Esta página en tu idioma

English

فارسی

العربية

Deutsch

Français

日本語

한국어

Português

中文

हिन्दी

A2 verb #5,000 más común 10 min de lectura

compensar

Top 5,000

Practícalo Ejemplos Notas y consejos compensar en 30 segundos

Explicación compensar in your Level:

At the A1 level, you should learn 'compensar' as a word that means 'to make up for something' or 'to be worth it.' Think of it in very simple terms: if you do something bad, you do something good to make the situation balanced again. For example, if you arrive late to work, you stay late to finish your tasks. This is 'compensar o atraso' (compensating for the delay). At this beginning stage, you will mostly see it in the present tense (eu compenso, você compensa). You might also hear it in simple questions about whether something is a good idea, like 'Compensa ir a pé?' (Is it worth it to go on foot?). Don't worry about the complex legal meanings yet; just focus on the idea of balancing time or simple efforts. Remember that it is a regular verb, so it follows the same rules as 'falar' or 'amar.' If you can say 'Eu falo,' you can say 'Eu compenso.' It is a useful word for basic daily planning and apologizing for small mistakes. Try to use it when you want to offer to do something extra to help someone you might have inconvenienced.

Regístrate gratis para leer la explicación completa

At the A2 level, you begin to use 'compensar' in more varied contexts, such as talking about work, health, and personal habits. You should understand that 'compensar' can take a direct object (like 'compensar o erro') or be used to describe a cost-benefit situation ('Não compensa comprar isso'). You will also start using it in the past tense (pretérito perfeito) to talk about things you have already balanced out, like 'Eu compensei as horas ontem' (I made up the hours yesterday). At this level, you should be able to distinguish between 'compensar' and 'valer a pena,' even if you use them interchangeably sometimes. You will likely encounter this word in the context of 'banco de horas' (hour banks) in Brazilian culture, where people work extra to take time off later. It is also common in discussions about food and exercise: 'Eu comi muito, agora preciso compensar na academia' (I ate a lot, now I need to make up for it at the gym). This level requires you to move beyond simple balance to the idea of trade-offs in daily life. You should also start noticing the difference between compensating for a thing and compensating a person.

By the B1 level, you should be comfortable using 'compensar' in more complex sentence structures, including the conditional and subjunctive moods. For example, 'Se eu tivesse tempo, eu compensaria o meu erro' (If I had time, I would make up for my mistake). You will also start to see the word in more professional or semi-formal settings. In a B1 context, 'compensar' often refers to offsetting negative impacts or balancing different aspects of a project. You might use it to talk about how a lack of experience is balanced by a strong motivation: 'A falta de experiência é compensada pelo seu grande entusiasmo.' You should also become aware of the legal and financial nuances, even if you aren't an expert. For instance, understanding that a company might 'compensar prejuízos' (offset losses). This level also involves using the word to express more abstract ideas, such as emotional balance or social dynamics. You'll hear it in news reports about the economy or the environment, where one policy is meant to 'compensar' the negative effects of another. Your ability to use the word should now include the preposition 'por' when referring to the reason for compensation: 'Ele foi compensado pelo seu trabalho árduo.'

Regístrate gratis para leer la explicación completa

At the B2 level, 'compensar' becomes a tool for nuanced argumentation and professional communication. You should be able to use it to discuss complex trade-offs in business, science, or social policy. For instance, you might analyze whether the environmental cost of a new factory is 'compensado' by the jobs it creates. At this level, you should also be familiar with the reflexive form 'compensar-se' to describe systems that are self-balancing. You will encounter the word in more sophisticated literature and academic texts, where it might describe psychological mechanisms, such as 'mecanismos de compensação' (compensation mechanisms). You should also be able to use the word with precision in formal writing, choosing it over 'valer a pena' when a more objective or analytical tone is required. In discussions about labor laws or contracts, you will understand the difference between 'compensação de jornada' (workday compensation) and 'indenização' (indemnity). Your vocabulary should also include related nouns like 'compensação' and adjectives like 'compensatório.' At B2, you are expected to understand the subtle difference between 'compensar' (restoring balance) and 'recompensar' (rewarding merit) in almost all contexts, avoiding common learner errors.

Regístrate gratis para leer la explicación completa

At the C1 level, your use of 'compensar' should be indistinguishable from that of a highly educated native speaker. You will use the word to navigate high-level discussions about ethics, economics, and philosophy. For example, you might discuss the 'teoria da compensação' in a legal or economic context, or explore how a writer 'compensa' a simple plot with incredibly rich prose. You should be able to use the word in all its idiomatic and technical senses, including those found in physics (compensating for gravitational pull) or advanced financial accounting (offsetting tax credits). Your understanding of the word will include its most formal applications, such as in international treaties or constitutional law. You will also be able to appreciate the word's role in rhetoric, using it to create balanced and persuasive arguments. At this level, you should be sensitive to the register of the word, knowing exactly when 'compensar' sounds more authoritative than its synonyms. You will also be able to handle complex grammatical constructions involving the verb, such as nested clauses or the personal infinitive, with ease. Your comprehension will extend to hearing the word in rapidly spoken, highly technical lectures or debates, picking up on the specific nuance intended by the speaker.

Regístrate gratis para leer la explicación completa

At the C2 level, you have a masterly command of 'compensar' and its place in the history and evolution of the Portuguese language. You can use it to articulate the most subtle and complex ideas, such as the philosophical concept of cosmic balance or the intricate details of macroeconomic stabilization. You are familiar with the word's use in classical literature and can detect archaic or rare uses in historical texts. Your ability to use 'compensar' includes a deep understanding of its etymological roots and how they relate to other words in the Romance family, allowing you to use the word with a sense of literary style and precision. You can effortlessly switch between the colloquial 'não compensa' of the street and the highly technical 'compensação de créditos' of a corporate boardroom. At this level, you might even use the word creatively in poetry or advanced prose to evoke specific images of weight, balance, and justice. There are no contexts—be they legal, scientific, artistic, or interpersonal—where you do not understand the full implications of the word. You are also capable of explaining the cultural significance of 'compensação' in different Lusophone societies, such as the specific legal frameworks in Brazil versus Portugal or Mozambique.

Regístrate gratis para leer la explicación completa

Practícalo Ejemplos Notas y consejos

compensar en 30 segundos

Compensar is a regular -ar verb used to describe balancing, offsetting, or making up for something lost or lacking.
It is frequently used in business for financial restitution and in daily life to ask if something is 'worth it.'
In Brazil, it is a key word for managing work hours ('banco de horas') and personal effort-to-reward ratios.
Common synonyms include 'indenizar' for legal contexts and 'valer a pena' for informal judgments of value.

The Portuguese verb compensar is a versatile and essential term that every learner should master. At its most fundamental level, it derives from the Latin compensare, which literally means 'to weigh one thing against another.' In modern Portuguese, this concept of balance and weighing remains central to its many applications. Whether you are talking about finance, physics, psychology, or everyday decision-making, compensar is the go-to word for describing the act of making up for a loss, offsetting an imbalance, or determining if an action is worth the effort required.

Financial Restitution: In a legal or business context, compensar refers to paying someone money to cover damages or losses. For instance, if a company causes environmental damage, they must compensar the local community for the impact. This is often synonymous with indenizar or ressarcir.

A empresa teve que compensar todos os clientes pelo atraso na entrega dos produtos.

Beyond the literal exchange of money, compensar is frequently used to describe the act of balancing out a negative trait or situation with a positive one. If a person is not very tall but is incredibly fast, you might say their speed compensa their lack of height. This usage is common in personal evaluations and descriptions of character or objects.

Effort and Reward: This is perhaps the most common daily usage. When deciding whether to take a job or buy a specific product, speakers weigh the pros and cons. If the benefits outweigh the costs, they say it compensa. If not, they say não compensa.

Trabalhar no fim de semana não compensa se o salário não for muito mais alto.

In a technical or mechanical sense, compensar describes adjustments made to a system to maintain stability. For example, a pilot might compensar for strong winds by adjusting the aircraft's flaps, or a photographer might compensar the exposure in a dark room. In all these cases, the underlying theme is the restoration of equilibrium. Understanding this core concept of 'balance' will help you recognize the word in various contexts, from a courtroom to a casual dinner conversation about travel plans.

Using compensar correctly involves understanding its transitive and intransitive forms. As a regular -ar verb, its conjugation is straightforward, following the pattern of verbs like falar or estudar. However, the prepositions that follow it can change depending on what you are trying to express.

Direct Object Usage: When you want to say you are making up for something specific, you use compensar followed directly by the object. For example, 'compensar o tempo perdido' (to make up for lost time) or 'compensar a falta' (to make up for an absence). No preposition is needed between the verb and the noun being 'balanced.'

Eu vou estudar dobrado hoje para compensar o dia em que fiquei doente.

When the verb is used to indicate that something is 'worth it,' it often stands alone or is followed by an infinitive verb. This is the intransitive or absolute usage. For instance, 'Este investimento compensa' (This investment pays off/is worth it). If you want to specify what it is worth doing, you can say 'Compensa comprar este carro' (It is worth it to buy this car).

Reflexive Usage: While less common, compensar-se can be used to indicate that two things balance each other out naturally. 'As perdas e os ganhos se compensam' (The losses and gains balance each other out).

A alegria de ver os filhos crescerem compensa todo o cansaço dos pais.

In formal writing, especially in legal or economic documents, compensar is often used in the passive voice or with the particle 'se' to indicate a systemic adjustment. 'Serão compensados os valores pagos indevidamente' (The amounts paid unduly will be compensated). This highlights the verb's utility in structured, professional communication where precision regarding debts and balances is paramount. Whether you are expressing a personal feeling of satisfaction or calculating a corporate budget, the syntactic flexibility of compensar makes it an indispensable tool in your Portuguese vocabulary.

You will encounter compensar in a wide variety of social and professional settings in Portuguese-speaking countries. One of the most common places is the workplace. In Brazil, for example, the 'banco de horas' (hours bank) system is very popular. Employees often talk about 'compensar as horas'—which means working extra hours one day so they can leave early another day or take a full day off later. If you are working in a Lusophone office, you will hear colleagues saying things like, 'Vou sair mais cedo hoje e compenso na sexta-feira.'

Consumer Decisions: In shopping malls or supermarkets, friends often debate whether a sale is actually a good deal. One might say, 'O preço está baixo, mas a qualidade é ruim. Não compensa.' Here, the word acts as a quick evaluation of the cost-benefit ratio.

Será que compensa assinar esse serviço de streaming por apenas um filme?

The word is also a staple of the news media. When reporting on legal settlements, environmental disasters, or economic policies, journalists frequently use compensar. You might hear a news anchor say, 'O governo anunciou medidas para compensar a alta da inflação,' meaning the government is taking steps to offset the impact of rising prices on the population.

Personal Relationships: In more intimate contexts, people use compensar to talk about making up for mistakes or absences. A partner might say, 'Eu sei que trabalhei muito esta semana, mas vou compensar você no fim de semana,' implying they will spend quality time together to balance out the previous neglect.

Esqueci nosso aniversário, mas prometo que vou compensar com um jantar especial.

Lastly, in the fitness and health world, you'll hear people talking about 'compensar as calorias.' After a heavy meal or a 'cheat day,' someone might say they need to run an extra five kilometers to compensar the pizza they ate. This reflects the universal human desire to maintain a balance between indulgence and discipline, a concept perfectly captured by this single, powerful verb.

While compensar is a fairly intuitive word for English speakers due to its cognate 'compensate,' there are several pitfalls that learners often encounter. The most frequent mistake is confusing compensar with the verb recompensar.

Compensar vs. Recompensar: Think of compensar as 'balancing the scales' (fixing a negative or neutral state), while recompensar is 'giving a reward' (adding a positive on top of good behavior). If you return a lost wallet and the owner gives you money, that is a recompensa. If you break someone's window and pay for it, you are compensando the person for the damage.

Errado: O professor me compensou com uma nota boa pelo meu esforço. (Unless he was fixing a previous grading error, this should be 'recompensou').

Another common error involves the misuse of prepositions. English speakers often want to say 'compensate for,' leading them to use 'compensar para' or 'compensar por' in every situation. While 'por' is used when compensating someone for a loss, it is not used when the thing being made up for is the direct object. For example, 'compensar o atraso' is correct, whereas 'compensar pelo atraso' is slightly different (meaning to make restitution because of the delay).

Overusing the Word: Learners sometimes use compensar in places where valer a pena would sound more natural. While 'compensar' is very common in Brazil for 'worth it,' 'valer a pena' is the universal standard across all Lusophone countries and registers. If you find yourself using compensar five times in a conversation, try switching to valer a pena to sound more like a native.

Dica: Use valer a pena para situações emocionais e compensar para situações mais práticas ou financeiras.

Finally, be careful with the spelling. In Portuguese, compensar is spelled with an 's,' not a 'z,' even though the 's' between vowels often sounds like a 'z' in English. This is a common spelling mistake for beginners who are writing the word for the first time. Remember the Latin root pensare (to weigh), which always uses an 's,' to help you keep the spelling consistent.

To truly sound fluent, you need to know when to use compensar and when to reach for one of its many synonyms or related terms. Portuguese offers a rich palette of words to describe balance, payment, and value.

Valer a pena: This is the most direct alternative to the colloquial 'compensar.' It literally means 'to be worth the pain/trouble.' While compensar sounds a bit more like a calculation, valer a pena sounds more like a personal judgment. Example: 'Vale a pena visitar o museu?'
Indenizar: This is a formal, legal term. Use it specifically when talking about financial compensation for damages, such as after a car accident or a breach of contract. Example: 'O seguro vai indenizar o motorista.'
Ressarcir: Similar to indenizar, but often used for smaller, more direct repayments, like when a company pays back an employee for travel expenses. Example: 'A empresa vai ressarcir os gastos com o hotel.'

Comparação: Compensar é geral; Indenizar é jurídico; Ressarcir é financeiro.

If you are talking about balancing two opposing forces, you might use equilibrar (to balance) or contrabalançar (to counterbalance). These are excellent for scientific, technical, or highly formal contexts. For instance, 'Os benefícios do remédio contrabalançam os efeitos colaterais' (The benefits of the medicine counterbalance the side effects).

When the focus is on filling a gap or a lack, suprir or reparar are great choices. Suprir a falta means to supply what is missing, while reparar o erro means to fix or repair a mistake. While compensar could be used in both cases, these alternatives provide a more specific nuance. By varying your vocabulary between these options, you will demonstrate a much higher level of linguistic sophistication and precision in your Portuguese.

How Formal Is It?

Dato curioso

The English word 'plywood' is called 'madeira compensada' in Portuguese because the layers of wood are balanced against each other to prevent warping.

Guía de pronunciación

UK /kõ.pẽ.ˈsaɾ/

US /kõ.pẽ.ˈsaʁ/

The stress is on the last syllable: com-pen-SAR.

Rima con

Pensar Falar Amar Alcançar Descansar Avançar Dançar Lançar

Errores comunes

Pronouncing the 's' as a 'z' because it is between vowels (though it is actually after a nasal consonant 'n', so it stays 's').
Failing to nasalize the 'om' and 'en' sounds.
Stressing the second syllable instead of the third.
Spelling it with a 'z' (compenzar).
Treating it as an irregular verb.

Nivel de dificultad

Lectura 2/5

Easy to recognize due to the English cognate 'compensate'.

Escritura 2/5

Regular conjugation makes it easy to write correctly.

Expresión oral 3/5

Nasal vowels 'om' and 'en' can be tricky for English speakers.

Escucha 3/5

Can be confused with 'recompensar' in fast speech.

Qué aprender después

Requisitos previos

Pagar Tempo Trabalho Vale Pena

Aprende después

Indenizar Ressarcir Equilíbrio Prejuízo Benefício

Avanzado

Hermenêutica Assimetria Homeostase Perene Escassez

Gramática que debes saber

Regular -ar verb conjugation

Eu compenso, tu compensas, ele compensa, nós compensamos, vós compensais, eles compensam.

Direct Object vs Indirect Object

Compensar algo (Direct); Compensar alguém (Direct); Compensar por algo (Prepositional).

Nasalization of vowels before 'm' and 'n'

The 'o' in 'com' and 'e' in 'pen' are nasalized.

Subjunctive mood for doubt/desire

Duvido que isso compense o esforço.

Passive voice with 'ser'

O erro foi compensado pelo sucesso posterior.

Regístrate gratis para leer la explicación completa

Ejemplos por nivel

Eu vou compensar o atraso amanhã.

I will make up for the delay tomorrow.

Future tense of 'compensar'.

Isso não compensa.

That is not worth it.

Negative present tense.

Você pode compensar as horas?

Can you make up the hours?

Question with 'pode' + infinitive.

A alegria compensa o trabalho.

The joy makes up for the work.

Subject-verb-object structure.

Compensa ir de ônibus?

Is it worth it to go by bus?

Impersonal use of the verb.

Eu compenso você depois.

I will make it up to you later.

Direct object 'você'.

Ela estuda para compensar a nota.

She studies to make up for the grade.

Preposition 'para' + infinitive.

Nós compensamos o tempo perdido.

We made up for the lost time.

Past tense (pretérito perfeito).

Não compensa comprar um carro velho.

It's not worth it to buy an old car.

Negative impersonal usage.

O bônus compensou o esforço da equipe.

The bonus made up for the team's effort.

Past tense with a collective noun.

Vou compensar minha falta na próxima aula.

I will make up for my absence in the next class.

Future with 'vou' + infinitive.

A vista do topo compensa a subida difícil.

The view from the top makes up for the difficult climb.

Present tense describing a state.

Eles compensaram os clientes lesados.

They compensated the harmed customers.

Plural past tense.

Será que compensa trocar de celular agora?

Is it worth it to change phones now?

Question with 'será que'.

Eu preciso compensar o sono no fim de semana.

I need to make up for the sleep on the weekend.

Infinitive after 'preciso'.

O desconto não compensa o frete caro.

The discount doesn't make up for the expensive shipping.

Present tense with two nouns.

A empresa compensou os funcionários pelo feriado trabalhado.

The company compensated the employees for the holiday worked.

Usage of 'pelo' (por + o).

O talento dele compensa a falta de disciplina.

His talent makes up for the lack of discipline.

Abstract nouns as subject/object.

Espero que o resultado compense todo esse investimento.

I hope the result makes up for all this investment.

Present subjunctive 'compense'.

Se você sair cedo, terá que compensar depois.

If you leave early, you will have to make it up later.

Conditional sentence with future tense.

A pequena falha foi compensada pela beleza da obra.

The small flaw was compensated by the beauty of the work.

Passive voice construction.

Não sei se compensaria mudar para outra cidade.

I don't know if it would be worth it to move to another city.

Conditional mood 'compensaria'.

É necessário compensar as emissões de carbono.

It is necessary to offset carbon emissions.

Environmental context.

O seguro deve compensar a perda total do veículo.

The insurance must compensate for the total loss of the vehicle.

Modal verb 'deve' + infinitive.

A alta produtividade compensou o aumento nos custos de matéria-prima.

High productivity offset the increase in raw material costs.

Economic/Business context.

Os benefícios sociais compensam, em parte, a carga tributária elevada.

Social benefits offset, in part, the high tax burden.

Use of 'em parte' (in part).

Duvido que essa medida compense os danos causados à imagem da marca.

I doubt that this measure will make up for the damage caused to the brand's image.

Subjunctive after 'duvido que'.

O projeto prevê um mecanismo para compensar oscilações de mercado.

The project provides for a mechanism to compensate for market fluctuations.

Formal project description.

A falta de recursos foi compensada pela criatividade da equipe de marketing.

The lack of resources was offset by the marketing team's creativity.

Passive voice with 'pela'.

Compensa-se o déficit com a venda de ativos não estratégicos.

The deficit is offset by the sale of non-strategic assets.

Passive 'se' construction.

O juiz determinou que o réu deve compensar a vítima moralmente.

The judge determined that the defendant must compensate the victim morally.

Legal context (moral damage).

A nova tecnologia compensa as limitações do modelo anterior.

The new technology makes up for the limitations of the previous model.

Technological comparison.

A sutileza da narrativa compensa a relativa escassez de ação no romance.

The subtlety of the narrative makes up for the relative lack of action in the novel.

Literary analysis register.

É imperativo que o Estado compense os cidadãos por erros judiciários.

It is imperative that the State compensate citizens for judicial errors.

Formal 'imperativo que' + subjunctive.

A elasticidade do mercado nem sempre compensa a rigidez das leis trabalhistas.

Market elasticity does not always offset the rigidity of labor laws.

Advanced economic discussion.

O autor tenta compensar a falta de evidências com uma retórica persuasiva.

The author tries to make up for the lack of evidence with persuasive rhetoric.

Critical analysis.

Neste sistema, a perda de energia é compensada por um gerador auxiliar.

In this system, energy loss is compensated by an auxiliary generator.

Scientific/Engineering context.

As perdas inflacionárias foram integralmente compensadas pelo reajuste salarial.

Inflationary losses were fully offset by the salary adjustment.

Formal economic report.

A riqueza de detalhes compensa a simplicidade da estrutura arquitetônica.

The richness of detail makes up for the simplicity of the architectural structure.

Artistic/Architectural criticism.

Embora a viagem seja longa, a hospitalidade local compensa qualquer cansaço.

Although the journey is long, the local hospitality makes up for any fatigue.

Concessive clause with 'embora'.

A hermenêutica jurídica busca compensar as lacunas deixadas pelo legislador.

Legal hermeneutics seeks to compensate for the gaps left by the legislator.

Highly academic/legal terminology.

O virtuosismo técnico do pianista compensava a frieza de sua interpretação.

The pianist's technical virtuosity made up for the coldness of his interpretation.

Nuanced aesthetic judgment.

Resta saber se a inovação compensará o risco inerente à descontinuidade do processo.

It remains to be seen if the innovation will offset the risk inherent in the discontinuity of the process.

Sophisticated future conditional structure.

A sobriedade do estilo compensa a exuberância temática da obra poética.

The sobriety of style makes up for the thematic exuberance of the poetic work.

Literary theory context.

O equilíbrio homeostático é mantido por processos que compensam variações externas.

Homeostatic balance is maintained by processes that compensate for external variations.

Scientific/Biological terminology.

A percuciência do analista compensou a obscuridade dos dados fornecidos.

The analyst's perspicacity made up for the obscurity of the data provided.

High-level vocabulary (percuciência).

O Estado deve agir para compensar as assimetrias históricas de desenvolvimento regional.

The State must act to compensate for historical asymmetries in regional development.

Political science/Economic policy.

A brevidade da vida é compensada, para alguns, pela perenidade da fama.

The brevity of life is compensated, for some, by the eternity of fame.

Philosophical/Existential reflection.

Colocaciones comunes

Compensar o atraso

Compensar financeiramente

Compensar o prejuízo

Compensar a falta

Compensar as horas

Compensar o esforço

Compensar emissões

Compensar perdas

Não compensa

Compensar com

Frases Comunes

Isso não compensa.

— That's not worth the effort or price.

Não compensa pegar trânsito para ir lá.

Vou compensar você.

— I will make it up to you.

Esqueci seu presente, mas vou compensar você.

Compensar o tempo perdido.

— To make up for lost time.

Precisamos correr para compensar o tempo perdido.

Compensar na balança.

— To balance the diet or physical weight.

Comi doce, agora vou compensar na balança.

Tudo se compensa.

— Everything balances out in the end.

No final, os problemas e as alegrias se compensam.

Não compensa o risco.

— The risk is greater than the potential reward.

Investir tudo nisso não compensa o risco.

Compensar a ausência.

— To make up for being away.

O pai tentou compensar a ausência com presentes.

Compensar com juros.

— To make up for something with extra benefit.

Ele devolveu o favor e compensou com juros.

Compensar o investimento.

— To provide a return on investment.

O novo software compensou o investimento inicial.

Compensar a nota.

— To improve a grade by doing extra work.

Vou fazer o trabalho extra para compensar a nota.

Se confunde a menudo con

compensar vs Recompensar

To reward someone for good behavior vs. balancing a loss.

compensar vs Pagar

Pagar is simple payment; compensar implies balancing a specific loss.

compensar vs Consertar

To fix a physical object vs. balancing an abstract situation.

Modismos y expresiones

"Compensar o tempo perdido"

— To work harder or faster because one started late or was delayed.

Depois das férias, ele trabalhou muito para compensar o tempo perdido.

Common

"Compensar uma mão com a outra"

— To use one resource to fix a problem in another area, often in a makeshift way.

Ele está compensando uma mão com a outra para pagar as dívidas.

Informal

"Compensar com juros e correção"

— To make up for a mistake or lack in an exaggeratedly positive way.

Ele chegou tarde, mas compensou com juros e correção trazendo o jantar.

Colloquial

"Não compensa o sal do batismo"

— Something that is completely worthless or not worth any effort (Old fashioned).

Essa briga não compensa o sal do batismo.

Archaic

"Compensar a cara"

— To do something to save face or improve one's image after a failure.

Ele tentou compensar a cara após o erro na apresentação.

Informal

"Compensar o vazio"

— To try to fill an emotional void with something else (like food or shopping).

Ela tenta compensar o vazio comprando sapatos novos.

Psychological/Common

"Fazer para compensar"

— To do something specifically because one feels guilty or indebted.

Ele limpou a casa inteira, claramente fazendo para compensar a briga.

Informal

"Compensar o prato"

— To add more food or flavor to balance a meal.

Vou colocar mais tempero para compensar o prato.

Informal

"Compensar o brilho"

— To use accessories or extra effort to stand out when one feels plain.

Ela usou um colar grande para compensar o brilho do vestido simples.

Informal

"Compensar a idade"

— To act younger or dress in a certain way to offset getting older.

Ele comprou um carro esportivo para compensar a idade.

Colloquial

Fácil de confundir

compensar vs Recompensar

They sound similar and both involve giving something.

Compensar is to fix a negative/balance; Recompensar is to give a prize/reward.

O chefe me recompensou (rewarded) pelo bom trabalho; O seguro me compensou (paid back) pelo roubo.

compensar vs Indenizar

Both mean to pay for damages.

Indenizar is strictly legal/financial; Compensar is broader and can be emotional or time-based.

A empresa indenizou o ex-funcionário.

compensar vs Ressarcir

Both involve repayment.

Ressarcir is usually specifically about returning money spent.

Vou ressarcir seus gastos com a viagem.

compensar vs Valer a pena

Both mean 'worth it'.

Valer a pena is more idiomatic/emotional; Compensar is more analytical.

Vale a pena amar?

compensar vs Equilibrar

Both involve balance.

Equilibrar is the act of keeping things steady; Compensar is the act of fixing a tilt that already happened.

Equilibre os pratos na mão.

Patrones de oraciones

Eu vou compensar [Noun].

Eu vou compensar o atraso.

Não compensa [Infinitive Verb].

Não compensa comprar esse carro.

[Subject] compensa [Object] com [Noun].

Ele compensa a falta de sono com café.

O [Noun] foi compensado por [Noun].

O prejuízo foi compensado pelo lucro.

Embora [Clause], [Subject] compensa.

Embora seja caro, a qualidade compensa.

Resta saber se [Subject] compensará [Object].

Resta saber se a inovação compensará o risco.

Compensa [Infinitive Verb]?

Compensa ir agora?

Espero que [Subject] compense.

Espero que o bônus compense.

Familia de palabras

Sustantivos

Compensação (compensation)

Compensador (compensator)

Verbos

Compensar (to compensate)

Recompensar (to reward)

Adjetivos

Compensável (compensable)

Compensatório (compensatory)

Compensado (compensated/plywood)

Relacionado

Pesar (to weigh)

Pensão (pension)

Pendente (pendant)

Recompensa (reward)

Dispensar (to excuse/dispense)

Regístrate gratis para ver todos los ejemplos

Cómo usarlo

frequency

Very high in both Brazil and Portugal.

Errores comunes

Eu compenzo → Eu compenso
Spelling with 'z' instead of 's'.
Compensar para o tempo → Compensar o tempo
Using 'para' unnecessarily as a translation of 'for'.
O professor me compensou pela prova. → O professor me recompensou pela prova.
Using 'compensar' (balance) instead of 'recompensar' (reward).
Isso não me compensa. → Não compensa.
Over-complicating the 'worth it' expression with personal pronouns.
Compensar de juros. → Compensar com juros.
Using the wrong preposition 'de' instead of 'com'.

Consejos

Workplace Tip

If you need to leave early, say: 'Posso compensar essas horas amanhã?' It sounds very professional.

Spelling

Remember the 's'. Even though it sounds like 'z' in some accents, it is always spelled with an 's'.

Brazilian Slang

You'll hear 'Nem compensa' a lot. It means 'Don't even bother' or 'It's totally not worth it'.

Think of Scales

Always visualize a scale. If one side is low (a problem), compensar is adding to the other side to fix it.

Nasalization

Don't say 'com-pen-sar' with hard English 'm' and 'n'. Try to let the air come out of your nose on the 'om' and 'en'.

Compensar vs Indenizar

Use 'indenizar' for lawyers and 'compensar' for friends and coworkers.

Plywood

If you see 'madeira compensada' at a hardware store, now you know why it's called that!

Formal Writing

In essays, use 'compensar' to discuss environmental impacts—it's a very 'green' vocabulary word.

The 'Pen' Mnemonic

Think of a 'pen' weighing something on a scale. Com-PEN-sar.

Song Lyrics

Listen to 'Samba do Avião' or other Bossa Nova songs; they often use words about balance and compensation.

Memorízalo

Mnemotecnia

Think of a 'Compass' (similar sound) helping you find 'Balance'. Compensar is about finding the balance on the scale.

Asociación visual

Imagine a set of old-fashioned gold scales. On one side is a 'mistake' (atraso) and on the other side you are adding 'extra work' until they are level. That is 'compensar'.

Word Web

Balance Money Time Worth Effort Justice Scale Offset

Desafío

Try to use 'compensar' three times today: once for time, once for money, and once to ask if something is 'worth it'.

Origen de la palabra

From the Latin 'compensare', which is the frequentative form of 'compendere'.

Significado original: To weigh several things together; to balance one thing against another.

Romance (Latin root: com- 'together' + pensare 'to weigh').

Contexto cultural

Be careful when using 'compensar' to make up for serious emotional hurts; sometimes it can sound like you are trying to 'buy' forgiveness rather than truly apologizing.

English speakers often use 'compensate' only in formal or financial settings, but in Portuguese, it is much more common in casual, everyday speech.

Brazilian labor law (CLT) documents regarding 'compensação de jornada'. Song lyrics in Bossa Nova and MPB about how love 'compensa' suffering. Environmental 'créditos de carbono' (carbon credits) discussions.

Practica en la vida real

Contextos reales

Workplace

Compensar horas
Banco de horas
Compensar o feriado
Trabalho compensatório

Shopping

Não compensa o preço
Compensa comprar em atacado
O desconto compensa?
Custo-benefício

Legal

Compensar danos morais
Indenização compensatória
Compensar a vítima
Acordo de compensação

Health/Diet

Compensar na academia
Compensar as calorias
Compensar o exagero
Equilibrar a dieta

Relationships

Compensar a ausência
Vou te compensar
Compensar o erro
Fazer as pazes

Inicios de conversación

"Você acha que compensa morar longe do trabalho para pagar um aluguel mais barato?"

"Como você costuma compensar quando comete um erro com um amigo?"

"Na sua opinião, o salário alto compensa o estresse de um emprego difícil?"

"Você prefere ganhar mais dinheiro ou ter mais tempo livre para compensar o cansaço?"

"Você acha que viajar para o exterior compensa o esforço de economizar por um ano?"

Temas para diario

Escreva sobre uma vez que você teve que compensar o tempo perdido em um projeto importante.

O que na sua vida hoje mais 'compensa' as dificuldades que você enfrenta diariamente?

Reflita sobre o sistema de 'banco de horas'. Você acha que compensar horas é melhor do que receber horas extras?

Descreva uma situação em que você decidiu que algo 'não compensava'. Por que você tomou essa decisão?

Como as empresas deveriam compensar a sociedade pelos impactos ambientais que causam?

Preguntas frecuentes

10 preguntas

Yes, you can, but 'valer a pena' is slightly more common in Portugal for that specific meaning. In Brazil, 'compensar' is used very frequently in this way.

Yes, it is a perfectly regular -ar verb. It follows the same conjugation patterns as 'falar' or 'estudar' in all tenses.

'Compensar o atraso' means you are making up for the time lost. 'Compensar alguém pelo atraso' means you are giving someone something because you were late.

Yes, in technical contexts like engineering or aviation, it means to adjust a weight or force to maintain stability.

You can simply say 'Compensa?' or 'Isso compensa?'

Yes, 'compensado' is the word for 'plywood' in Portuguese, referring to the balanced layers of wood.

It is the system where you 'compensate' for working less one day by working more another day, or vice-versa.

Absolutely. You can say 'O carinho dela compensa toda a minha tristeza' (Her affection makes up for all my sadness).

No. It often involves time, effort, emotions, or mechanical forces. Money is just one common context.

Yes, especially in formal writing: 'Os danos serão compensados'.

Regístrate gratis para ver consejos y notas