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Verbs that drop the English preposition

Native English speakers love prepositions. We listen to music, wait for a friend, and ask for help. When you start learning Portuguese, it is very tempting to translate these little connecting words directly.

However, many common Portuguese verbs already include the meaning of that preposition. Adding an extra word for "to" or "for" after the verb is a common mistake. Instead, these Portuguese verbs act directly on their objects.

Word list
escutarA1 to listen escutar música = listen to music esperarA1 to wait esperar o autocarro = wait for the bus pagarA2 to pay pagar o jantar = pay for dinner admirarB1 to respect admirar alguém = look up to someone aguardarB1 to wait aguardar uma resposta = wait for a reply aproveitarB1 to take advantage of aproveitar a chance = take advantage of the chance assinarB1 to subscribe assinar um canal = subscribe to a channel buscarB1 to search buscar uma solução = look for a solution escutarB1 to listen escutar alguém = listen to someone folhearB1 to leaf through folhear um livro = leaf through a book guardarB1 to keep guardar os recibos = hold on to the receipts manterB1 to keep manter o emprego = hold on to the job ouvirB1 to listen ouvir alguém = listen to someone pedirB1 to ask for pedir ajuda = ask for help pesquisarB1 to search pesquisar preços = search for prices procurarB1 to search procurar as chaves = look for the keys respeitarB1 to respect respeitar alguém = look up to someone subscreverB1 to subscribe subscrever um canal = subscribe to a channel abandonarB2 to give up abandonar o plano = give up on the plan abandonarB2 to drop out abandonar a escola = drop out of school admirarB2 to look up to admirar alguém = look up to someone aguentarB2 to bear aguentar a dor = put up with the pain chorarB2 to mourn chorar uma morte = grieve over a death desaprovarB2 to disapprove desaprovar a decisão = disapprove of the decision encararB2 to stare encarar alguém = stare at someone fitarB2 to stare fitar alguém = stare at someone lamentarB2 to mourn lamentar uma morte = grieve over a death largarB2 to drop out largar a escola = drop out of school mendigarB2 to beg mendigar comida = beg for food reterB2 to keep reter os documentos = hold on to the documents solicitarB2 to ask for solicitar informações = ask for information superarB2 to overcome superar o medo = get over the fear suportarB2 to bear suportar a dor = put up with the pain trairB2 to cheat trair alguém = cheat on someone vencerB2 to overcome vencer as dificuldades = get over the difficulties desprezarC1 to look down on desprezar alguém = look down on someone enfrentarC1 to stand up to enfrentar alguém = stand up to someone largarC1 to let go largar a mão = let go of the hand menosprezarC1 to look down on menosprezar alguém = look down on someone soltarC1 to let go soltar a corda = let go of the rope
The everyday essentials

Some of the most common Portuguese verbs drop the preposition you expect in English. Verbs like escutar and ouvir mean "to listen to". The words esperar and aguardar mean "to wait for". Similarly, procurar and buscar mean "to look for", while pedir and solicitar mean "to ask for".

You simply place the object right after the verb.

Eu escuto música todos os dias.
(I listen to music every day.)
Ela pediu ajuda ao professor.
(She asked for help from the teacher.)
Nós procuramos as chaves do carro.
(We are looking for the car keys.)
Replacing English phrasal verbs

English often uses multi-word phrasal verbs to express complex ideas, like "to put up with" or "to cheat on". Portuguese usually expresses these concepts with a single direct verb.

For instance, aguentar and suportar mean "to put up with". The verb trair means "to cheat on". When you want to say you "look up to" someone, you use admirar or respeitar. When you "stand up to" someone, you use enfrentar.

Ele traiu a esposa no ano passado.
(He cheated on his wife last year.)
Eu não aguento este calor.
(I cannot put up with this heat.)
Os alunos enfrentaram o diretor.
(The students stood up to the principal.)
More examples in action

This pattern appears everywhere in the language. When you "stare at" someone, you use encarar or fitar. When you "subscribe to" a magazine or channel, you use assinar or subscrever. When you "take advantage of" an opportunity, you use aproveitar. And if you "leaf through" a book, you use folhear.

Eu assino duas revistas de ciências.
(I subscribe to two science magazines.)
Ela decidiu aproveitar a oportunidade.
(She decided to take advantage of the opportunity.)
Watch out

While direct objects are the standard for these verbs, you will occasionally hear Portuguese speakers use prepositions alongside some of them. For example, you might see esperar por used as a valid alternative to just using esperar. However, as a learner, using the direct verb without a preposition is always correct, sounds completely natural, and helps you avoid inventing awkward translations.

Summary

When an English verb requires a preposition, do not assume the Portuguese translation needs one too. Many Portuguese verbs already have the preposition built into their meaning. Trust the verb and drop the extra word.