Introduction
Borrowing things is common in everyday life, but learners of Brazilian Portuguese often make small mistakes that create misunderstandings or sound unnatural. This article explains frequent errors when borrowing items, borrowing money, or asking to use objects, with clear examples, polite phrases, and usage notes to help you speak more naturally.
- Why borrowing correctly matters
- Common verbs: pegar emprestado, emprestar, pedir emprestado
- Mistake: confusing direct and indirect objects
- Asking how long you can borrow something
- Borrowing money: pedir dinheiro emprestado vs. emprestar dinheiro
- Condition and care: express responsibility
- Borrowing electronic devices and chargers
- Politeness strategies and tone
- Misuse of the verb ficar and ambiguity
- Asking to borrow without implying obligation
- Return phrases and follow-up
- Other practical tips
- Common fixed expressions to sound more native
- Errors to avoid summary
- Conclusion
Why borrowing correctly matters
Borrowing involves not only the object but also social expectations: duration, return, condition, and politeness. Using the wrong verb or phrase can make you seem rude, careless, or unsure. This guide focuses on the vocabulary and pragmatic cues that Brazilian speakers use when lending and borrowing.
Common verbs: pegar emprestado, emprestar, pedir emprestado
The most important verbs are pegar emprestado, emprestar, and pedir emprestado. Use them correctly by remembering who is lending and who is borrowing.
Portuguese verbs are role-sensitive:
Eu pego emprestado is not the same as Eu empresto.
Common beginner mistakes:
Using emprestar when you mean to ask for something. Correct: Posso pegar emprestado a sua caneta? Incorrect: Posso emprestar a sua caneta? (This sounds like you are offering the pen.)
Examples and natural alternatives
Polite ways to ask:
Posso pegar emprestado seu carregador?
Posso pegar emprestado sua bicicleta por uma hora?
To offer to lend:
Se quiser, eu empresto meu livro para você.
Eu posso emprestar meu guarda-chuva.
Mistake: confusing direct and indirect objects
Portuguese uses prepositions differently than English. You often need de or para after certain verbs. Beginners sometimes omit necessary prepositions or use the wrong pronoun.
Common error: Me empresta isso? This is very common and accepted colloquially, but it omits the expected preposition and uses the object pronoun in a way that may sound casual or abrupt.
Polite and clearer: Você pode me emprestar isso? or Você pode me emprestar isso?
Usage note on pronouns
Brazilian Portuguese commonly places object pronouns after the verb in everyday speech: Pode me emprestar? However, in formal writing the pronoun usually goes before: Você me empresta isso? Both are acceptable; choose the register that fits the situation.
Asking how long you can borrow something
People want to know the duration. Asking correctly avoids awkward situations when the lender expects the item back sooner.
Wrong: Posso ficar com isso? (This is vague; it can mean keep permanently.)
Better options:
Posso pegar emprestado por quanto tempo?
Quanto tempo posso pegar emprestado isso?
Natural alternatives:
Posso ficar com ele só até amanhã?
Você precisa dele hoje à noite ou posso pegar emprestado até segunda?
Borrowing money: pedir dinheiro emprestado vs. emprestar dinheiro
Money is sensitive. Choose words that express trust and clarity. Many learners confuse who owes what.
To request money politely:
Posso pedir emprestado R$50?
Você pode me emprestar R$50?
To offer money:
Se precisar, eu posso emprestar dinheiro.
Eu empresto R$100 para você.
Usage note on pagar de volta:
Always mention how and when you will return the money: Eu vou pagar de volta na próxima semana. This reduces tension and sounds responsible.
Common mistakes with promises to return
Beginners often use vague time frames or fail to agree on a return method. Avoid promises like Eu te devolvo depois because depois is ambiguous.
Clear sentences:
Eu vou devolver amanhã às cinco.
Posso devolver no sábado de manhã?
Condition and care: express responsibility
Lenders often want assurance the item will be returned in good condition. You should use phrases that show respect and responsibility.
Useful phrases:
Vou cuidar bem.
Vou usar com cuidado.
Eu devolver vou do mesmo jeito que peguei.
Better: Eu vou devolver do mesmo jeito que peguei, sem danos. This is polite and reassuring.
Common mistake: informal verbs that sound careless
Using verbs like pegar rápido or só um minuto can sound dismissive. Always pair those casual phrases with a polite marker: Posso pegar rapidinho, por favor?
Borrowing electronic devices and chargers
Electronics are high-risk items. Specify the condition and battery concerns. Lenders expect specifics.
Good requests:
Posso pegar emprestado seu carregador por uns dez minutos?
Posso pegar emprestado seu celular só para fazer uma ligação?
Return assurance:
Eu devolver vou com a bateria no mesmo nível.
Eu vou te devolver com o cabo intacto.
Politeness strategies and tone
Politeness is crucial. Use conditional forms and please words to soften the request. Imperative or abrupt forms can offend in Brazilian culture.
Polite phrases:
Você poderia me emprestar isso?
Será que eu posso pegar emprestado seu livro, por favor?
Casual but polite among friends:
Me empresta isso aí?
Me dá um toque quando quiser de volta, por favor.
Usage note on poderia and poderia me
Você poderia is more polite than Pode and sounds more formal. Use it with acquaintances, older people, or in service contexts.
Misuse of the verb ficar and ambiguity
Beginners sometimes use ficar instead of pegar emprestado which can cause confusion. Ficar with an object often suggests keeping it.
Ambiguous: Posso ficar com seu livro? This can mean can I keep it permanently.
Clear alternative: Posso pegar emprestado seu livro só por uma semana?
Asking to borrow without implying obligation
Be careful with phrasing that makes the lender feel pressured. Use conditional verbs and offer an easy no.
Gentle requests:
Se não for incômodo, posso pegar emprestado seu jornal?
Se não for pedir muito, você poderia me emprestar seu carro neste fim de semana?
Example dialogues with natural phrasing
Dialogue 1 – borrowing a pen:
Pessoa A: Posso pegar emprestado sua caneta?
Pessoa B: Claro, pega aí.
Pessoa A: Obrigado, eu devolver vou depois.
Dialogue 2 – borrowing money:
Pessoa A: Você pode me emprestar R$20?
Pessoa B: Posso, quando você devolver vai pagar?
Pessoa A: Posso devolver no sábado.
Return phrases and follow-up
When you return the item, use polite phrases to close the transaction. This strengthens relationships and avoids awkwardness.
Useful returns:
Obrigado, estou te devolvendo o livro como prometi.
Aqui está o carregador, obrigado por emprestar.
Offering thanks and a small favor in return is common: Valeu, te devo uma. This expresses gratitude informally.
Usage note on informal gratitude
Valeu and Obrigado are both common. Valeu is casual; Obrigado is neutral and safe in most situations. If you’re female, Brazilian usage often uses obrigada, but in many casual interactions Obrigado is widely used regardless of speaker gender.
Other practical tips
1. Always name the item when you ask: Posso pegar emprestado sua jaqueta? This removes ambiguity.
2. Mention the duration: até amanhã, por uma hora, só um minuto.
3. Confirm the condition: Posso usar sem estragar? or Você se importa se eu usar assim?
4. Use pleasantries: por favor, obrigado, desculpa pelo incômodo.
5. If you break something, apologize and offer to replace: Me desculpe, eu quebrei. Eu vou pagar pelo conserto.
Common fixed expressions to sound more native
Memorize these phrases to sound natural:
Me empresta aí? (very casual)
Posso pegar emprestado? (neutral)
Você poderia me emprestar? (polite)
Te devo uma. (I’ll owe you one)
Vou devolver certinho. (I’ll return it properly)
Usage note on regional differences
Brazil is large and expressions vary. Southern speakers may be slightly more direct; cariocas (from Rio) use more informal contractions. However, the verb distinctions and politeness strategies described here are widely understood across Brazil.
Errors to avoid summary
– Confusing emprestar and pegar emprestado
– Omitting pronouns or using them in the wrong place in formal contexts
– Using vague time words like depois without specifics
– Saying Posso ficar com to ask for a temporary loan
– Not mentioning return condition or time for money
– Being too direct without softening phrases like por favor or poderia
Conclusion
Mastering how to borrow and lend in Brazilian Portuguese is mostly about choosing the right verb, being clear about duration and condition, and using polite phrasing. Use pegar emprestado to ask, emprestar to offer, and always specify when and how you will devolver. With these tips and phrases, you will avoid common mistakes and sound more natural in everyday situations.
