Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| ajudar | /a.ʒuˈda(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /a.ʒuˈda(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) |
| socorrer | /so.koˈʁe(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /so.koˈʁe(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) |
The verb ajudar is used for the general act of providing assistance to someone or something. For more specific or colloquial contexts, you might use other expressions: Me dá uma força is a colloquial way to say "give me a hand" or "give me a push".
Which one should you use?
While ajudar is the general word for "to help", socorrer is used specifically for providing emergency assistance or rescuing someone in distress. Similarly, when using nouns, ajuda is the common noun for "help" or "assistance", whereas socorro is the noun used for "help" in the context of an emergency or a cry for rescue.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb ajudar is a regular -ar verb, which means its conjugation follows the standard patterns for most Portuguese verbs.
How do you pronounce it?
ajudar is pronounced /a.ʒuˈda(ʁ)/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The verb socorrer is built from the Latin prefix 'sub-', meaning 'under', and 'currere', meaning 'to run'. Literally, it means to 'run under' someone's feet to support them.
- In Brazil, the phrase me dá uma força literally means 'give me a strength' rather than 'give me a hand'.
- In Brazil, if you are in an emergency, the official emergency number for the 'socorro' of firefighters and paramedics is 193 or 192.
Examples in context
- Vou ajudar o Tom.I'm going to have to help Tom.Tatoeba #9116940 by JGEN, translation #9074978 by CK
- Vá ajudar sua mãe.Go help your mother.Tatoeba #10794330 by bill, translation #5998324 by Hybrid
- Ele vai nos ajudar?Is he going to help us?Tatoeba #897227 by alexmarcelo, translation #298203 by CK
- Desculpe, eu preciso de ajuda.Sorry, I need help.
- Alguém! Socorro!Someone! Help!
- Preciso do seu auxílio.I need your help.
- Ei, cara, me dá uma ajuda aí!Hey, buddy, give me a hand!
- Você poderia me dar uma força?Could you give me a hand?
- Me socorre! Eu não sei o que fazer.Help me! I don't know what to do.
- 1755 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Camila are in the kitchen preparing a meal.
- GabrielEu posso ajudar você?Can I help you?
- CamilaSim, por favor, ajude a cortar os legumes.Yes, please, help me cut the vegetables.
- GabrielClaro, eu vou ajudar agora.Sure, I will help now.
- CamilaObrigada pela ajuda, Gabriel.Thanks for the help, Gabriel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “help” translations and entries ajudar, socorrer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ajudar, socorrer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
