In shows position: “He’s in the pool.”
Españolen, dentro deInto shows movement: “She ran into the house.” In shows position: “She’s in the house.”
Only; exactly; a very short time ago.
Goes withjust a minutejust in casejust nowjust likejust about
Portuguêssó, apenas, acabar deAcabei de chegar is “I’ve just arrived” (in American English also “I just arrived”).
Españolsolo, justo, acabar deAcabo de llegar is “I’ve just arrived” (in American English also “I just arrived”).
The object form of he.
Goes withtell himgive himask himcall himhelp him
Portuguêsele, o, lheThe object pronoun goes after the verb: “I saw him,” not “I him saw” or “I saw he.”
Españollo, le, élThe object pronoun goes after the verb: “I saw him” (Lo vi), not “I him saw.”
Move toward the speaker or a place; arrive. Past: came, come.
Goes withcome backcome income oncome fromcome true
Portuguêsvir, chegarCome is toward the speaker; go is away: “Come here,” “Go away.”
Españolvenir, llegarCome is toward the speaker; go is away: “Come here,” “Go away.”
Belonging to the person or people you are talking to.
Goes withyour ownyour familyyour jobyour turn
Portuguêsseu, sua, teu, tuaYour (possessive) and you’re (you are) sound the same: “Your car,” “You’re late.”
Españoltu, su, vuestroYour (possessive) and you’re (you are) sound the same: “Your phone,” “You’re right.”
At this moment.
Goes withright nowfor nowuntil nowfrom now onby now
PortuguêsagoraRight now is agora mesmo.
EspañolahoraRight now is ahora mismo.
The past of can. Also polite requests and possibility.
Goes withcould youcould becouldn’t believecould have
Portuguêspodia, poderia, conseguiaCould you …? is a polite request: “Could you send it today?”
Españolpodía, podría, pudoCould you …? is a polite request: “Could you close the window?”
Used in comparisons.
Goes withmore thanless thanbetter thanrather thanother than
Portuguêsdo queSay “bigger than,” not “more big than” or “more bigger than.”
Españolque, deWith numbers, use more than: “more than ten” (más de diez); “bigger than” (más grande que).
Similar to; in the same way as.
Goes withlook likesound likefeel likesomething likejust like
Portuguêscomo, parecido comWhat is it like? (Como é?) asks for a description.
Españolcomo, parecido aWhat is it like? (¿Cómo es?) asks for a description.
Different, or the rest of a group.
Goes witheach otherthe otherother peoplein other wordsother than
Portuguêsoutro, outraBefore a noun, other has no -s: “other people,” not “others people.”
Españolotro, otraBefore a noun, other has no -s: “other countries,” not “others countries.”
At that time; next; after that.
Goes withand thensince thenuntil thenback thenjust then
Portuguêsentão, depois, naquela época
Españolentonces, luego, en ese momento
In what way; to what degree.
Goes withhow muchhow manyhow longhow tohow about
Portuguêscomo, quãoAsk “How old are you?” for age, and “What’s it like?” for a description, not “How is it like?”
Españolcómo, qué tanAge is “How old are you?” (¿Cuántos años tienes?), not “How many years do you have?”
Belonging to a thing or an animal.
Goes withits ownits nameits sizeits value
Portuguêsseu, sua (de coisa)Its (possessive) has no apostrophe; it’s means it is.
Españolsu (de cosa)Its (possessive) has no apostrophe; it’s means it is.
The number 2.
Goes withtwo years agoone or twothe two of ustwo or three
Portuguêsdois, duasAgo comes after the time: “two years ago” (há dois anos).
EspañoldosAgo comes after the time: “two years ago” (hace dos años).
Belonging to us.
Goes withour ownour familyour countryour goal
Portuguêsnosso, nossa
Españolnuestro, nuestra
To a greater degree.
Goes withmore thanmore and moreonce moremore likely
PortuguêsmaisShort adjectives use -er, not more: “cheaper,” not “more cheap.”
EspañolmásShort adjectives use -er, not more: “faster,” not “more fast.”
The plural of this: things or people near you, or at this time.
Goes withthese daysone of thesethese people
Portuguêsestes, estasThese is plural; this is singular: “this book,” “these books.”
Españolestos, estasThese is plural; this is singular: “this book,” “these books.”
Wish to have or do something.
Goes withwant towant someone toif you wantreally want
PortuguêsquererUse want + person + to: “I want you to come,” not “I want that you come.”
EspañolquererUse want + person + to: “I want you to stay,” not “I want that you stay.”
A method; a road or a direction.
Goes withby the wayon the waythe best wayno wayall the way
Portuguêsjeito, maneira, caminhoBy the way is a propósito.
Españolmanera, forma, caminoBy the way is por cierto.
Not any.
Goes withno ideano problemno oneno wayno longer
Portuguêsnenhum, nenhumaUse one negative: “I have no money” or “I don’t have any money,” not “I don’t have no money.”
Españolningún, ningunaUse one negative: “I have no time” or “I don’t have any time,” not “I don’t have no time.”
Turn your eyes toward something. Also seem.
Goes withlook atlook forlook likelook forward tolook after
Portuguêsolhar, parecerLook for is procurar; look at is olhar para.
Españolmirar, parecerLook for is buscar; look at is mirar.
Coming before all others.
Goes withfirst timeat firstfirst of allfirst namethe first day
PortuguêsprimeiroAt first is no começo; first of all is antes de tudo.
EspañolprimeroAt first is al principio; first of all is antes que nada.
In addition.
Goes withbut alsonot only … but alsoalso known as
PortuguêstambémAlso goes before the main verb: “I also work,” not “I work also.” Too goes at the end.
EspañoltambiénAlso goes before the main verb: “She also plays,” not “She plays also.” Too goes at the end.
Recently made, bought, or started.
Goes withnew jobbrand newsomething newnew tonew year
Portuguêsnovo, novaAdjectives come before the noun: “a new car,” not “a car new.”
Españolnuevo, nuevaAdjectives come before the noun: “a new car,” not “a car new.”
Gives the reason for something.
Goes withbecause ofjust becausepartly becausemainly because
PortuguêsporqueBecause + a sentence; because of + a noun: “because of the traffic.”
EspañolporqueBecause + a sentence; because of + a noun: “because of the rain” (por la lluvia).
A period of 24 hours, or the time when it is light.
Goes withevery dayone daythe next dayday offall day
PortuguêsdiaDay off is dia de folga.
EspañoldíaDay off is día libre.
A larger amount or number.
Goes withmore timemore moneymore informationany more
PortuguêsmaisInformation is uncountable: “more information,” not “more informations.”
EspañolmásInformation is uncountable: “more information,” not “more informations.”
Do something with a tool, a method, or a thing for a purpose.
Goes withuse a computeruse the bathroomused towidely used
Portuguêsusar, utilizarUsed to is costumava: “I used to play soccer.”
Españolusar, utilizarUsed to is solía: “I used to live there.”
An adult male person. Plural: men.
Goes withyoung manold manthe man who
PortuguêshomemThe plural is men, not mans.
EspañolhombreThe plural is men, not mans.
In or to this place.
Goes withhere you areover hereright herehere and there
Portuguêsaqui, cáNo preposition before here: “Come here,” not “Come to here.”
Españolaquí, acáNo preposition before here: “Come here,” not “Come to here.”
Discover; get something you were looking for. Past: found.
Goes withfind outfind a wayfind a jobfind it hard to
Portuguêsencontrar, acharAchar can be find (objects) or think (opinions): “I found my keys,” “I think it’s good.”
Españolencontrar, hallarFind out is enterarse or averiguar: “I found out the truth.”
Hand something to someone; provide. Past: gave, given.
Goes withgive upgive backgive advicegive a talkgive someone a call
PortuguêsdarAdvice is uncountable: “She gave me good advice,” not “advices.”
EspañoldarAdvice is uncountable: “He gave me some advice,” not “advices.”
An object, an idea, or a fact.
Goes withthe same thinga good thingthe main thingthings like that
Portuguêscoisa
Españolcosa
In a good way. Also used to pause or start speaking.
Goes withas wellvery wellwell donepretty wellas well as
PortuguêsbemWell is the adverb; good is the adjective: “You speak well,” “Your English is good.”
EspañolbienWell is the adverb; good is the adjective: “She sings well,” “Her voice is good.”
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Word list and ranking: A Frequency Dictionary of Contemporary American English (Mark Davies and Dee Gardner, Routledge, 2010). Meanings, examples, word partners, translations, and notes are written for Thomas’s Classroom.