acordar
/a.koʁˈda(ʁ)/
The English phrase 'wake up' is translated into Portuguese as acordar. Wiktionary also lists despertar.
Meaning: to (become) awake (verb)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| acordar | /a.koʁˈda(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /a.koɾˈda(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) |
| despertar | /des.peʁˈta(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /d͡ʒis.peʁˈta(ʁ)/ (Brazil) |
The verb acordar is the most common and general term used to express the act of becoming awake.
Which one should you use?
While acordar is the most common way to say 'to wake up' in everyday conversation, despertar is more formal or literary. Despertar often implies a more gradual or poetic awakening, such as 'to awaken' or 'to rouse'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the verb acordar is usually used universally to mean wake up.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the past tense of acordar, you can use acordei for 'I woke up' and acordou for 'he/she/it woke up'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables with the stress on the third syllable: /a.koʁˈda(ʁ)/.
Did you know?
- In some Portuguese contexts, the word acordar can be used to mean 'to arrange' or 'to settle' a certain point of a contract.
- In Brazil, if someone says acordou o prédio, they are not literally waking up the building but making so much noise that everyone in it woke up.
- While acordar is the act of waking up, the Portuguese word despertador refers to the alarm clock that causes it.
Examples in context
- Eu não quero acordar.I don't want to wake up.This sentence shows how to express a lack of desire to use acordar.Tatoeba #6082790 by bill, translation #6082789 by Hybrid
- Tom nunca vai acordar.Tom is never going to wake up.This sentence uses acordar to describe a future state.Tatoeba #3449143 by piterkeo, translation #3449070 by CK
- Você acabou de acordar?Did you just wake up?This sentence uses acordar to ask if someone has recently transitioned to being awake.Tatoeba #5080534 by Ricardo14, translation #3333877 by CK
- Senhor, é hora de acordar.Sir, it's time to wake up.
- Acorda, meu amigo!Wake up, my friend!
- Desperta para um novo dia cheio de amor.Wake up to a new day full of love.
- 40 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juliana and Lucas are in the kitchen in the morning.
- JulianaVocê já acordou?Are you awake already?
- LucasSim, eu acabei de acordar.Yes, I just woke up.
- JulianaO café está pronto para acordar de verdade.The coffee is ready to truly wake you up.
- LucasObrigado, Juliana.Thanks, Juliana.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wake up” translations and entries acordar, despertar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
