Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| levar embora | /leˈva(ʁ) ẽˈbɔ.ɾɐ/ (Brazil, word by word) |
| retirar | /ʁe.t͡ʃiˈɾa(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /ʁe.t͡ʃiˈɾa(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) |
Both terms mean to remove something and put it in a different place. Use levar embora when you want to focus on the movement of an object from its current location to another place. Use retirar when the intent is to remove something from a specific spot or a collection.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase levar embora is composed of the verb levar, which means to carry or take and the adverb embora, which means away or elsewhere.
Which one should you use?
levar embora emphasizes the movement of an object away from the current location, whereas retirar acts as a more technical term for removing something from a specific spot or a group.
How does it change in a sentence?
The third person singular past tense of levar embora is levou embora (took away). The gerund form, used for 'taking away', is levando embora.
How do you pronounce it?
/leˈva(ʁ) ẽˈbɔ.ɾɐ/ (4 syllables, stress on the 2nd syllable)
Did you know?
- The word embora in levar embora actually originates from the phrase 'en boa ora', which means 'in a good time' or 'at a good hour'.
- The verb tirar inside retirar is used in a common idiom tirar o cavalinho da chuva, which means to give up on a hope.
- In Brazil, if you want 'take away' food from a restaurant, you usually say para levar, which literally means 'to take'.
Examples in context
- Eu vou levar embora este lixo.I am going to take this trash away.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Juliana are cleaning the living room together.
- GabrielJuliana, você pode levar embora esses papéis?Juliana, can you take away these papers?
- JulianaClaro, Gabriel. Onde eu coloco eles?Sure, Gabriel. Where do I put them?
- GabrielPode levar embora para a reciclagem.You can take them away to the recycling.
- JulianaTudo bem, eu faço isso agora.All right, I'll do that now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “take away” translations and entries retirar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (levar, embora) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries embora, levar, retirar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
