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A1 verb #1,200 am häufigsten 14 Min. Lesezeit

adorar

Top 1,200

At the A1 beginner level, the verb adorar is introduced as a simple, powerful way to express strong likes and preferences. When you start learning Portuguese, you first learn the verb gostar (to like), which requires the preposition de. However, adorar is often easier for beginners to use because it translates directly to the English concept of loving things, and crucially, it does not require a preposition. You simply say the subject, the verb adorar, and the thing you love. For example, Eu adoro chocolate means I love chocolate. Eu adoro o Brasil means I love Brazil. It is a regular verb ending in -ar, which means its conjugation in the present tense is very predictable: eu adoro, tu adoras, ele/ela/você adora, nós adoramos, eles/elas/vocês adoram. At this level, you will primarily use adorar to talk about your favorite foods, hobbies, and activities. If you want to say you love doing something, you just put the second verb in its infinitive form right after adorar. For instance, Eu adoro dançar (I love to dance) or Ela adora ler (She loves to read). Learning adorar early on gives you a fantastic tool to sound enthusiastic and positive in your basic conversations, allowing you to connect with native speakers by sharing what brings you joy. It is a vital building block for expressing your personality in your new language.

As you progress to the A2 level, your use of adorar expands beyond simple present-tense statements to include past experiences and polite requests. At this stage, you learn the Pretérito Perfeito (simple past) and the Pretérito Imperfeito (imperfect past). You will use the simple past to talk about a specific event you loved: Eu adorei a festa ontem (I loved the party yesterday) or Nós adoramos o jantar (We loved the dinner). This is incredibly useful for giving positive feedback after an experience. You will also use the imperfect tense to talk about things you used to love in the past, often related to childhood or past habits: Quando eu era criança, eu adorava brincar no parque (When I was a child, I used to love playing in the park). Furthermore, at the A2 level, you begin to use the conditional tense to make polite and enthusiastic acceptances. If someone invites you to a movie, saying Eu adoraria ir! (I would love to go!) is a perfect, natural response. You also start to understand the nuance between adorar and amar, realizing that adorar is the correct choice for things and activities, while amar is kept for deep, personal relationships. Mastering these past and conditional forms of adorar allows you to have much richer conversations about your life experiences and social plans.

At the B1 intermediate level, the grammar surrounding adorar becomes more complex, specifically with the introduction of the subjunctive mood. Because adorar expresses a strong emotion or a subjective feeling, it acts as a trigger for the subjunctive when followed by the conjunction que (that). This is a major milestone in Portuguese grammar. Instead of just saying you love a thing or an action you do, you can now express that you love an action someone else does. For example, Adoro que você venha me visitar (I love that you come to visit me). Notice that the verb vir (to come) changes to the present subjunctive form venha. Similarly, in the past, you might say Adorei que ele tivesse trazido o bolo (I loved that he had brought the cake). At this level, you also start using adorar in more abstract contexts, discussing ideas, concepts, and personality traits rather than just food and hobbies. You might say Adoro a sua criatividade (I love your creativity) or Adoro a forma como ela pensa (I love the way she thinks). Your vocabulary expands, and adorar becomes a tool for expressing deeper appreciation for the nuances of life and human interaction, requiring a solid grasp of complex sentence structures and dependent clauses.

At the B2 upper-intermediate level, your use of adorar becomes highly nuanced, fluid, and culturally integrated. You no longer just use it to state facts about your preferences; you use it to navigate social situations, express irony, and demonstrate a native-like grasp of tone. You understand that adorar can be used sarcastically. For example, if it starts raining right after you wash your car, you might say with a sigh, Adoro quando isso acontece (I love when this happens). This ironic usage is very common in everyday Portuguese and shows a high level of cultural fluency. Furthermore, at the B2 level, you are comfortable using adorar in complex conditional and hypothetical sentences. Se eu tivesse tempo, adoraria viajar mais (If I had time, I would love to travel more). You also recognize the subtle differences in register and regional variations. You might notice that in Portugal, the pronunciation is slightly different, and the contexts in which adorar is used might vary slightly from Brazil. You are also able to seamlessly substitute adorar with synonyms like apreciar or the slang curtir depending on the formality of the situation. At this stage, adorar is not just a vocabulary word; it is a versatile instrument for expressing your exact emotional state, whether genuine, polite, or sarcastic, in any social context.

At the C1 advanced level, your command of adorar is practically native. You understand its etymological roots and how its historical meaning of worship still echoes in certain formal or literary contexts. While you use it effortlessly in daily conversation to mean to love, you can also read a classic Portuguese novel and perfectly understand when adorar is used to describe religious veneration or obsessive devotion to a monarch or deity. At this level, you manipulate the syntax around adorar with complete freedom. You use it in passive constructions, complex relative clauses, and idiomatic expressions without hesitation. You might say, É uma tradição que tem sido adorada por gerações (It is a tradition that has been adored by generations). You are also acutely aware of the stylistic choices between adorar, amar, venerar, and idolatrar, selecting the exact verb to match the precise emotional intensity and literary tone of your writing or speech. You can engage in deep debates about art, literature, and philosophy, using adorar to express profound aesthetic appreciation. Your use of the subjunctive triggered by adorar is flawless, even in the most complex past and future hypothetical scenarios. At C1, adorar is fully integrated into your sophisticated linguistic repertoire.

At the C2 mastery level, adorar is a word you wield with the precision of a poet or a seasoned orator. You possess a comprehensive understanding of its sociolinguistic implications across the entire Lusophone world. You can analyze how the usage of adorar has evolved over time, shifting from a strictly religious term of veneration in classical texts to the ubiquitous, casual intensifier it is today. You can effortlessly adapt your use of the word depending on whether you are speaking to a teenager in São Paulo, a university professor in Lisbon, or an elder in Luanda. You recognize the subtlest ironic inflections and can deploy them yourself with perfect comedic timing. In academic or highly formal writing, you know exactly when adorar is appropriate and when a more clinical term might be preferred. You can deconstruct sentences like Fazer-se adorar é a ambição dos tiranos (To make oneself adored is the ambition of tyrants), understanding the deep psychological and political weight the verb carries in such contexts. At this ultimate level of proficiency, adorar is not just a verb you know how to conjugate; it is a cultural artifact that you fully comprehend and manipulate to express the most complex, nuanced, and profound human emotions and social dynamics.

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adorar in 30 Sekunden

Means 'to love' for things/activities.
Regular -ar verb, easy to conjugate.
Does NOT use the preposition 'de'.
Stronger than 'gostar', weaker than 'amar'.

The Portuguese verb adorar is one of the most frequently used words in the language, serving as a powerful tool to express strong affection, preference, or enthusiasm for something or someone. While its literal and historical translation aligns with the English word to adore or to worship, its everyday application in modern Portuguese is much closer to the English phrase to love when referring to things, activities, or casual relationships. For instance, when an English speaker says I love pizza or I love going to the beach, a Portuguese speaker will almost always use the verb adorar rather than amar. This distinction is crucial for learners because using amar for inanimate objects or casual activities can sound overly dramatic, poetic, or simply unnatural in daily conversation. Understanding when to deploy adorar effectively bridges the gap between textbook Portuguese and native-level fluency.

Everyday Preference: Used to express a strong liking for food, hobbies, and entertainment, replacing the need for the verb gostar with an intensifier.

Eu costumo adorar os filmes desse diretor porque são muito criativos.

In casual contexts, adorar is the go-to verb for showing enthusiasm. If a friend invites you to a party, responding with Eu adoraria! (I would love to!) is the perfect way to accept with genuine excitement. It is a regular verb ending in -ar, making its conjugation highly predictable and accessible even for beginners. Furthermore, adorar can be used to describe affection towards people, though it usually denotes a strong platonic bond rather than romantic love. You might say Eu adoro a minha professora (I adore my teacher) or Eu adoro os meus amigos (I love my friends).

Platonic Affection: Expressing deep appreciation for friends, colleagues, or mentors without implying romantic involvement.

Nós vamos adorar a surpresa que preparamos para o aniversário dela.

It is also worth noting the religious context. In a theological or spiritual setting, adorar retains its original Latin meaning: to worship. Adorar a Deus translates to worshiping God. However, the context always makes the intended meaning perfectly clear.

Os fiéis reúnem-se para adorar a divindade no templo sagrado.

Religious Worship: The traditional, formal use of the word meaning to venerate or offer divine honors to a deity.

As you navigate Portuguese, you will find that adorar is an indispensable part of your vocabulary. It allows you to express your personality, your tastes, and your passions with a single, elegant word.

As crianças costumam adorar brincar no parque durante o verão.

Finally, mastering adorar helps you avoid the common trap of overusing gostar muito. While gostar muito is grammatically correct, adorar sounds much more native, fluid, and expressive.

Ela vai adorar o presente que compramos na viagem.

In summary, adorar is a versatile, high-frequency verb that enriches your conversational Portuguese, allowing you to convey enthusiasm, platonic love, and polite acceptance with ease and cultural accuracy.

Using adorar correctly in sentences is incredibly straightforward, especially because it is a completely regular verb ending in -ar. This means it follows the standard conjugation patterns for all tenses, making it very friendly for learners at the A1 and A2 levels. The most important syntactic rule to remember is that adorar is a transitive verb. It requires a direct object, and unlike the verb gostar, it does not take any prepositions. You simply place the noun or the infinitive verb directly after adorar.

Direct Object Structure: Subject + Adorar + Noun. Example: Eu adoro chocolate. There is no preposition between the verb and the noun.

Eles parecem adorar a nova casa de praia que compraram.

When you want to express that you love doing an activity, you use adorar followed by the infinitive form of the second verb. For example, Eu adoro ler (I love to read) or Nós adoramos viajar (We love to travel). This structure is incredibly common in everyday conversations when discussing hobbies, weekend plans, or general lifestyle preferences.

Infinitive Verb Structure: Subject + Adorar + Infinitive Verb. Example: Ela adora cantar no chuveiro. This expresses a love for an action.

Você vai adorar experimentar a culinária local desta região.

In the past tense (Pretérito Perfeito), adorar is used to describe a specific event or thing you loved in the past. For example, Eu adorei o filme (I loved the movie). This implies you watched the movie once and loved the experience. If you use the imperfect past tense (Pretérito Imperfeito), Eu adorava, it translates to I used to love, indicating a habit or an ongoing feeling in the past. Eu adorava brincar na rua quando era criança (I used to love playing in the street when I was a child).

Todos vão adorar a apresentação musical que preparamos para hoje.

Subjunctive Triggers: When adorar is followed by que, it triggers the subjunctive mood in the following clause, expressing emotion about someone else's action.

Advanced learners should note that when adorar is followed by the conjunction que (that), it triggers the subjunctive mood in the dependent clause. This is because adorar expresses a strong emotion or preference. For instance, Adoro que você seja tão honesto (I love that you are so honest). The verb ser becomes seja in the present subjunctive.

Eu cheguei a adorar aquele restaurante, mas a qualidade caiu muito.

Finally, adorar is frequently used in negative sentences to express a strong dislike, though odiar (to hate) is also common. Não adoro a ideia (I don't love the idea) is a polite way to express disagreement or lack of enthusiasm without being overly aggressive.

Ela não consegue esconder que vai adorar receber essa promoção no trabalho.

Mastering these sentence structures will significantly enhance your ability to communicate your feelings and preferences accurately and naturally in Portuguese.

The verb adorar is ubiquitous in Portuguese-speaking cultures, echoing through streets, cafes, television shows, and digital platforms every single day. Because it serves as the primary way to express strong enthusiasm for everyday things, you will hear it in almost any context where people are sharing opinions, making plans, or discussing their tastes. One of the most common places you will encounter adorar is in restaurants and around the dining table. Food culture is central to both Brazilian and Portuguese societies, and expressing delight over a meal is practically mandatory. You will frequently hear phrases like Eu adoro esta sobremesa (I love this dessert) or Adoro o tempero deste prato (I love the seasoning of this dish).

Culinary Contexts: Used extensively to praise food, drinks, and cooking styles during meals and social gatherings.

Os turistas costumam adorar as praias paradisíacas do nordeste brasileiro.

Another major domain for adorar is entertainment and pop culture. Whether discussing the latest telenovela, a new hit song, or a blockbuster movie, native speakers rely on adorar to share their fandom. Fans will comment on social media saying Adoro essa música! (I love this song!) or Adoro o ator principal (I adore the lead actor). It is the standard vocabulary of the enthusiastic consumer.

Pop Culture and Media: The go-to verb for expressing fandom, reviewing media, and discussing favorite artists or shows.

Qualquer pessoa vai adorar a hospitalidade calorosa do povo mineiro.

In the workplace, adorar is used to maintain positive relationships and show enthusiasm for projects or ideas. While it is slightly informal, it is perfectly acceptable in modern, collaborative work environments. A colleague might say Adorei a sua apresentação (I loved your presentation) or Adoro trabalhar nesta equipe (I love working in this team). It fosters a supportive and energetic atmosphere.

Eu tenho certeza de que ela vai adorar o buquê de flores.

Social Invitations: Used in the conditional tense (adoraria) to politely and enthusiastically accept invitations to events or gatherings.

You will also hear adorar frequently in the context of fashion and shopping. Complimenting someone's outfit by saying Adorei o seu vestido (I loved your dress) is a standard social grace. Similarly, when trying on clothes, a shopper might exclaim Adorei esta cor! (I loved this color!).

Meus pais costumam adorar passear pelo centro histórico aos domingos.

Finally, in the realm of sarcasm and irony, adorar plays a fun role. Just like in English, you can use it to mean the exact opposite. If someone drops their coffee, they might sigh and say Adoro quando isso acontece (I love when that happens). This sarcastic usage is highly prevalent among younger generations and adds a layer of humor to daily frustrations.

Nós vamos adorar a oportunidade de colaborar neste projeto inovador.

Understanding these diverse contexts ensures that you not only know what adorar means, but you also know exactly how to deploy it to sound like a true native speaker.

When learning Portuguese, English speakers often stumble upon a few predictable pitfalls when using the verb adorar. Because it translates to both to adore and to love (in certain contexts), the mapping between English and Portuguese is not perfectly one-to-one. The most frequent and glaring mistake is adding the preposition de after adorar. Because learners are taught early on that the verb gostar (to like) requires the preposition de (e.g., Eu gosto de pizza), they incorrectly apply this rule to adorar, resulting in the ungrammatical phrase Eu adoro de pizza. Adorar is a direct transitive verb, meaning it connects directly to its object without any preposition. The correct phrase is simply Eu adoro pizza.

The Preposition Trap: Never use 'de' after adorar. It is 'Eu adoro café', not 'Eu adoro de café'. This is the most common beginner mistake.

É impossível não adorar a vista maravilhosa desta varanda.

Another significant mistake involves confusing adorar with amar. While both can translate to to love in English, their usage in Portuguese is distinct. Amar carries a heavy, profound, often romantic or deeply familial weight. If you say Eu amo pizza, while a native speaker will understand you, it sounds slightly exaggerated or overly dramatic, akin to saying I am deeply, romantically in love with pizza. Adorar is the correct, natural choice for strong preferences regarding food, hobbies, objects, and casual relationships. Save amar for your spouse, your children, or profound passions.

Overusing Amar: Using 'amar' for everyday objects instead of 'adorar' makes you sound overly dramatic. Stick to 'adorar' for things and activities.

Eles vão adorar saber que o voo foi cancelado e terão mais um dia de férias.

A third mistake occurs when learners try to intensify adorar. Because adorar already means to like very much or to love, adding intensifiers like muito (very/a lot) is generally redundant. While you can say Eu gosto muito (I like it a lot), saying Eu adoro muito sounds slightly awkward, like saying I adore it a lot. It is not strictly grammatically incorrect, but native speakers rarely say it. Adorar is strong enough on its own. If you must intensify it, you might use an adverb like completamente (completely) or absolutamente (absolutely), as in Eu adoro absolutamente isso.

Você vai adorar o novo livro que o seu autor favorito acabou de lançar.

Redundant Intensifiers: Avoid saying 'adorar muito'. The verb itself already contains the meaning of 'very much'. Let the verb stand alone for maximum impact.

Lastly, learners sometimes struggle with the subjunctive trigger. When you say Adoro que... (I love that...), the following verb must be in the subjunctive mood. Saying Adoro que você é feliz is incorrect; it must be Adoro que você seja feliz. Forgetting the subjunctive here is a hallmark of an intermediate learner who hasn't quite mastered complex sentence structures.

Nós passamos a adorar o clima frio depois de morar no sul por tantos anos.

Qualquer fã de arte vai adorar a exposição que está no museu municipal.

By avoiding these common errors—dropping the 'de', choosing adorar over amar for things, skipping redundant intensifiers, and remembering the subjunctive—you will instantly sound much more natural and proficient in Portuguese.

The Portuguese language offers a rich spectrum of verbs to express affection, preference, and enthusiasm, and understanding where adorar fits within this spectrum is key to nuanced communication. While adorar is your reliable, everyday workhorse for expressing strong liking, there are several alternatives that you should know, each carrying its own specific shade of meaning, formality, or emotional weight. The most direct alternative, and the one learners usually learn first, is gostar (to like). Gostar is less intense than adorar. If you enjoy a movie but wouldn't call it your favorite, you use gostar. If you want to elevate gostar to the level of adorar, you can say gostar muito (to like very much).

Gostar vs. Adorar: 'Gostar' is a baseline 'to like', requiring the preposition 'de'. 'Adorar' is stronger, meaning 'to love' or 'to really like', and takes no preposition.

Eles costumam adorar as festas de fim de ano porque reúnem toda a família.

On the other end of the emotional spectrum is the verb amar (to love). As discussed previously, amar is reserved for deep, profound, usually romantic or familial love. You amar your spouse, your parents, and your children. While younger generations sometimes use amar hyperbolically for things (e.g., Eu amo esse sapato - I love this shoe), adorar remains the more standard and universally accepted choice for inanimate objects and activities.

Amar: Reserved for profound, romantic, or deep familial love. It is the strongest verb of affection in the Portuguese language.

Eu tenho certeza de que o público vai adorar a nova peça de teatro.

For more formal or refined contexts, you might encounter the verb apreciar (to appreciate). Apreciar is used when you want to express a sophisticated enjoyment or a critical admiration for something, such as art, fine wine, or classical music. Eu aprecio um bom vinho (I appreciate a good wine) sounds much more elegant and discerning than Eu adoro vinho (I love wine), which sounds purely enthusiastic.

As pessoas costumam adorar receber elogios sinceros sobre o seu trabalho duro.

Apreciar: A formal alternative meaning to appreciate or to value, often used in the context of art, food, or sophisticated experiences.

In religious or highly poetic contexts, you might see venerar (to venerate) or idolatrar (to idolize). These are extreme forms of adorar, pushing past enthusiasm into the realm of worship or blind devotion. You might hear someone say playfully, Ele idolatra aquele jogador de futebol (He idolizes that soccer player), implying an almost religious level of fandom.

Nós vamos adorar passar o fim de semana relaxando na montanha longe da cidade.

Ela vai adorar a surpresa que os amigos organizaram para a sua despedida.

By understanding these alternatives—gostar for simple liking, amar for deep love, apreciar for sophisticated enjoyment, and curtir for casual slang—you can choose the exact right word for every situation, making your Portuguese incredibly expressive and precise.

How Formal Is It?

Formell

"A diretoria adoraria contar com a sua presença no evento."

Neutral

"Eu adoro o clima desta cidade."

Informell

"Adoro de paixão essa música, cara!"

Child friendly

"As crianças adoram brincar no parquinho."

Umgangssprache

"Nossa, adoro real oficial esse lugar."

Wusstest du?

Because 'adorar' originally meant to pray or speak to the gods, it shares the same root ('orare') as the English words 'oral' and 'orator'. When you say you 'adore' pizza, you are etymologically saying you are praying to it!

Aussprachehilfe

UK /ɐ.ðuˈɾaɾ/

US /a.doˈɾaʁ/

The stress falls on the final syllable: a-do-RAR.

Reimt sich auf

amar cantar falar morar sonhar chorar voar comprar

Häufige Fehler

Pronouncing the 'o' like the English 'o' in 'go'. It should be more like 'door' (BR) or 'oo' (PT).
Stressing the second syllable (a-DO-rar) instead of the last.
Rolling the 'r' too hard like in Spanish. It should be a soft tap or a guttural 'h' (BR).
Pronouncing the first 'a' as a hard 'ay' sound.
Adding an 'e' sound at the end of the word.

Schwierigkeitsgrad

Lesen 1/5

Very easy to recognize and understand in context.

Schreiben 2/5

Easy to conjugate, but learners must remember not to use the preposition 'de'.

Sprechen 2/5

Easy to pronounce, though the tapped 'r' might take practice for some.

Hören 1/5

Clearly articulated and frequently used, making it easy to catch.

Was du als Nächstes lernen solltest

Voraussetzungen

gostar eu muito bom fazer

Als Nächstes lernen

amar odiar preferir apreciar detestar

Fortgeschritten

venerar idolatrar estima apreço devoção

Wichtige Grammatik

Direct Transitive Verbs

Adorar connects directly to the noun. 'Eu adoro café' (Correct) vs 'Eu adoro de café' (Incorrect).

Verbs followed by Infinitive

When expressing love for an action, use the infinitive. 'Eu adoro nadar'.

Subjunctive Triggers (Emotion)

Adorar + que triggers the subjunctive. 'Adoro que você seja feliz'.

Conditional for Politeness

Use the conditional to accept invitations politely. 'Eu adoraria ir'.

Imperfect for Past Habits

Use the imperfect to talk about things you used to love. 'Eu adorava brincar'.

Beispiele nach Niveau

Eu adoro comer pizza no fim de semana.

I love to eat pizza on the weekend.

Subject + adorar + infinitive verb.

Ela adora o novo professor de inglês.

She loves the new English teacher.

Adorar used with a person in a platonic context.

Nós adoramos viajar para a praia.

We love traveling to the beach.

First person plural conjugation: adoramos.

Você adora café com leite de manhã?

Do you love coffee with milk in the morning?

Question format using the present tense.

Eles adoram jogar futebol no parque.

They love playing soccer in the park.

Third person plural conjugation: adoram.

Eu adoro este livro de aventuras.

I love this adventure book.

Adorar followed directly by a noun, no preposition.

O meu cachorro adora passear na rua.

My dog loves walking in the street.

Using adorar with animals and activities.

Eu não adoro dias muito frios.

I don't love very cold days.

Negative form: não + adorar.

Eu adorei o presente que você me deu.

I loved the gift you gave me.

Pretérito Perfeito (simple past) for a completed action.

Quando era criança, eu adorava desenhar.

When I was a child, I used to love drawing.

Pretérito Imperfeito for a past habit.

Nós adoraríamos ir à sua festa de aniversário.

We would love to go to your birthday party.

Conditional tense (adoraríamos) for polite acceptance.

Ela adorou a comida do restaurante novo.

She loved the food at the new restaurant.

Third person singular in the simple past.

Vocês adoravam morar naquela cidade pequena?

Did you all use to love living in that small town?

Question in the imperfect past tense.

Eu tenho certeza de que ele vai adorar a surpresa.

I am sure he is going to love the surprise.

Future construction: ir + adorar.

Elas adoraram o filme que assistimos ontem.

They loved the movie we watched yesterday.

Third person plural in the simple past.

Eu adoraria ajudar, mas não tenho tempo hoje.

I would love to help, but I don't have time today.

Conditional tense used to politely decline.

Eu adoro que você sempre seja tão pontual.

I love that you are always so punctual.

Adorar que triggers the present subjunctive (seja).

Ela adorou que nós tivéssemos preparado o jantar.

She loved that we had prepared dinner.

Past subjunctive triggered by adorar in the past.

É importante que eles adorem o que fazem no trabalho.

It is important that they love what they do at work.

Adorar in the subjunctive mood after an impersonal expression.

Nós adoraríamos que vocês ficassem mais um pouco.

We would love for you to stay a little longer.

Conditional triggering the imperfect subjunctive (ficassem).

Eu adoro a maneira como ele explica as coisas complexas.

I love the way he explains complex things.

Using adorar with abstract concepts (a maneira).

Apesar de adorar doces, estou tentando comer menos açúcar.

Despite loving sweets, I am trying to eat less sugar.

Adorar in the personal infinitive after a preposition.

Eles não adoram a ideia de mudar de cidade agora.

They don't love the idea of moving cities right now.

Expressing mild disapproval using the negative form.

Você acha que ela vai adorar o vestido que escolhemos?

Do you think she will love the dress we chose?

Complex question structure about future preferences.

Adoro quando o trânsito está livre e chego cedo ao trabalho.

I love when the traffic is clear and I arrive early to work.

Adorar followed by an adverbial clause of time.

Se eu tivesse mais dinheiro, adoraria comprar aquela casa.

If I had more money, I would love to buy that house.

Conditional adoraria in a hypothetical 'se' clause.

É uma pena que ele não adore a profissão que escolheu.

It is a pity that he doesn't love the profession he chose.

Subjunctive adore triggered by an expression of emotion.

Adorei a ironia sutil no discurso do presidente.

I loved the subtle irony in the president's speech.

Using adorar to appreciate abstract, intellectual concepts.

Eles adoram se fazer de vítimas quando as coisas dão errado.

They love to play the victim when things go wrong.

Idiomatic usage: adorar + reflexive verb for a negative habit.

Por mais que eu adore esta cidade, o custo de vida é insustentável.

As much as I love this city, the cost of living is unsustainable.

Concessive clause (Por mais que) triggering the subjunctive.

Adoro a sensação de dever cumprido após um longo dia de trabalho.

I love the feeling of accomplishment after a long day of work.

Expressing love for complex emotional states.

Ela adorou ter sido convidada para palestrar na conferência internacional.

She loved having been invited to speak at the international conference.

Adorar followed by the compound passive infinitive.

Adoro quando a narrativa subverte as expectativas do leitor de forma tão magistral.

I love when the narrative subverts the reader's expectations so masterfully.

Literary analysis vocabulary combined with adorar.

É um autor que foi adorado pela crítica, mas ignorado pelo grande público.

He is an author who was adored by critics, but ignored by the general public.

Passive voice: foi adorado.

A sua capacidade de articulação é algo que eu absolutamente adoro nela.

Her ability to articulate is something I absolutely adore about her.

Intensifying adorar with an adverb (absolutamente) in a complex sentence.

Adoraria poder afirmar o contrário, mas os dados indicam uma recessão iminente.

I would love to be able to state otherwise, but the data indicates an imminent recession.

Formal, rhetorical use of the conditional adoraria.

O povo chegou a adorar o líder revolucionário como se fosse uma divindade.

The people came to adore the revolutionary leader as if he were a deity.

Historical/sociological context bridging the literal and figurative meanings.

Não é que eu adore a burocracia, mas entendo a sua necessidade estrutural.

It's not that I love bureaucracy, but I understand its structural necessity.

Subjunctive adore used in a nuanced, concessive structure.

Adoro a ironia de ele reclamar do capitalismo usando um smartphone de última geração.

I love the irony of him complaining about capitalism while using a latest-generation smartphone.

Using adorar to highlight social contradictions and irony.

Tendo adorado a primeira fase do projeto, o investidor decidiu dobrar o capital.

Having loved the first phase of the project, the investor decided to double the capital.

Gerund compound form (Tendo adorado) indicating cause.

A veneração cega fez com que a seita passasse a adorar o líder incondicionalmente.

Blind veneration caused the cult to begin worshiping the leader unconditionally.

Adorar used in its strict etymological sense of religious/cultic worship.

Adoro a idiossincrasia da língua portuguesa, com as suas nuances intraduzíveis.

I adore the idiosyncrasy of the Portuguese language, with its untranslatable nuances.

Highly academic vocabulary paired with the verb.

Fazer-se adorar pelas massas é o ardil mais antigo e eficaz dos demagogos.

Making oneself adored by the masses is the oldest and most effective ruse of demagogues.

Pronominal infinitive structure (Fazer-se adorar) in a philosophical context.

Por mais que a crítica o adore, a sua obra carece de substância ontológica.

As much as the critics adore him, his work lacks ontological substance.

Complex concessive clause with high-register vocabulary.

Adoraria que a conjuntura sociopolítica nos permitisse um otimismo menos ingênuo.

I would love it if the socio-political conjuncture allowed us a less naive optimism.

Conditional triggering imperfect subjunctive in a deeply analytical statement.

O monarca exigia ser adorado não apenas como soberano, mas como entidade divina.

The monarch demanded to be worshiped not only as a sovereign, but as a divine entity.

Passive infinitive (ser adorado) in a historical context.

É uma falácia adorar o progresso tecnológico sem questionar as suas implicações éticas.

It is a fallacy to adore technological progress without questioning its ethical implications.

Infinitive used as the subject of a philosophical proposition.

Adoro como a efemeridade da vida confere um peso trágico a cada decisão mundana.

I adore how the ephemerality of life confers a tragic weight to every mundane decision.

Expressing profound existential appreciation.

Häufige Kollokationen

adorar a ideia

adorar o sabor

adorar a surpresa

adorar o presente

adorar o clima

adorar a companhia

adorar a sensação

adorar o filme

adorar a música

adorar a Deus

Häufige Phrasen

Eu adoraria!

Adoro quando...

Simplesmente adoro

Vai adorar

Adorei te ver

Adoro a forma como...

Cheguei a adorar

Adoro de paixão

Não adoro

Adoro a vida

Wird oft verwechselt mit

adorar vs Amar

Learners use 'amar' for food (Eu amo pizza). Native speakers prefer 'adorar' for food (Eu adoro pizza).

adorar vs Gostar

Learners forget that 'gostar' needs 'de' and 'adorar' does not. (Gosto de bolo vs Adoro bolo).

adorar vs Adornar

A completely different verb meaning to adorn or decorate. They look similar but have unrelated meanings.

Redewendungen & Ausdrücke

"Adorar o chão que pisa"

To worship the ground someone walks on. Means to be completely devoted to or obsessed with someone.

Ele é tão apaixonado que adora o chão que ela pisa.

informal/dramatic

"Adorar o bezerro de ouro"

To worship the golden calf. A biblical idiom meaning to value money or material wealth above all else.

A sociedade moderna parece adorar o bezerro de ouro do consumismo.

formal/literary

"Fazer-se adorar"

To make oneself adored. Refers to someone who actively tries to be loved or admired by everyone, often manipulatively.

O político populista sabe muito bem como fazer-se adorar pelo povo.

neutral

"Adorar o sol que nasce"

To worship the rising sun. Means to align oneself with the new power or the new successful person, abandoning the old.

Na política, muitos preferem adorar o sol que nasce a ser leais.

literary

"Adorar as cinzas"

To worship the ashes. To hold onto the past or traditions that are no longer alive or relevant.

A tradição não é adorar as cinzas, mas preservar o fogo.

poetic

"Adorar de joelhos"

To adore on one's knees. To show extreme submission or desperate devotion.

Os fãs adoram o cantor de joelhos.

dramatic

"Adorar a própria imagem"

To worship one's own image. To be extremely narcissistic or vain.

Ele é tão vaidoso que parece adorar a própria imagem no espelho.

informal

"Adorar o perigo"

To love danger. Used to describe an adrenaline junkie or someone who takes reckless risks.

Ele dirige em alta velocidade porque adora o perigo.

neutral

"Adorar a ideia de"

To be in love with the idea of. Loving the concept of something rather than the reality of it.

Ela adora a ideia de casar, mas não quer o compromisso.

neutral

"Adorar sofrer"

To love to suffer. Used sarcastically to describe someone who always complains but never changes their bad situation.

Você não termina esse namoro ruim porque parece que adora sofrer.

informal

Leicht verwechselbar

adorar vs Amar

Both translate to 'to love' in English.

'Amar' is for deep, profound, usually romantic or familial love. 'Adorar' is for strong preference for things, activities, or platonic friends.

Eu amo a minha esposa, mas adoro jogar videogame.

adorar vs Gostar

Both express positive feelings.

'Gostar' is weaker (to like) and requires the preposition 'de'. 'Adorar' is stronger (to love) and takes no preposition.

Eu gosto de maçã, mas adoro morango.

adorar vs Apreciar

Both mean to like or value something.

'Apreciar' is much more formal and implies a critical or sophisticated evaluation, like appreciating art or wine.

Eu aprecio a arte renascentista.

adorar vs Venerar

Both share the historical meaning of worship.

'Venerar' is strictly used for religious worship or extreme, almost unhealthy devotion. 'Adorar' is for everyday enthusiasm.

Os monges veneram o santo padroeiro.

adorar vs Querer

Both can be used to accept things.

'Querer' means to want. 'Adorar' means to love. 'Eu quero ir' (I want to go) vs 'Eu adoraria ir' (I would love to go).

Eu quero um café, pois adoro café.

Satzmuster

Subject + adorar + Noun

Eu adoro música.

Subject + adorar + Infinitive

Ela adora dançar.

Subject + adorar (Past) + Noun

Nós adoramos a festa.

Subject + adoraria + Infinitive

Eu adoraria viajar.

Adorar + que + Subjunctive

Adoro que chova.

Se + Imperfect Subjunctive, + adoraria

Se pudesse, adoraria ir.

Adorar + Abstract Noun

Adoro a complexidade da obra.

Fazer-se + adorar

Ele tenta fazer-se adorar.

Wortfamilie

Substantive

Verben

Adjektive

Verwandt

So verwendest du es

frequency

Extremely high. It is one of the top 100 most used verbs in spoken Portuguese.

Häufige Fehler

Eu adoro de chocolate. → Eu adoro chocolate.
Learners apply the rule for 'gostar' (which needs 'de') to 'adorar'. 'Adorar' is a direct transitive verb and never takes a preposition.
Eu amo pizza. → Eu adoro pizza.
While understandable, 'amar' is too strong and dramatic for food. 'Adorar' is the natural, native choice for expressing a love for inanimate objects.
Adoro que você é feliz. → Adoro que você seja feliz.
Because 'adorar' expresses emotion, it triggers the subjunctive mood when followed by 'que'. The indicative 'é' must become the subjunctive 'seja'.
Eu adoro muito esse filme. → Eu adoro esse filme.
Adding 'muito' to 'adorar' is redundant because the verb already means 'to like very much'. It is better to let the verb stand alone.
Eu quero ir para a festa, eu adorava. → Eu quero ir para a festa, eu adoraria.
Learners sometimes confuse the imperfect (adorava - I used to love) with the conditional (adoraria - I would love to) when accepting invitations.

Tipps

Drop the 'De'

The biggest tip for English speakers: never put 'de' after adorar. It is 'Eu adoro o Brasil', not 'Eu adoro do Brasil'.

Food Rule

When talking about food, almost always choose 'adorar' over 'amar'. It sounds much more natural to native ears.

Accepting Invitations

Memorize the phrase 'Eu adoraria!'. It is the best way to sound enthusiastic and polite when someone invites you out.

Stress the End

Make sure you put the emphasis on the final syllable 'RAR'. Saying a-DO-rar sounds like Spanish; Portuguese is a-do-RAR.

Subjunctive Trigger

If you say 'Adoro que...', force your brain to switch to the subjunctive mood for the next verb. It's a great way to practice advanced grammar.

Social Media

Feel free to comment 'Adoro!' on your Brazilian friends' photos. It's the equivalent of a super-like or a heart emoji.

Sarcasm

Use 'adoro' with a flat tone when you drop your keys or spill coffee. It shows you understand Portuguese humor.

Infinitive Action

When you love doing an action, just stick the infinitive verb right after. 'Adoro dormir', 'Adoro comer', 'Adoro viajar'.

Avoid 'Adorar Muito'

Resist the urge to translate 'I love it a lot' directly. 'Adorar' is strong enough. Skip the 'muito'.

Platonic Love

Use 'adorar' to tell your friends you appreciate them without making it sound romantic. 'Adoro você, amigo!' is perfect.

Einprägen

Eselsbrücke

Imagine a DOOR that you love so much you hug it. A-DOOR-ar. You ADORE the DOOR.

Visuelle Assoziation

Visualize yourself hugging a giant slice of pizza with heart eyes. The word ADORAR is written in pepperoni on the pizza.

Word Web

adorar gostar muito amar comida hobbies entusiasmo adoração adorável

Herausforderung

For the next 24 hours, every time you see an object you like (your phone, your coffee, your bed), say out loud: 'Eu adoro [object]'.

Wortherkunft

The word 'adorar' comes directly from the Latin verb 'adorare'. In Latin, it was composed of the prefix 'ad-' (to, towards) and 'orare' (to speak, to pray). Therefore, its original literal meaning was 'to speak to' or 'to pray to' a deity. Over centuries of use in the Iberian Peninsula, it evolved from strictly religious worship to expressing strong secular affection.

Ursprüngliche Bedeutung: To pray to, to worship a deity.

Indo-European > Italic > Romance > Western Romance > Ibero-Romance > Portuguese.

Kultureller Kontext

Be careful not to use 'amar' when you mean 'adorar' with acquaintances, as it can sound inappropriately intimate or overly dramatic.

English speakers use 'love' for everything: 'I love my wife' and 'I love this sandwich'. Portuguese separates these: 'Eu amo a minha esposa' but 'Eu adoro este sanduíche'.

The famous Brazilian song 'Adoro Amar Você' by singer Daniel. The popular Brazilian TV show catchphrase 'Adoro!' used by comedic characters to show sassy approval. Classic Portuguese literature where 'adorar' is used to describe devotion to the King.

Im Alltag üben

Kontexte aus dem Alltag

At a restaurant

Adorei a comida
Eu adoro este prato
Adoramos o atendimento
Você vai adorar a sobremesa

Discussing hobbies

Eu adoro ler
Adoro jogar futebol
Nós adoramos viajar
Ela adora pintar

Accepting invitations

Eu adoraria ir
Adoraríamos participar
Vou adorar te ver
Adoraria, mas não posso

Giving compliments

Adorei o seu vestido
Adoro o seu cabelo
Adoramos a sua casa
Adorei a apresentação

Expressing irony

Adoro quando chove nas férias
Adoro esperar na fila
Adoro quando a internet cai
Adoro o trânsito de segunda-feira

Gesprächseinstiege

"O que você adora fazer no seu tempo livre durante os fins de semana?"

"Qual é o tipo de comida que você adora comer quando está triste?"

"Existe algum filme ou série que você adora e recomenda para todo mundo?"

"Você adora viajar para a praia ou prefere as montanhas no inverno?"

"Qual é a música que você adora cantar quando está sozinho no carro?"

Tagebuch-Impulse

Escreva sobre três coisas simples do dia a dia que você adora e explique o porquê.

Descreva um lugar que você visitou no passado e que adorou conhecer.

Pense em uma pessoa que você adora (amigo ou familiar) e escreva sobre as qualidades dela.

Se você pudesse fazer qualquer coisa hoje, o que você adoraria fazer?

Escreva sobre um hobby que você adorava quando era criança, mas não faz mais.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

10 Fragen

No, this is a very common mistake. The verb 'adorar' is a direct transitive verb, which means it does not take a preposition. You must say 'Eu adoro pizza'. Save the preposition 'de' for the verb 'gostar'.

In English, you use 'love' for both your mother and a good hamburger. In Portuguese, you use 'amar' for your mother (deep, romantic, or familial love) and 'adorar' for the hamburger (strong preference for things or activities).

You use the conditional tense of 'adorar'. The phrase is 'Eu adoraria'. It is the perfect, polite way to accept an invitation to a party, a dinner, or an event.

Yes, when it is followed by the word 'que' (that). Because it expresses an emotion, it requires the subjunctive in the following clause. For example, 'Adoro que você seja feliz' (I love that you are happy).

Yes, but it usually implies a strong platonic affection rather than romantic love. Saying 'Eu adoro o meu professor' means you really like your teacher. It is safe to use with friends and colleagues.

Yes, the meaning and grammar are identical in both countries. The only difference is the pronunciation. In Brazil, the vowels are more open, while in Portugal, they are more closed and reduced.

Absolutely. Just like in English, you can say 'Adoro quando isso acontece' (I love when this happens) when something bad or annoying occurs. It is very common in everyday speech.

While people will understand you, it is considered redundant. 'Adorar' already means to like very much. It is better to just say 'Eu adoro' or use an adverb like 'absolutamente' (Eu adoro absolutamente).

The noun form is 'adoração', which means adoration or worship. There is also 'adorador' or 'adoradora', which means a worshiper or someone who adores something.

Yes, it is a completely regular verb ending in '-ar'. It follows the exact same conjugation rules as 'falar', 'cantar', and 'estudar' in all tenses and moods.

Teste dich selbst 200 Fragen

writing

Write a sentence saying you love chocolate.

Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.

Subject + adorar + noun.