falar
/faˈla(ʁ)/
To speak in Portuguese is falar.
falar is the most common and general term for speak. It is used to describe the act of speaking or the ability to communicate in a language. If you wish to refer specifically to the jargon or terminology used in a certain field, you may use jargão or gíria.
Meaning: to be able to communicate in a language (verb)
Which one should you use?
While falar covers the general act of speaking or communicating in a language, conversar is used specifically when you mean to chat or have a conversation.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present indicative, the first-person singular form (I speak) is falo and the third-person singular form (he/she/it speaks) is fala.
How do you pronounce it?
/faˈla(ʁ)/
Did you know?
- The Portuguese phrase falar pelos cotovelos literally translates to 'speaking through the elbows' and describes someone who talks incessantly.
- In certain contexts, falar is used in the expression falar grosso, which literally means 'to speak thick' but actually means to speak firmly or authoritatively.
- In Brazil, people often use falar com to mean 'to talk to', but if they say falar de, they might be gossiping about someone rather than just discussing a topic.
Examples in context
- É melhor não falar.It's better not to speak.This sentence is useful for the verb falar.Tatoeba #3089299 by carlosalberto, translation #6164910 by CarpeLanam
- Tom não sabe falar.Tom can't speak.Tatoeba #5156429 by bill, translation #2236155 by CK
- Eu sei falar inglês.I can speak English.Tatoeba #1292498 by alexmarcelo, translation #256187 by CK
- Eu falo portuguêsI speak Portuguese
- Ele se expressa bem em portuguêsHe speaks well in Portuguese
- Vamos bater um papo em portuguêsLet's have a chat in Portuguese
- Nós conversamos em portuguêsWe speak in Portuguese
- 1149 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felipe and Mariana are meeting for the first time at a party.
- FelipeVocê consegue falar espanhol, Mariana?Can you speak Spanish, Mariana?
- MarianaSim, eu sei falar um pouco.Yes, I know how to speak a little.
- FelipeQue legal! Eu quero falar fluentemente.That's cool! I want to speak fluently.
- MarianaEu posso te ajudar a praticar.I can help you practice.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “speak” translations and entries falar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
