casar-se in 30 Sekunden
- Casar-se is the reflexive Portuguese verb for 'to get married'.
- It requires a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, se) matching the subject.
- The preposition 'com' must always be used when mentioning the partner.
- It is a regular -ar verb but the pronoun placement changes in negative sentences.
The Portuguese verb casar-se is a fundamental reflexive verb used to describe the act of entering into a legal or religious union with another person. At its core, it represents the transition from being single to being part of a married couple. Unlike the English 'to marry', which can be used transitively ('He married her'), the Portuguese 'casar-se' is primarily pronominal when the subject is the one getting married. This means it requires a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, vos, se) that agrees with the subject. For example, 'Eu me casei' (I got married). Understanding this reflexive nature is crucial for A2 learners because it sets the foundation for how many social verbs function in Portuguese.
- The Reflexive Component
- The '-se' attached to the infinitive indicates that the action is performed by the subject upon themselves or as a mutual act. When you say 'Eles se casaram', you are saying they married each other or entered the state of marriage together.
- The Prepositional Requirement
- In Portuguese, you do not just 'marry someone'; you 'marry-yourself WITH someone'. The preposition com is mandatory. Example: 'Ela se casou com o Pedro'.
- Transitive Usage (Non-Reflexive)
- The verb 'casar' (without the 'se') is used when someone performs the ceremony, like a priest or a judge. 'O padre casou os noivos' (The priest married the couple).
"Depois de cinco anos de namoro, eles finalmente decidiram casar-se em uma cerimônia íntima na praia."
In a broader sociological sense, casar-se carries significant weight in Lusophone cultures. It is not merely a legal contract but often a communal celebration involving extended family (a família estendida). The verb also appears in metaphorical contexts, such as 'casar ideias' (to marry/blend ideas), though the reflexive form is strictly reserved for the matrimonial act between people.
"Eu quero me casar com você porque você é o amor da minha vida."
"Eles se casaram no civil antes de fazerem a festa religiosa."
"Nós vamos nos casar no próximo verão em Portugal."
"Se você se casar agora, terá muitos benefícios fiscais."
- Formal vs. Informal
- In Brazil, the pronoun often moves before the verb ('me casar'), while in Portugal, it often stays after ('casar-me'). Both are correct but reflect regional preferences.
Using casar-se correctly requires a grasp of reflexive pronoun placement and the prepositional link. Because it is a regular '-ar' verb, its conjugation is relatively straightforward, but the pronoun management can be tricky for English speakers who aren't used to reflexive structures for this concept.
1. The Reflexive Pronoun Pattern
The pronoun must match the subject. Here is a quick breakdown in the present tense:
- Eu me caso
- Você se casa
- Nós nos casamos
- Eles se casam
In Brazil, the pronoun is almost always placed before the verb in spoken language (Próclise). In Portugal, the standard is after the verb (Ênclise), especially at the start of sentences: 'Caso-me amanhã'. However, in common conversation, 'Vou me casar' or 'Quero me casar' is universally understood.
2. The 'Com' Connection
One of the most frequent errors is omitting the preposition com. In English, you 'marry someone'. In Portuguese, you 'casar-se COM alguém'.
"Maria se casou com um médico estrangeiro." (Maria married a foreign doctor.)
3. Tense Variations
The most common tenses for this verb are the Pretérito Perfeito (completed past) and the Futuro Imediato (going to...).
- Past: "Nós nos casamos em 2010." (We got married in 2010.)
- Future: "Eles vão se casar no ano que vem." (They are going to get married next year.)
- Conditional: "Eu me casaria com ele se ele pedisse." (I would marry him if he asked.)
Finally, consider the context of the ceremony. If you are talking about the legal act, you might say 'casar no civil'. If it's the religious act, 'casar na igreja'. Both still use the reflexive form if the subject is the one getting married.
The verb casar-se is ubiquitous in Lusophone life, appearing in daily conversations, media, and formal legalities. Because marriage is a central social pillar in many Portuguese-speaking countries, you will encounter this verb in various registers.
1. Telenovelas and Pop Culture
Brazilian and Portuguese soap operas (telenovelas) are famous for their dramatic wedding plots. You will constantly hear characters asking: "Você quer se casar comigo?" (Do you want to marry me?). The verb is often used with high emotional intensity in these contexts.
2. Family Gatherings
At family dinners, older relatives might ask younger ones: "E aí, quando você vai se casar?" (So, when are you going to get married?). This is a common, albeit sometimes annoying, social trope in Lusophone cultures where family expansion is highly valued.
"Minha avó sempre pergunta quando eu vou me casar e ter filhos."
3. Legal and Administrative Settings
When dealing with the Cartório (Registry Office) in Brazil or the Conservatória in Portugal, the verb appears in formal documents. You might hear: "Os nubentes desejam se casar sob qual regime de bens?" (Under which property regime do the betrothed wish to marry?).
4. News and Celebrity Gossip
Headlines frequently use the verb to report on famous couples. "Cantora famosa se casa em segredo na Itália" (Famous singer marries in secret in Italy). Note that in headlines, the 'se' is often kept to ensure clarity that the person themselves got married.
You will also hear it in songs, particularly in genres like Fado, Samba, or Sertanejo, where themes of love, betrayal, and domestic life are prevalent. The act of 'casar-se' is often portrayed as a dream or a life-changing milestone.
Even though casar-se is an A2 level verb, its reflexive nature and prepositional requirements lead to several recurring errors for learners. Avoiding these will immediately make your Portuguese sound more natural and sophisticated.
1. Forgetting the Reflexive Pronoun
This is the #1 mistake. English speakers often say "Eu casei com ela". While people will understand you, it is technically incomplete. It should be "Eu me casei com ela". Without the pronoun, you are implying you performed the ceremony as an official.
2. Using the Wrong Preposition
Learners often try to use 'para' or 'a' because of direct translations from other languages.
❌ Se casar para ele
✅ Se casar com ele
3. Pronoun Placement Errors
In negative sentences, the pronoun must jump to the front. Many students say "Eu não casei-me". The correct form is "Eu não me casei". Negative words act as 'magnets' that pull the pronoun toward them.
- Mistake: Confusing 'Casar' and 'Casado'
- 'Casar-se' is the action (to get married). 'Casado' is the state (married). Don't say 'Eu quero casado'; say 'Eu quero me casar' or 'Eu sou casado'.
4. Misconjugating in the Past
Since it's a regular '-ar' verb, the 'nós' form in the past is 'casamos' (same as present in Brazil, slightly different pronunciation in Portugal). Learners sometimes invent irregular forms. Stick to the regular pattern: casei, casou, casamos, casaram.
Finally, be careful with the plural. If two people are getting married to each other, use se casar. If you are talking about yourself and someone else getting married to different people, the context must be very clear to avoid confusion!
While casar-se is the standard term, Portuguese offers several synonyms and related expressions that can enrich your vocabulary and help you understand different nuances of commitment.
- Contrair Matrimônio
- This is the formal, legal, or bureaucratic way to say 'to get married'. You will see this in contracts, legal news, or very formal invitations. It literally means 'to contract matrimony'.
- Unir-se
- A more general term meaning 'to unite'. It is often used for couples who are moving in together or forming a stable union without necessarily having a traditional wedding ceremony. 'Eles se uniram em 2020'.
- Juntar os Trapos
- An informal, idiomatic expression that literally means 'to join the rags'. It's equivalent to 'to move in together' or 'to get hitched' in a non-formal way. It's very common in casual Brazilian Portuguese.
"Eles não quiseram uma festa grande, apenas juntaram os trapos e foram morar juntos."
Related Concepts
- Noivar: To get engaged. This is the step before casar-se.
- Divorciar-se: The antonym. To get divorced. It is also reflexive.
- Amigar-se: A slightly dated or very informal term for living together without being married.
In literature, you might find desposar, which is a poetic and archaic way to say 'to marry' or 'to take as a spouse'. You won't hear it at a bar, but you'll see it in 19th-century novels like those of Machado de Assis or Camilo Castelo Branco.
How Formal Is It?
Schwierigkeitsgrad
Wichtige Grammatik
Placement of reflexive pronouns (Próclise, Ênclise, Mesóclise)
Use of 'com' + personal pronouns (comigo, contigo, conosco)
Subjunctive mood for wishes and doubts
Personal infinitive after prepositions
Beispiele nach Niveau
Eu quero casar.
I want to marry.
Basic infinitive usage.
Eles casam hoje.
They marry today.
Present tense, third person plural.
Você vai casar?
Are you going to marry?
Future with 'ir'.
O bolo de casar é grande.
The wedding cake is big.
Using 'casar' as a noun-like modifier.
Minha irmã casa amanhã.
My sister marries tomorrow.
Present tense for near future.
Onde eles casam?
Where do they marry?
Question word 'onde'.
Eu não caso agora.
I don't marry now.
Negative sentence.
Eles são felizes no casar.
They are happy in the marrying (act).
Simple sentence structure.
Eu me casei no ano passado.
I got married last year.
Reflexive pronoun 'me' + Pretérito Perfeito.
Ela se casou com um brasileiro.
She married a Brazilian.
Preposition 'com' is essential.
Nós nos casamos na praia.
We got married on the beach.
Reflexive pronoun 'nos'.
Eles se casaram no civil.
They got married in a civil ceremony.
Reflexive pronoun 'se'.
Você quer se casar comigo?
Do you want to marry me?
Reflexive pronoun with infinitive.
Não queremos nos casar na igreja.
We don't want to get married in the church.
Negative + reflexive.
Quando vocês se casam?
When are you (plural) getting married?
Interrogative with reflexive.
Ele se casou muito jovem.
He got married very young.
Adverbial use.
Se eu tivesse dinheiro, me casaria amanhã.
If I had money, I would get married tomorrow.
Conditional mood.
Espero que eles se casem logo.
I hope they get married soon.
Present Subjunctive after 'espero que'.
Eles se casaram apesar da chuva.
They got married despite the rain.
Concessive phrase 'apesar de'.
Ela nunca pensou em se casar.
She never thought about getting married.
Preposition 'em' before infinitive.
Nós nos casaríamos se fosse mais fácil.
We would get married if it were easier.
Conditional + Imperfect Subjunctive.
Eles decidiram se casar em segredo.
They decided to get married in secret.
Infinitive after 'decidir'.
O padre que nos casou era muito simpático.
The priest who married us was very nice.
Non-reflexive 'casar' (to perform the ceremony).
Depois de se casarem, eles viajaram.
After getting married, they traveled.
Personal infinitive 'casarem'.
Duvido que ele se case com ela por amor.
I doubt he is marrying her for love.
Subjunctive after 'duvido que'.
Eles se casaram sob o regime de comunhão total.
They married under the total property sharing regime.
Legal terminology.
Caso eles se casem, haverá uma grande festa.
In case they get married, there will be a big party.
Conjunction 'caso' + Subjunctive.
Ela se casou apenas para obter a cidadania.
She married only to obtain citizenship.
Purpose clause.
Não se casem sem antes conversar sobre finanças.
Don't get married without talking about finances first.
Imperative negative.
O casal se casou perante o juiz de paz.
The couple married before the justice of the peace.
Formal preposition 'perante'.
Mesmo que se casem, eles manterão casas separadas.
Even if they get married, they will keep separate houses.
Concessive 'mesmo que'.
A ideia de se casar a assustava um pouco.
The idea of getting married scared her a bit.
Reflexive pronoun with direct object pronoun 'a'.
É imperativo que se casem antes do fim do ano por razões fiscais.
It is imperative that they marry before the end of the year for tax reasons.
Formal impersonal expression.
Ao se casarem, assumiram um compromisso vitalício.
Upon marrying, they assumed a lifelong commitment.
Reduced temporal clause with personal infinitive.
Quem dera eu me casasse com alguém tão paciente.
I wish I would marry someone so patient.
Optative 'quem dera' + Imperfect Subjunctive.
Eles se casaram em uma cerimônia suntuosa que parou a cidade.
They married in a sumptuous ceremony that brought the city to a standstill.
Advanced vocabulary 'suntuosa'.
Não obstante se casarem, preservaram suas identidades individuais.
Notwithstanding their marriage, they preserved their individual identities.
Formal conjunction 'não obstante'.
A outrora noiva finalmente se casou com seu pretendente.
The erstwhile bride finally married her suitor.
Archaic/Formal 'outrora' and 'pretendente'.
Oxalá se casem e sejam imensamente felizes.
Hopefully they marry and are immensely happy.
Arabic-origin 'oxalá' + Subjunctive.
O ato de se casar transcende a mera formalidade jurídica.
The act of marrying transcends mere legal formality.
Philosophical register.
Casar-se-iam, não fora a súbita interdição dos progenitores.
They would have married, were it not for the sudden prohibition of the parents.
Mesoclisis + Literary 'não fora' (Pluperfect as conditional).
A premência de se casarem advinha de pressões dinásticas.
The urgency of their marriage stemmed from dynastic pressures.
High-level vocabulary 'premência', 'advinha'.
Malgrado se casassem, a desconfiança mútua persistia.
Despite their marriage, mutual distrust persisted.
Formal 'malgrado' + Subjunctive.
O enlace, pelo qual tanto ansiaram, culminou no casar-se tardio.
The union, for which they long yearned, culminated in a late marriage.
Relative clause 'pelo qual' + nominalized infinitive.
Instados a se casarem, os jovens rebelaram-se contra a tradição.
Urged to marry, the youths rebelled against tradition.
Passive participle 'instados'.
Casar-se-ão, porventura, se os astros assim o permitirem.
They will marry, perhaps, if the stars so permit.
Mesoclisis + 'porventura'.
A volição de se casar esvaiu-se com o passar dos anos.
The volition to marry withered away with the passing years.
Abstract 'volição' and 'esvaiu-se'.
Se se casarem, que o façam sob a égide do respeito mútuo.
If they marry, let them do so under the aegis of mutual respect.
Double 'se' (conjunction + pronoun) + 'égide'.
Häufige Kollokationen
Häufige Phrasen
Wird oft verwechselt mit
Redewendungen & Ausdrücke
Leicht verwechselbar
To revoke a license or mandate.
To hunt animals.
The adjective/state of being married.
Satzmuster
So verwendest du es
Must match the subject: Eu me, Tu te, Ele se.
Always use 'com'. Never 'a' or 'para' for the partner.
- Eu casei ela. (Missing 'me' and 'com')
- Nós casamos na igreja. (Better: Nós nos casamos)
- Ela se casou para o João. (Wrong preposition)
- Eu não casei-me. (Wrong pronoun placement with 'não')
- Eles casaram-se ontem. (Correct, but 'se casaram' is more common in Brazil)
Tipps
Pronoun Match
Ensure the pronoun matches: Eu me, Você se, Nós nos.
Padrinhos
Weddings usually have many 'padrinhos' who stand at the altar.
Civil vs Religious
Distinguish between 'casar no civil' and 'casar na igreja'.
The 'Z' sound
The 's' in casar is always a 'z' sound.
Negative Rule
Negative words pull the pronoun: 'Não se case'.
Fast Speech
In Brazil, 'me casar' often sounds like one word 'm'casar'.
Preposition
Never say 'casar para' someone.
Formal Situations
Use 'contrair matrimônio' in legal contexts.
Casa Connection
Associate 'casar' with 'casa' (house).
Metaphor
You can 'casar' ideas or colors without the reflexive 'se'.
Einprägen
Wortherkunft
Latin 'casare'
Kultureller Kontext
May involve traditional 'Alambamento' (dowry/negotiation) before the formal wedding.
Very festive, often includes 'Bem-casados' (a traditional sweet).
More traditional, often involves large family banquets with many courses.
Im Alltag üben
Kontexte aus dem Alltag
Gesprächseinstiege
"Você pretende se casar um dia?"
"Como foi o dia em que você se casou?"
"Onde você gostaria de se casar?"
"Você acha que as pessoas se casam muito cedo hoje em dia?"
"Você já foi a um casamento em outro país?"
Tagebuch-Impulse
Descreva o seu casamento ideal.
Por que você acha que as pessoas decidem se casar?
Escreva sobre um casamento memorável que você visitou.
Quais são as vantagens e desvantagens de se casar?
Como o conceito de se casar mudou nos últimos 50 anos?
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenIn informal speech, yes, but it's grammatically better to say 'Eu me casei com ela'.
Casar is what the priest does; casar-se is what the couple does.
Yes, if you mention the person you are marrying.
You can say 'Vou me casar' or 'Me casarei'.
Yes, the verb is exactly the same.
Yes, like 'As cores casam bem', but then it's not reflexive.
It's an informal way to say 'to move in together' or 'get hitched'.
It's the standard term. 'Contrair matrimônio' is the formal one.
Use the verb 'ser' or 'estar': 'Eu sou casado' or 'Eu estou casado'.
Nós nos casamos.
Teste dich selbst 180 Fragen
/ 180 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
The most important thing to remember is that 'casar-se' is reflexive and needs the preposition 'com'. Without the 'se', you are the one performing the ceremony (like a priest), not the one getting married.
- Casar-se is the reflexive Portuguese verb for 'to get married'.
- It requires a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, se) matching the subject.
- The preposition 'com' must always be used when mentioning the partner.
- It is a regular -ar verb but the pronoun placement changes in negative sentences.
Pronoun Match
Ensure the pronoun matches: Eu me, Você se, Nós nos.
Padrinhos
Weddings usually have many 'padrinhos' who stand at the altar.
Civil vs Religious
Distinguish between 'casar no civil' and 'casar na igreja'.
The 'Z' sound
The 's' in casar is always a 'z' sound.
Verwandte Inhalte
Verwandte Redewendungen
Mehr family Wörter
à medida que
A2As; at the same time that.
abençoado
A2Er ist ein gesegneter Mann.
abrigo
A2Der Schutzraum ist im Keller.
acarinhar
A2Jemanden liebevoll streicheln oder hätscheln.
aceito
A2Akzeptiert; allgemein anerkannt oder vereinbart. 'Die Bedingungen sind aceito' (Die Bedingungen sind akzeptiert).
acenar
A2Mit der Hand oder dem Kopf winken oder nicken, um zu grüßen oder zuzustimmen.
acolher
A2To receive (a guest or new member) with pleasure and hospitality.
acolhimento
A2Die herzliche Aufnahme oder der Empfang; Gastfreundschaft. 'Die Aufnahme der Flüchtlinge war sehr gut organisiert.'
acolitar
B2Jemanden unterstützen oder begleiten, indem man Hilfe, Beistand oder Gesellschaft anbietet. / Aktiv einer Person oder Gruppe helfen, oft durch physische Anwesenheit und das Anbieten von konkreter oder moralischer Hilfe.
acomodar
A2'Acomodar' bedeutet, jemanden unterzubringen oder Platz für etwas zu schaffen.
