suportar
to bear, to endure; to be able to tolerate (something unpleasant or difficult).
suportar 30秒了解
- Suportar primarily means to bear, endure, or tolerate something difficult, whether it is a physical weight, emotional pain, or an annoying person.
- It is a major 'false friend' for English speakers; it does NOT mean to help or advocate for someone (use 'apoiar' for that).
- The word is commonly used in the negative ('não suporto') to express a strong dislike or inability to deal with a situation.
- In technical contexts, it refers to the load-bearing capacity of structures like bridges, buildings, or computer systems.
The Portuguese verb suportar is a multifaceted term that primarily translates to 'to bear', 'to endure', or 'to tolerate'. At its core, it describes the act of sustaining a weight, whether that weight is physical, emotional, or psychological. In a physical sense, it refers to a structure or person holding up a load without collapsing. However, in everyday Brazilian and European Portuguese, it is most frequently used to describe the capacity to deal with something unpleasant, such as a difficult person, a painful situation, or an adverse environment. It is essential to distinguish it from the English 'to support' in the sense of providing help or advocacy, which is usually rendered as apoiar.
- Physical Load
- The capacity of a material or body to hold weight (e.g., a pillar supporting a roof).
- Emotional Tolerance
- The psychological strength to deal with grief, stress, or annoyance.
- Social Interaction
- The ability to be in the presence of someone one dislikes without losing composure.
"Eu não consigo suportar este barulho constante logo cedo."
When we look deeper into the nuances, suportar implies a certain level of resistance. It is not a passive acceptance but an active holding of ground against a force. If you say you suportar a situation, you are implying that the situation is heavy or difficult, but you are still standing. This makes it a powerful word in literature and daily conversation to express resilience. It is often synonymous with aguentar, though suportar can feel slightly more formal or definitive in certain contexts.
"A ponte foi construída para suportar toneladas de carga diariamente."
"Ela teve que suportar a dor da perda em silêncio por muitos anos."
"Ninguém suporta a arrogância daquele novo gerente no escritório."
"O solo não consegue suportar tanta água em um período tão curto."
- Negative Usage
- Frequently used with 'não' to express that something is unbearable (insuportável).
- Etymological Root
- From Latin 'supportare', meaning 'to carry from below'.
Using suportar correctly requires understanding its grammatical behavior and its semantic constraints. As a regular verb ending in -ar, its conjugation follows the standard pattern (eu suporto, tu suportas, ele suporta, etc.). It is a transitive direct verb, meaning it usually takes a direct object—the thing or person being endured. For example, 'Eu suporto o calor' (I endure the heat). Unlike some other verbs of emotion, it does not typically require a preposition before the object.
In conversational Portuguese, suportar is often used in the negative to express strong dislike. 'Não o suporto' (I can't stand him) is a very common way to describe interpersonal friction. When used in a physical context, such as engineering or architecture, it remains the technical term for load-bearing. It is also common in medical contexts, referring to a patient's ability to tolerate a specific treatment or medication dosage.
Contextual flexibility is key. You can suportar a physical weight, an emotional burden, a person's character, or even a financial cost (though arcar com is more common for costs). It is important to note that suportar carries a connotation of 'suffering through' something. If you are enjoying something, you would never use suportar. It is reserved for the difficult, the heavy, and the annoying.
You will encounter suportar in a variety of settings, ranging from the highly technical to the deeply personal. In a construction site, an engineer might discuss if a beam can suportar the weight of the second floor. In a hospital, a doctor might ask if a patient can suportar the side effects of a new drug. These are literal applications of the word's root meaning: carrying a load.
In the realm of media and entertainment, particularly in soap operas (telenovelas), the word is a staple for dramatic dialogue. Characters often exclaim, 'Eu não suporto mais essa mentira!' (I can't stand this lie anymore!). In music, especially in genres like Fado or Samba-Canção, suportar is used to describe the endurance of heartbreak and the 'saudade' that one must carry. It adds a layer of noble suffering to the lyrics.
Socially, it's used to describe social dynamics. If two people in a group don't get along, others might say, 'Eles mal se suportam' (They can barely stand each other). In professional environments, it might appear in performance reviews or HR discussions regarding a stressful workload: 'O funcionário demonstrou grande capacidade de suportar pressão'.
The most frequent mistake made by English speakers is the 'False Friend' error. In English, 'to support' often means to help, encourage, or advocate for someone (e.g., 'I support your decision'). In Portuguese, if you say 'Eu suporto sua decisão', you are actually saying 'I am enduring/tolerating your decision', which implies you don't like it but are putting up with it. To express help or agreement, use apoiar or dar suporte (the latter is used more in technical or logistical contexts).
Another mistake is confusing suportar with aguentar. While they are often interchangeable, aguentar is more colloquial and can also mean 'to hold on' or 'to wait' (e.g., 'Aguenta aí!'). Suportar is slightly more formal and focuses strictly on the act of bearing weight or tolerance. Using suportar in a very casual setting might sound a bit stiff, whereas using aguentar in a formal technical document might sound too informal.
Lastly, learners often forget the adjective form insuportável (unbearable). It is one of the most common adjectives in Portuguese to describe anything from the weather to a person's behavior. Mastering the relationship between the verb and this adjective will greatly improve your expressive range.
Several words share semantic space with suportar, each with its own nuance. Aguentar is the closest synonym, used widely in Brazil and Portugal for both physical and emotional endurance. It feels more visceral and common in spoken language. Tolerar is another close relative, but it suggests a more passive or intellectual form of endurance—often used in the context of 'tolerating' different opinions or minor annoyances.
Resistir (to resist) is used when the focus is on the strength required not to break under pressure. While suportar is about the act of carrying, resistir is about the act of opposing. Sofrer (to suffer) can sometimes overlap when the endurance involves pain, but sofrer is more about the experience of the pain itself rather than the capacity to hold it up. Padecer is a more formal or literary version of sofrer.
In a physical context, sustentar is often used. While suportar is 'to bear the weight', sustentar is 'to keep something up' or 'to provide the means for existence'. For example, you sustenta a family (provide for them), but you suporta a heavy load. Understanding these distinctions helps in choosing the word that conveys the exact level of effort and intent.
How Formal Is It?
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难度评级
需要掌握的语法
按水平分级的例句
Eu não suporto o frio.
I can't stand the cold.
Present tense, 1st person singular.
Ela não suporta peixe.
She can't stand fish.
Present tense, 3rd person singular.
Você suporta o barulho?
Can you stand the noise?
Interrogative sentence.
Nós suportamos o calor aqui.
We endure the heat here.
Present tense, 1st person plural.
Eles não suportam esperar.
They can't stand waiting.
Verb followed by infinitive.
O gato não suporta água.
The cat can't stand water.
Subject + negative + verb.
Eu suporto o peso da mochila.
I bear the weight of the backpack.
Physical use of the verb.
Ela suporta a dor de cabeça.
She endures the headache.
Abstract use (pain).
Ontem, eu não suportei a música alta.
Yesterday, I couldn't stand the loud music.
Pretérito Perfeito (Past tense).
A mesa suporta muitos livros.
The table supports many books.
Physical capacity.
Eles suportaram a viagem longa.
They endured the long trip.
Pretérito Perfeito, 3rd person plural.
Você consegue suportar esse peso?
Can you bear this weight?
Infinitive after 'conseguir'.
Ninguém suporta aquele homem chato.
Nobody can stand that annoying man.
Indefinite pronoun 'ninguém'.
Ela suportou o frio sem casaco.
She endured the cold without a coat.
Pretérito Perfeito.
O telhado suporta a neve.
The roof supports the snow.
Structural use.
Eu não suporto quando você grita.
I can't stand it when you shout.
Verb + subordinate clause.
Se o clima continuar assim, não suportaremos o verão.
If the weather continues like this, we won't endure the summer.
Future tense.
É preciso suportar as dificuldades da vida.
It is necessary to endure life's difficulties.
Impersonal expression + infinitive.
Eu duvido que ele suporte a pressão do cargo.
I doubt that he will endure the pressure of the position.
Present Subjunctive.
A ponte não suportaria um caminhão tão pesado.
The bridge would not support such a heavy truck.
Conditional tense.
Ela sempre suportou tudo com um sorriso.
She always endured everything with a smile.
Pretérito Perfeito + adverb.
Nós não suportamos mais essa situação política.
We can't stand this political situation anymore.
Use of 'mais' for 'anymore'.
O servidor suporta até mil conexões simultâneas.
The server supports up to a thousand simultaneous connections.
Technical context.
Como você suporta trabalhar tanto?
How do you stand working so much?
Interrogative + gerund/infinitive.
O material deve ser capaz de suportar altas temperaturas.
The material must be capable of withstanding high temperatures.
Modal verb + infinitive.
Eles suportaram anos de exílio com dignidade.
They endured years of exile with dignity.
Abstract noun 'exílio'.
Não sei como ela suporta o comportamento dele.
I don't know how she puts up with his behavior.
Indirect question.
A economia não suportará outro fechamento total.
The economy will not withstand another total lockdown.
Economic context.
O atleta suportou a dor para vencer a maratona.
The athlete endured the pain to win the marathon.
Purpose clause 'para vencer'.
Muitas espécies não suportam a poluição dos rios.
Many species cannot tolerate the pollution of the rivers.
Environmental context.
A estrutura foi reforçada para suportar ventos fortes.
The structure was reinforced to withstand strong winds.
Passive voice.
Ela não suporta a ideia de perder o emprego.
She can't stand the idea of losing her job.
Noun phrase 'a ideia de'.
A alma humana é capaz de suportar fardos inimagináveis.
The human soul is capable of bearing unimaginable burdens.
Literary/Philosophical tone.
Resta saber se a democracia suportará tais ataques.
It remains to be seen if democracy will withstand such attacks.
Future Subjunctive after 'se'.
O texto não suporta uma interpretação tão literal.
The text does not sustain such a literal interpretation.
Metaphorical/Analytical use.
Suportar o peso da fama exige equilíbrio mental.
Bearing the weight of fame requires mental balance.
Infinitive as subject.
A fundação original não suportaria a nova ala do museu.
The original foundation would not support the new wing of the museum.
Conditional mood.
Ele suportou as críticas sem proferir uma única palavra.
He endured the criticism without uttering a single word.
Prepositional phrase 'sem proferir'.
O ecossistema local já não suporta mais intervenções humanas.
The local ecosystem can no longer withstand human interventions.
Complex subject and object.
É difícil suportar a hipocrisia de certos discursos.
It is difficult to bear the hypocrisy of certain speeches.
Impersonal 'É difícil'.
A magnitude do desastre é algo que a mente mal consegue suportar.
The magnitude of the disaster is something the mind can barely bear.
Relative clause.
Suportar-se-á tamanha injustiça em nome do progresso?
Will such injustice be endured in the name of progress?
Mesoclisis (formal/archaic).
A viga mestre, embora corroída, ainda suportava o peso do edifício.
The main beam, though corroded, still bore the weight of the building.
Concessive clause 'embora'.
O tecido social parece não mais suportar as tensões internas.
The social fabric seems no longer to withstand the internal tensions.
Metaphorical use.
Pudesse ele suportar a verdade, tê-la-ia dito.
Had he been able to bear the truth, he would have said it.
Imperfect Subjunctive in a conditional hypothesis.
A tese não se suporta diante de uma análise empírica rigorosa.
The thesis does not hold up (is not supported) before a rigorous empirical analysis.
Pronominal use (rare, meaning 'to hold up').
Suportar o peso dos séculos é o destino destas ruínas.
Bearing the weight of centuries is the destiny of these ruins.
Poetic personification.
Não há quem suporte tamanha desfaçatez sem reagir.
There is no one who can endure such brazenness without reacting.
Negative existential 'Não há quem'.
常见搭配
常用短语
Não suporto mais!
Suportar com paciência
Difícil de suportar
Capacidade de suportar
Suportar firme
Mal se suportam
Suportar calado
Até onde suportar
Suportar o tranco
Suportar as pontas
容易混淆的词
习语与表达
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容易混淆
句型
如何使用
Used for tolerance of pain or people.
Used in engineering for load-bearing.
Remember: Suportar = Endure. Apoiar = Support.
- Using 'suportar' to mean 'to support a friend' (correct: apoiar).
- Using 'suportar' to mean 'to support a family' (correct: sustentar).
- Adding a preposition like 'suportar de' (correct: suportar algo).
- Confusing 'suportar' with 'segurar' (to hold in hand).
- Using 'suportar' for 'to support a sports team' (correct: torcer por).
小贴士
False Friend
Never use 'suportar' to mean 'to help' or 'to encourage'. This is the most common mistake for English speakers. Use 'apoiar' instead.
Strong Dislike
Use 'não suporto' when 'não gosto' isn't strong enough. It shows you are at your limit. It is very effective for expressing frustration.
Direct Object
Suportar usually takes a direct object. You don't need a preposition like 'de' or 'com' after it. Just say 'suportar o problema'.
Insuportável
Learn the adjective 'insuportável' early. It's used for everything from the weather to a bad movie. It's a high-frequency word.
Technical Use
If you are in engineering or IT, 'suportar' is your word for capacity. 'O servidor suporta 100 usuários'.
The 'R' sound
In the infinitive 'suportar', the final 'r' is often dropped in casual Brazilian speech. You might hear 'suportá'.
Interpersonal
Be careful using this about people. Saying you 'suporta' someone implies they are a nuisance to you.
Aguentar
If you want to sound more like a local in Brazil, use 'aguentar' in casual conversations. It's more common than 'suportar'.
Formal Writing
In essays, 'suportar' is preferred over 'aguentar' to describe enduring hardships or structural limits.
Weight
Always visualize a heavy object when you use this word. It helps maintain the correct semantic connection.
记住它
记忆技巧
Think of a 'Support' beam. It 'suporta' the house. But in Portuguese, it's the beam's *struggle* to hold the weight.
词源
Latin
文化背景
Commonly used in informal complaints about heat or traffic.
Used frequently in formal contexts and classic literature.
Saying 'não te suporto' is a very strong personal insult.
在生活中练习
真实语境
对话开场白
"Qual é a coisa que você menos suporta no trabalho?"
"Você suporta bem o calor do verão?"
"Como você faz para suportar o estresse do dia a dia?"
"Você acha que as pessoas hoje suportam menos as críticas?"
"Qual barulho você não suporta de jeito nenhum?"
日记主题
Descreva uma situação difícil que você teve que suportar recentemente.
O que torna uma pessoa 'insuportável' para você?
Escreva sobre a importância de suportar os desafios para crescer.
Como você se sente quando tem que suportar o silêncio?
Reflita sobre o que a sua cidade precisa suportar em termos de trânsito e poluição.
常见问题
10 个问题No, to support a team you use 'torcer por'. Saying 'eu suporto o Flamengo' would mean you are enduring them as a burden.
Generally, no. Use 'sustentar' for providing money to a family or 'arcar com' for costs. 'Suportar' is about the weight of the expense.
Mostly, yes. 'Aguentar' is more common in daily speech, while 'suportar' is slightly more formal or used for technical weight.
The word is 'insuportável'. It is very common in Portuguese.
Yes, it is the standard word for a structure bearing a load, like a bridge or a shelf.
Yes, it follows the standard -ar conjugation pattern in all tenses.
Only if you are joking or if you mean you are putting up with their bad behavior. It's not a compliment!
The best opposites are 'ceder' (to give in) or 'sucumbir' (to succumb).
Yes, to describe a system's capacity or a company's ability to withstand market changes.
Only in the sense of holding weight. To hold an object in your hand, use 'segurar'.
自我测试 180 个问题
/ 180 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Suportar is about the capacity to hold weight—physical or emotional. Use it when something is a burden you are carrying. Never use it to mean 'giving support' to a friend's idea; use 'apoiar' instead to avoid sounding like you are merely 'tolerating' them.
- Suportar primarily means to bear, endure, or tolerate something difficult, whether it is a physical weight, emotional pain, or an annoying person.
- It is a major 'false friend' for English speakers; it does NOT mean to help or advocate for someone (use 'apoiar' for that).
- The word is commonly used in the negative ('não suporto') to express a strong dislike or inability to deal with a situation.
- In technical contexts, it refers to the load-bearing capacity of structures like bridges, buildings, or computer systems.
False Friend
Never use 'suportar' to mean 'to help' or 'to encourage'. This is the most common mistake for English speakers. Use 'apoiar' instead.
Strong Dislike
Use 'não suporto' when 'não gosto' isn't strong enough. It shows you are at your limit. It is very effective for expressing frustration.
Direct Object
Suportar usually takes a direct object. You don't need a preposition like 'de' or 'com' after it. Just say 'suportar o problema'.
Insuportável
Learn the adjective 'insuportável' early. It's used for everything from the weather to a bad movie. It's a high-frequency word.
相关内容
更多emotions词汇
a sério?
A2seriously?, an expression of surprise, disbelief, or to check earnestness
abalado
A2Emotionally disturbed or upset; shaken.
abalar
A2To shake or disturb (emotionally); to affect deeply.
abalo
A2Shock, emotional disturbance; a sudden, disturbing, or upsetting emotional experience.
abandonado
B1Left by the owner or inhabitants; deserted.
abatidamente
B1In a dejected or disheartened manner; dejectedly.
abatido
A2Dejected; sad and depressed; dispirited.
abatimento
A2Dejection; a sad and depressed state; low spirits.
abertamente
A2openly, frankly; without concealment; publicly.
abismado
B1Filled with astonishment or wonder.
