chorar
/ʃoˈɾa(ʁ)/
To cry in Portuguese is chorar.
The verb chorar is used to describe the act of shedding tears. It is distinct from gritar, which means to shout or scream.
Meaning: intransitive: to shed tears (verb)
Which one should you use?
While chorar refers specifically to shedding tears, if you want to refer to a shout or a scream as a noun, you would use brado or grito. The noun for the act of crying or weeping itself is choro.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the informal expression chorar as pitangas is used to mean crying one's heart out.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person singular past tense of chorar is chorou (cried). To describe a continuous action, use the gerund form chorando (crying).
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃoˈɾa(ʁ)/
Did you know?
- A choro in music is often described as 'crying' because of the melancholic melodies, yet it is frequently played with a fast and joyful tempo.
- In Brazil, chorar is often used colloquially to describe someone who complains excessively or begs for a lower price during a negotiation.
- In sports, especially football, a player who 'cries' for a foul using chorar is seen as attempting to deceive the referee.
Examples in context
- Eu o vi chorar.I saw him cry.This sentence shows the use of chorar after a verb of perception.Tatoeba #2562053 by alexmarcelo, translation #2230427 by eternica
- Eu a fiz chorar.I made her cry.This sentence shows how to use chorar when expressing causation.Tatoeba #4377434 by carloseperola, translation #1657714 by Spamster
- Fiz o Tom chorar.I made Tom cry.This sentence shows how to use chorar with a proper noun.Tatoeba #4825023 by Ricardo14, translation #2380436 by CK
- Maria chorou depois de receber a notícia triste.Maria cried after receiving the sad news.
- Não chore, é importante se manter forte neste momento difícil.Don't cry, it's important to stay strong in this difficult moment.
- Pare de choramingar por coisas pequenas.Stop whining about small things.
- Ele não aguentou e deixou as lágrimas caírem.He couldn't handle it and let the tears fall.
- As lágrimas rolaram pelo seu rosto enquanto ouvia a história triste.Tears rolled down his face as he listened to the sad story.
- 177 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Beatriz and Lucas are talking about a sad movie.
- BeatrizVocê viu aquele filme ontem?Did you see that movie yesterday?
- LucasSim, eu comecei a chorar no final.Yes, I started to cry at the end.
- BeatrizEu também! Foi muito emocionante.Me too! It was very emotional.
- LucasNão tinha como não chorar.There was no way not to cry.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cry” translations and entries chorar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
