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A2 verb 10 min de lecture

rebentar

Entraîne-toi Exemples Notes et astuces rebentar en 30 secondes

Explication rebentar in your Level:

At the A1 level, you should learn 'rebentar' in its most literal and visual sense. Think of it as the sound a balloon makes: 'Pop!' You will use it to describe simple actions like popping a balloon or seeing popcorn being made. At this stage, don't worry about complex grammar or slang. Focus on the physical action of something bursting. It is a useful word for describing simple accidents or fun activities like parties. You might see it in children's books or hear it when someone is cooking. Remember: Rebentar = Pop!

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At the A2 level, you can start expanding the use of 'rebentar' to natural events and simple mechanical failures. You should be able to describe waves breaking on the beach ('as ondas rebentam') or a bicycle tire bursting ('o pneu rebentou'). You will also encounter the word in the context of food, specifically popcorn. You should begin to recognize that 'rebentar' implies a bit of force or pressure. It's a great word to add more 'action' to your stories. You might also hear 'estou rebentado' in very informal settings to mean 'I'm very tired', though 'cansado' is still your primary word.

By B1, you should understand the difference between 'rebentar', 'partir', and 'quebrar'. You will use 'rebentar' for things under tension, like a rope snapping or a pipe bursting due to cold or pressure. You can also start using it transitively: 'Eu rebentei o balão'. This level introduces more metaphorical uses, such as a scandal 'breaking' in the news or a war 'breaking out'. You should feel comfortable using 'rebentado' to describe your exhaustion after a long day of travel or work, as this is very common in native Portuguese speech.

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At the B2 level, you should master the nuance of 'rebentar' in various registers. You will use it in technical contexts, like a dam bursting or a circuit breaking. You should also be familiar with the prepositional use 'rebentar com algo', meaning to destroy or ruin something completely. In Brazilian Portuguese, you'll recognize 'arrebentar' as a positive slang for performing well. Your vocabulary should now include the noun 'rebentação' for the surf zone. You can use the word to describe sudden emotional outbursts or the sudden appearance of buds on a tree in spring.

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At the C1 level, you use 'rebentar' with precision and stylistic flair. You understand its role in literature to describe the 'bursting' of ideas, the 'breaking' of dawn, or the 'sprouting' of new movements. You can navigate the subtle differences between 'rebentar', 'romper', and 'eclodir' (to hatch/break out). You are fully aware of the regional variations between Portugal and Brazil. You use the word in complex idiomatic expressions and understand its weight in legal or journalistic texts when describing the 'breaking' of contracts or the 'outbreak' of social unrest.

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At the C2 level, 'rebentar' is a tool for evocative and nuanced expression. You can use it in philosophical discussions about the 'bursting' of social bubbles or the 'breaking' of traditional structures. You appreciate the word's etymological roots and its connection to other Romance languages. You can use it in poetry or high-level prose to create vivid imagery of force, life, and destruction. You are indistinguishable from a native speaker in your use of its slang forms, knowing exactly when 'rebentar' conveys humor, frustration, or admiration.

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Entraîne-toi Exemples Notes et astuces

rebentar en 30 secondes

Primary meaning is to burst or pop, like a balloon or popcorn.
Used for waves breaking on the shore (rebentação).
Common slang for being extremely tired (estou rebentado).
Can mean to destroy or blow money (rebentar com o dinheiro).

The Portuguese verb rebentar is a dynamic and multi-faceted word that primarily describes the act of bursting, exploding, or breaking open with sudden force. At its core, it evokes the image of internal pressure becoming too great for a container to hold, leading to a violent or noisy release. For a beginner, the most common association is with a balloon popping or popcorn kernels transforming in a pan. However, as you delve deeper into the Lusophone world, you will find that rebentar is as versatile as a Swiss Army knife, appearing in contexts ranging from coastal geography to extreme physical exhaustion. It is a word that captures the moment of transition from wholeness to fragments, or from stillness to sudden action.

Physical Bursting: This is the literal use of the word. It applies to anything that breaks due to internal or external pressure. Examples include a tire blowing out on a highway, a soap bubble vanishing in the air, or a dam failing under the weight of a flood. In the kitchen, it is the essential verb for making popcorn (rebentar pipocas), where the heat causes the moisture inside the corn to turn to steam and 'burst' the hull.

Cuidado para não rebentar o balão com a agulha.

Be careful not to burst the balloon with the needle.

Natural Phenomena: In the natural world, rebentar takes on a more rhythmic and sometimes poetic meaning. It is the standard verb used to describe waves breaking on the shore (as ondas rebentam na areia). This creates the noun rebentação (surf or breaking waves). Additionally, it is used in botany to describe the moment a bud opens or a seed sprouts through the soil, signaling the sudden 'burst' of life in springtime.

As ondas rebentam com muita força hoje.

The waves are breaking with a lot of force today.

Colloquial and Slang Usage: In everyday conversation, especially in Portugal, rebentar is frequently used to express extreme fatigue. If someone says 'Estou rebentado,' they aren't saying they have literally exploded; they are saying they are 'shattered' or 'exhausted.' It can also mean to ruin something or to spend all your money. For example, 'rebentei o meu dinheiro todo' means 'I blew all my money.' In a more aggressive context, it can mean to beat someone up or to destroy an object through misuse.

Depois de dez horas de trabalho, estou rebentado.

After ten hours of work, I am exhausted (shattered).

A notícia vai rebentar amanhã nos jornais.

The news is going to break (burst out) tomorrow in the newspapers.

Ele rebentou o motor do carro.

He trashed (broke/blew) the car engine.

Ultimately, rebentar is a high-energy verb. Whether it is a physical explosion, a biological emergence, a meteorological event, or a state of human exhaustion, it always denotes a limit being reached and surpassed. Understanding this word helps you describe the more intense moments of life in Portuguese-speaking cultures.

Using rebentar correctly requires understanding its grammatical flexibility. It can function both as an intransitive verb (where the subject performs the action on itself) and as a transitive verb (where the subject performs the action on an object). This distinction is crucial for expressing whether something burst on its own or if someone caused it to burst.

Intransitive Use (To Burst/Break): When used intransitively, the subject is the thing that is bursting. 'O cano rebentou' (The pipe burst). Here, the focus is on the event itself. This is very common when talking about mechanical failures, weather, or spontaneous events. You don't need a direct object because the action is contained within the subject.

A bolha de sabão rebentou assim que lhe toquei.

The soap bubble burst as soon as I touched it.

Transitive Use (To Cause to Burst/Break): When used transitively, an agent is causing the bursting. 'O miúdo rebentou o balão' (The kid popped the balloon). In this structure, 'rebentar' is followed directly by the noun being affected. This is common in slang as well: 'Vou rebentar com este telemóvel' (I'm going to smash this phone) – though note the use of 'com' in some regional variations to add emphasis or indicate the means.

Nós vamos rebentar as pipocas para o filme.

We are going to pop the popcorn for the movie.

The Preposition 'Com': Often, rebentar is paired with the preposition com to mean 'to destroy' or 'to finish off'. 'Aquela subida rebentou comigo' (That climb finished me off/exhausted me). It adds a layer of impact to the sentence, suggesting that the object was completely overwhelmed by the action.

O excesso de peso rebentou com as cordas.

The excess weight snapped (burst) the ropes.

When practicing, try to categorize your sentences: Is it a natural event (waves, seeds)? Is it an accident (pipes, tires)? Or is it a feeling (exhaustion)? This categorization will help you choose the right tense and structure. Remember that in the past tense (Pretérito Perfeito), 'rebentou' describes a completed, sudden action, which is how the word is most frequently encountered.

To truly master rebentar, you need to know where it lives in the daily life of a Portuguese speaker. It is not just a dictionary entry; it is a word of the kitchen, the beach, the garage, and the office. Its frequency varies by region, but its presence is universal across the Lusophone world.

At the Beach (Portugal & Brazil): If you are in Portugal, especially in places like Nazaré or Ericeira, you will hear surfers and locals talking about where the waves are 'breaking'. They use rebentar to describe the point where the crest of the wave falls. 'A onda rebenta ali' (The wave breaks there). It is a fundamental part of coastal vocabulary.

Gosto de ouvir as ondas a rebentar durante a noite.

I like to hear the waves breaking during the night.

In the Kitchen: The most common domestic use is for popcorn. While English uses 'pop', Portuguese uses 'rebentar'. You will see this on instructions for microwave popcorn or hear it when someone is preparing a snack for a movie. It can also refer to sausages bursting their skins if cooked too quickly on a grill.

As pipocas já começaram a rebentar.

The popcorn has already started to pop.

In News and Media: Journalists use rebentar to describe a scandal or a major news story that suddenly becomes public. 'Rebentou um escândalo político' (A political scandal broke out). It implies that the information was hidden or under pressure and has now exploded into the public consciousness.

A guerra rebentou sem aviso prévio.

The war broke out without prior warning.

O pneu rebentou em plena autoestrada.

The tire burst in the middle of the highway.

Whether you are watching the news, cooking at home, or walking by the sea, rebentar is there. It is a word that connects the mundane (popcorn) with the majestic (ocean waves) and the stressful (burst pipes or exhaustion).

Even though rebentar seems straightforward, English speakers often stumble when choosing between it and other 'breaking' verbs in Portuguese. Understanding the nuances prevents you from sounding unnatural or confusing your listeners.

Mistake 1: Rebentar vs. Quebrar: This is the most frequent error. 'Quebrar' is for general breaking, like a glass or a bone. 'Rebentar' is for bursting or snapping under tension. If you say 'rebentei o copo', it implies you crushed it or it exploded, which is rare. Use 'quebrei o copo' for a simple drop and break. Use 'rebentar' for a balloon, a pipe, or a string.

Errado: O vidro rebentou quando caiu. (Unless it exploded!) Correto: O vidro partiu-se ou quebrou.

Mistake 2: Rebentar vs. Romper: 'Romper' is more formal and often used for tearing (like fabric) or breaking ties (relationships/contracts). While a pipe can 'romper' (leak/break), 'rebentar' is much more common in spoken language to describe the sudden failure. Using 'romper' for a balloon would sound overly technical or poetic.

O jogador rebentou um músculo. (Common in sports slang, though 'rasgou' is also used).

Mistake 3: Overusing Slang: In Portugal, saying 'Estou rebentado' is fine with friends, but in a very formal business meeting, stick to 'Estou muito cansado' or 'Estou exausto'. 'Rebentado' carries a connotation of being 'wrecked', which might be too informal for certain professional settings.

Eu rebentei com o meu orçamento este mês.

I blew (destroyed) my budget this month. (Appropriate for friends, not a bank manager!)

By paying attention to the 'energy' of the break—whether it's a pop, a snap, or an explosion—you'll know when to reach for rebentar. Avoid it for simple cracks or clean breaks, and you'll avoid the most common pitfalls.

Portuguese has a rich vocabulary for destruction and transformation. Knowing the alternatives to rebentar will help you choose the precise word for the situation.

Rebentar vs. Estourar: These are very close synonyms. In Brazil, estourar is the dominant word for popping balloons or popcorn. In Portugal, rebentar is more frequent for these actions. Both imply a sudden release of pressure with noise. If you are in Brazil, use 'estourar pipoca'; in Portugal, 'rebentar pipocas'.

Rebentar vs. Explodir: Explodir is more formal and serious. It is used for bombs, gas explosions, or stars. Rebentar is more physical and everyday. You 'rebenta' a tire, but a bomb 'explode'. Metaphorically, you can 'explodir de raiva' (explode with anger), but you are 'rebentado' from work.

A bomba explodiu ao amanhecer.

Rebentar vs. Partir: In Portugal, partir is the standard word for 'to break' (like 'quebrar' in Brazil). If a string snaps, you can use rebentar (emphasizing the tension) or partir (emphasizing the separation into pieces). 'A corda partiu-se' is neutral; 'A corda rebentou' sounds more dramatic.

As flores começam a brotar no jardim.

Rebentar vs. Arrebentar: In many cases, arrebentar is simply a variation of rebentar. In Brazil, 'arrebentar' is very common and often used to mean 'to do something amazingly well' (slang: 'Você arrebentou!' - You rocked it!). In Portugal, 'rebentar' remains the more standard form for physical bursting.

Choosing the right word depends on your location and the intensity of the action. If it's noisy and sudden, rebentar or estourar are your best bets. If it's a clean break, go with partir or quebrar.

How Formal Is It?

Le savais-tu ?

The word is a 'doublet' of 'repulsar', meaning they share a common ancestor but evolved differently in meaning.

Guide de prononciation

UK /ʁɨ.bẽ.ˈtaɾ/

US /xe.bẽ.ˈtaʁ/

The stress is on the last syllable: re-ben-TAR.

Rime avec

cantar falar andar olhar amar lugar mar jantar

Erreurs fréquentes

Pronouncing the first 'e' too clearly like 'ray'. It should be very short.
Forgetting to nasalize the 'en' sound.
Pronouncing the final 'r' like the English 'r' in 'car'.

Niveau de difficulté

Lecture 2/5

Easy to recognize in context once you know the 'pop' meaning.

Écriture 3/5

Requires remembering the 'en' spelling and irregular slang uses.

Expression orale 3/5

Nasal sounds and the initial 'r' can be tricky for English speakers.

Écoute 2/5

Very distinct sound, usually easy to pick out in speech.

Quoi apprendre ensuite

Prérequis

quebrar partir pipoca balão cansado

Apprends ensuite

estourar explodir romper brotar

Avancé

eclodir deflagrar pulverizar

Grammaire à connaître

Nasal Vowels

The 'en' in 'rebentar' is a nasal vowel, produced by letting air escape through the nose.

Pretérito Perfeito

Used for sudden actions: 'O balão rebentou' (The balloon burst).

Transitive vs Intransitive

O pneu rebentou (Intransitive) vs. Eu rebentei o pneu (Transitive).

Past Participle as Adjective

'Rebentado' describes a state of being exhausted.

Preposition 'com'

Using 'com' after 'rebentar' to mean total destruction.

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Exemples par niveau

O balão vai rebentar.

The balloon is going to burst.

Future with 'ir' + infinitive.

Eu rebento as pipocas.

I pop the popcorn.

Present tense, 1st person singular.

A bolha rebentou.

The bubble burst.

Past tense (Pretérito Perfeito).

Não rebentes o balão!

Don't pop the balloon!

Negative imperative.

O pneu rebentou.

The tire burst.

Simple subject-verb structure.

Onde estão as pipocas para rebentar?

Where is the popcorn to pop?

Infinitive after 'para'.

A criança quer rebentar a bolha.

The child wants to pop the bubble.

Infinitive after 'querer'.

O brinquedo rebentou.

The toy broke (burst apart).

Past tense.

As ondas rebentam na areia.

The waves break on the sand.

Present tense for habitual action.

O cano da água rebentou ontem.

The water pipe burst yesterday.

Past tense with time marker 'ontem'.

Estou rebentado de tanto trabalhar.

I am exhausted from working so much.

Adjectival use of past participle.

As flores rebentam na primavera.

The flowers sprout/burst out in spring.

Metaphorical use for growth.

Cuidado, a garrafa pode rebentar.

Careful, the bottle might burst.

Modal verb 'pode' + infinitive.

Ele rebentou a corda da viola.

He broke (snapped) the guitar string.

Transitive use.

As pipocas rebentam no micro-ondas.

The popcorn pops in the microwave.

Preposition 'no' (em + o).

O barulho fez-me rebentar os ouvidos.

The noise made my ears pop/burst.

Causative construction.

A notícia rebentou esta manhã nos jornais.

The news broke this morning in the newspapers.

Metaphorical use for news.

A represa rebentou devido à chuva forte.

The dam burst due to the heavy rain.

Cause and effect description.

Se continuares assim, vais rebentar com o motor.

If you continue like this, you will ruin the engine.

Conditional 'se' + future 'ir'.

O escândalo rebentou e o ministro demitiu-se.

The scandal broke and the minister resigned.

Compound sentence.

A minha paciência está prestes a rebentar.

My patience is about to burst.

Idiomatic expression for anger.

O mar está muito agitado na rebentação.

The sea is very rough in the surf zone.

Noun form 'rebentação'.

Rebentámos o orçamento todo nas férias.

We blew the whole budget on vacation.

Slang for spending all money.

As sementes começaram a rebentar na terra.

The seeds started to sprout in the soil.

Infinitive after 'começar a'.

A bolha imobiliária acabou por rebentar.

The real estate bubble eventually burst.

Economic metaphor.

O exército rebentou com as defesas inimigas.

The army destroyed the enemy defenses.

Use of 'rebentar com' for destruction.

Ela rebentou a rir quando ouviu a piada.

She burst out laughing when she heard the joke.

Idiom 'rebentar a rir'.

O calor fez rebentar os vidros do edifício.

The heat made the building's windows burst.

Causative with 'fazer'.

Não podes rebentar com o teu corpo dessa maneira.

You can't wreck your body that way.

Reflexive context with 'com'.

O pneu rebentou e o carro despistou-se.

The tire burst and the car went off the road.

Narrative sequence.

As ondas rebentavam com um estrondo ensurdecedor.

The waves were breaking with a deafening roar.

Imperfect tense for description.

O projeto rebentou todas as expetativas.

The project shattered all expectations.

Metaphorical use for 'surpassing'.

A tensão social ameaça rebentar a qualquer momento.

Social tension threatens to erupt at any moment.

Abstract subject.

O autor descreve o rebentar da aurora sobre o vale.

The author describes the breaking of dawn over the valley.

Literary usage.

A empresa rebentou com a concorrência no mercado.

The company crushed the competition in the market.

Aggressive business slang.

Houve um rebentar de aplausos no final do concerto.

There was a burst of applause at the end of the concert.

Noun use of the infinitive.

O seu génio criativo rebentou em obras primas.

His creative genius burst forth in masterpieces.

Poetic metaphor.

A investigação fez rebentar a rede de corrupção.

The investigation dismantled (burst) the corruption ring.

Metaphor for dismantling.

O silêncio foi rebentado por um grito lancinante.

The silence was shattered by a piercing scream.

Passive voice.

Ele rebentou as algemas com uma força sobre-humana.

He burst the handcuffs with superhuman strength.

Literal physical force.

A efervescência política culminou no rebentar da revolução.

Political effervescence culminated in the outbreak of the revolution.

Complex nominalization.

O rebentar das águas sinalizou o início do parto.

The breaking of the waters signaled the start of labor.

Medical/Biological term.

A sua prosa rebenta com as convenções literárias da época.

His prose breaks with the literary conventions of the time.

Academic/Literary critique.

A fúria contida acabou por rebentar em violência física.

The contained fury eventually erupted into physical violence.

Psychological description.

O rebentar da bolha especulativa teve repercussões globais.

The bursting of the speculative bubble had global repercussions.

Economic analysis.

As gemas rebentam sob o sol tépido de abril.

The buds burst under the warm April sun.

Sophisticated vocabulary ('gemas').

O dique não aguentou e rebentou sob a pressão hidrostática.

The dike could not hold and burst under hydrostatic pressure.

Technical context.

Ele rebentou as amarras do passado para ser livre.

He broke the shackles of the past to be free.

Existential metaphor.

Collocations courantes

rebentar pipocas

rebentar um pneu

rebentar o orçamento

rebentar de riso

as ondas rebentam

rebentar um escândalo

estar rebentado

rebentar com tudo

rebentar as águas

rebentar a paciência

Phrases Courantes

Estou rebentado.

— I am exhausted or shattered.

Depois do ginásio, estou rebentado.

Rebentar a escala.

— To be off the charts or extremely high.

O talento dele rebenta a escala.

Rebentar com a paciência.

— To lose one's patience or annoy someone greatly.

Estás a rebentar com a minha paciência.

Rebentar de saúde.

— To be bursting with health.

O bebé está a rebentar de saúde.

Rebentar as amarras.

— To break free from constraints.

Ela rebentou as amarras e viajou.

Rebentar em lágrimas.

— To burst into tears.

Ela rebentou em lágrimas ao ouvir a notícia.

Rebentar o silêncio.

— To break the silence.

Um grito rebentou o silêncio da noite.

Rebentar uma garrafa.

— To open or break a bottle (often for celebration).

Vamos rebentar uma garrafa de champanhe.

Rebentar a bolha.

— To burst the bubble (reality check).

Alguém precisava de rebentar a bolha dele.

Rebentar com o esquema.

— To ruin the plan or the 'setup'.

A polícia rebentou com o esquema deles.

Souvent confondu avec

rebentar vs quebrar

Quebrar is for breaking hard objects into pieces; rebentar is for bursting/snapping.

rebentar vs partir

In Portugal, partir is the general 'break'. Rebentar is more specific to pressure.

rebentar vs romper

Romper is more formal and often refers to tearing or breaking relationships.

Expressions idiomatiques

"Rebentar pelas costuras"

— To be bursting at the seams (too full).

O estádio estava a rebentar pelas costuras.

informal

"Rebentar com a loiça toda"

— To cause a huge scene or do something spectacular.

Ela chegou e rebentou com a loiça toda.

slang

"Estar para rebentar"

— To be about to explode (anger or pregnancy).

Ela está grávida e está para rebentar.

informal

"Rebentar o miolo"

— To blow one's brains out or work extremely hard mentally.

Estou a rebentar o miolo com este exame.

slang

"Rebentar a tampa"

— To lose one's temper completely.

Ele rebentou a tampa quando soube da verdade.

informal

"Rebentar com o peito"

— To be very proud or full of emotion.

O orgulho rebentava-lhe no peito.

poetic

"Fazer rebentar a pipoca"

— To make something happen or start a conflict.

Ele adora fazer rebentar a pipoca entre os amigos.

slang

"Rebentar os cordões à bolsa"

— To spend a lot of money.

Vais ter de rebentar os cordões à bolsa para comprar isso.

informal

"Rebentar a bota"

— To die (very informal/crude).

O velho acabou por rebentar a bota.

slang

"Rebentar de inveja"

— To be bursting with envy.

Eles vão rebentar de inveja do teu carro novo.

informal

Facile à confondre

rebentar vs estourar

They mean the same thing.

Estourar is more Brazilian; rebentar is more Portuguese (PT).

BR: Estourar a pipoca. PT: Rebentar a pipoca.

rebentar vs explodir

Both involve explosions.

Explodir is for bombs/gas; rebentar is for balloons/tires/fatigue.

A bomba explodiu. O balão rebentou.

rebentar vs brotar

Both used for plants.

Brotar is the biological process; rebentar is the sudden appearance.

A planta brotou. O rebento rebentou na terra.

rebentar vs rasgar

Both involve structural failure.

Rasgar is for tearing (paper/cloth); rebentar is for bursting/snapping (balloon/rope).

Rasguei o papel. Rebentei a corda.

rebentar vs cansar

Both relate to fatigue.

Cansar is 'to tire'; 'estar rebentado' is 'to be exhausted/shattered'.

Cansar-se é normal. Estar rebentado é extremo.

Structures de phrases

O [object] rebentou.

O balão rebentou.

Eu vou rebentar [object].

Eu vou rebentar as pipocas.

Estou rebentado de [verb/noun].

Estou rebentado de sono.

As ondas rebentam em [place].

As ondas rebentam na praia.

Rebentar com [object].

Ele rebentou com o telemóvel.

[Abstract subject] rebentou.

A guerra rebentou.

Rebentar a [verb].

Ela rebentou a rir.

O rebentar de [noun].

O rebentar da aurora.

Famille de mots

Noms

rebentação (surf/breaking waves)

rebentamento (bursting/explosion)

rebento (sprout/offspring)

Verbes

rebentar

arrebentar

Adjectifs

rebentado (exhausted/burst)

Apparenté

explosão

pipoca

onda

pneu

balão

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Comment l'utiliser

frequency

High, especially in coastal areas and informal speech.

Erreurs courantes

Using 'rebentar' for a broken glass. → Partir o copo.
Rebentar implies bursting/pressure. A glass usually just breaks (partir/quebrar).
Saying 'Estou rebentando' for 'I am tired'. → Estou rebentado.
You need the past participle (adjective) to describe your state, not the gerund.
Using 'rebentar' for a torn shirt. → Rasgar a camisa.
For fabric, use 'rasgar' (tear). 'Rebentar' would mean the shirt exploded.
Confusing 'rebentar' with 'reparar'. → Rebentar (burst) vs Reparar (fix).
They sound slightly similar to beginners but have opposite meanings.
Pronouncing 'rebentar' with a hard English 'R'. → Use a guttural or tapped 'R'.
The English 'R' makes the word hard to understand for natives.

Astuces

Beach Talk

When at the beach in Portugal, use 'rebentação' to describe the waves. It makes you sound very local.

Exhaustion

Say 'Estou rebentado' after a long day. It's more expressive than just saying 'Estou cansado'.

Transitive Use

Remember that you can 'rebentar' something (direct object) or something can just 'rebentar' (no object).

Movie Night

Always use 'rebentar' for popcorn in Portugal. It's the most natural term.

Aggression

Be careful with 'rebentar com alguém'. It's very aggressive slang for physical violence.

Springtime

Use 'rebentar' for buds on trees to describe the sudden burst of green in spring.

Blowing Money

Use 'rebentar o dinheiro' to describe spending everything quickly and recklessly.

Laughing

Use 'rebentar a rir' to describe uncontrollable laughter.

Tire Troubles

A 'pneu rebentado' is a blowout, whereas a 'pneu furado' is just a puncture.

Breaking News

Journalists use 'rebentar' for scandals to imply they were hidden and suddenly came to light.

Mémorise-le

Moyen mnémotechnique

Think of a REBbel who wants to ENTer a room by BURSTING through the door. REB-ENT-AR.

Association visuelle

Visualize a giant kernel of popcorn turning into a white cloud with a loud 'POP'. That is 'rebentar'.

Word Web

pop burst break explode sprout exhausted waves snap

Défi

Try to use 'rebentar' in three different ways today: once for food, once for the weather, and once for how you feel.

Origine du mot

From the Vulgar Latin *rebentare, which is related to the Latin 'repulsare'.

Sens originel : To spring back or to burst forth.

Romance (Indo-European).

Contexte culturel

Be careful using 'rebentar' with people (e.g., 'vou-te rebentar'). It is very aggressive slang meaning 'I will beat you up'.

English speakers often use 'break' for everything. Portuguese is more specific, using 'rebentar' for the energetic 'pop' or 'snap'.

Nazaré Big Waves (The famous 'rebentação' of Portugal). Portuguese Popcorn brands often use the word on packaging. Fado songs sometimes use 'rebentar' to describe a heart bursting with emotion.

Pratique dans la vie réelle

Contextes réels

In the kitchen

Rebentar pipocas
A salsicha rebentou
O tacho vai rebentar
Cuidado com o vapor

At the beach

A rebentação está forte
Onde as ondas rebentam
Cuidado com a corrente
O mar está a rebentar

At the gym

Estou rebentado
Rebentar com os músculos
Treino para rebentar
Fiquei rebentado

In the car

O pneu rebentou
O motor rebentou
Rebentou uma mangueira
Chamar o reboque

In politics/news

Rebentou um escândalo
A guerra rebentou
A crise vai rebentar
Rebentar a bolha

Amorces de conversation

"Já alguma vez te rebentou um pneu na autoestrada?"

"Gostas de ouvir as ondas a rebentar na praia?"

"Ficas muito rebentado depois de um dia de trabalho?"

"Qual é o melhor método para rebentar pipocas?"

"O que fazes quando sentes que a tua paciência vai rebentar?"

Sujets d'écriture

Descreve um momento em que te sentiste completamente rebentado fisicamente.

Escreve sobre uma notícia que rebentou recentemente e a tua opinião sobre ela.

Imagina que és uma semente a rebentar na terra pela primeira vez.

Descreve a sensação de ver as ondas a rebentar num dia de tempestade.

Conta uma história sobre uma festa onde muitos balões rebentaram.

Questions fréquentes

10 questions

Yes, but it's very dramatic. 'O meu coração vai rebentar de amor' means it's bursting with love. For a breakup, we usually use 'partir' (coração partido).

Yes, but 'estourar' is more common for bursting. In Brazil, 'arrebentar' is often used as slang for 'doing a great job'.

We don't use 'rebentar' for this. We say 'fazer o pedido' or 'pedir em casamento'.

It is the noun form referring to the area where waves break (the surf zone).

Only if it's done with force, like 'rebentar uma porta' (to kick a door in).

Usually, yes (exhausted/broken). However, 'rebentar de saúde' is very positive (bursting with health).

'Rebentei' is 'I burst' (1st person); 'rebentou' is 'it burst' (3rd person).

We usually say 'revelar' or 'contar', but 'a notícia rebentou' means the news broke out.

Both are correct. 'Rebentar' is more specific to the action of the corn popping.

Yes, if it pops loudly, you can say 'a lâmpada rebentou'.

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