Introduction
The verb tentar is one of the most useful verbs in Brazilian Portuguese because it combines easily with infinitive verbs to express attempts, efforts, and tries. English speakers often translate it as to try, to attempt, or to try to do something, but Portuguese has specific patterns and nuances to learn. This article explains how tentar works with infinitives, shows real sentences, and highlights common mistakes and style tips.
- What does tentar mean and when to use it?
- Basic grammar: structure with infinitive verbs
- Conjugation examples of tentar
- When not to use tentar: verbs of ability and succeed
- Placement of pronouns with tentar + infinitive
- Negative forms with tentar
- Using tentar with reflexive and pronominal verbs
- Subjunctive and conditional nuances after tentar
- Common verbs that pair with tentar
- Differences between tentar, esforçar-se and tentar de novo
- Colloquial variations and contractions
- Cultural and usage notes
- Common mistakes to avoid
- More example sentences
- Summary: quick rules checklist
- Conclusion
What does tentar mean and when to use it?
Tentar means to attempt or to try. You use it when someone makes an effort to do something, sometimes without guaranteeing success. It emphasizes the action of trying rather than completing the action.
Examples of contexts where you use tentar:
– When someone makes an attempt: Ele tentou abrir a porta.
– When suggesting effort: Tenta de novo!
– When expressing intention but uncertainty: Vou tentar falar com ela amanhã.
Basic grammar: structure with infinitive verbs
In Brazilian Portuguese, tentar is typically followed by an infinitive verb. The structure is straightforward: tentar + infinitive. The infinitive remains unconjugated because tentar supplies the main tense and subject information.
Formula: subject + tentar (conjugated) + infinitive verb
Examples:
Eu tento aprender português.
Ela tentou ligar para o amigo.
Nós vamos tentar chegar cedo.
Conjugation examples of tentar
Below are common conjugations of tentar used in sentences with infinitives. The infinitive does not change.
Present: Eu tento estudar mais.
Past (preterite): Ele tentou resolver o problema ontem.
Imperfect: Quando era criança, eu tentava tocar violão.
Future: Nós tentaremos encontrar uma solução.
Notes on compound and periphrastic futures
You can use tentar with periphrastic future constructions as well. For example: Vou tentar terminar o trabalho hoje. Here the future auxiliary vou defines tense and tentar remains in the infinitive followed by another infinitive terminar. This double-infinitive pattern is common in spoken Portuguese.
When not to use tentar: verbs of ability and succeed
Do not confuse tentar with verbs that express ability or success. For example, saber and conseguir differ:
Saber indicates ability or knowledge: Eu sei nadar. (I know how to swim.)
Conseguir indicates succeeding in doing something: Eu consegui nadar 200 metros. (I managed to swim 200 meters.)
Use tentar when the emphasis is on making an attempt rather than on ability or success: Eu tentei nadar, mas cansei rápido. If the action was successful, you might prefer consegui.
Placement of pronouns with tentar + infinitive
Object pronouns (direct and indirect) attach to the infinitive or precede the conjugated verb depending on the sentence type. In colloquial Brazilian Portuguese, clitic placement is flexible but guided by rules.
1) Pronoun attached to the infinitive (common): Eu vou tentar ajudá-la. Here the pronoun attaches to the infinitive ajudar forming ajudá-la.
2) Pronoun before the conjugated verb (also possible): Eu lhe vou tentar ajudar. This construction is rarely used in spoken Brazilian Portuguese and sounds formal or old-fashioned.
3) In affirmative main clauses, Brazilian Portuguese prefers proclisis, so you often find: Eu vou tentar te ajudar. In spoken Portuguese, te can come before or after the infinitive: Eu vou te ajudar / Vou tentar te ajudar. Both are natural in Brazil.
Examples with pronouns
Vou tentar te ligar amanhã.
Ela tentou me avisar, mas eu não ouvi.
Eles vão tentar ajudá-los quando chegarem.
Negative forms with tentar
To make a negative sentence, place não before tentar. The infinitive remains the same.
Examples:
Eu não tentei terminar o relatório ontem.
Nós não vamos tentar resolver isso sozinhos.
Ele não tenta mais estudar à noite.
Note that in Brazilian Portuguese, colocar não before the conjugated verb is the standard order: Não tente fazer isso agora is more natural than Tente não fazer isso agora, though the latter emphasizes the attempt to avoid something.
Using tentar with reflexive and pronominal verbs
When the infinitive is reflexive, combine tentar with the reflexive infinitive. Place the reflexive pronoun according to normal placement rules (attached to the infinitive or before the conjugated verb in formal contexts).
Examples:
Eu tentei me levantar cedo, mas não consegui.
Ele vai tentar se adaptar ao novo trabalho.
Subjunctive and conditional nuances after tentar
Tentar itself governs the mood of the sentence, and the infinitive stays in the infinitive, so you do not directly use subjunctive after it. However, when expressing hypothetical results or conditions, you may see subjunctive in subordinate clauses introduced after the attempt.
Example: Eu tentei falar com ele para que ele viesse, mas ele não quis. Here vir in the subordinate clause takes a past tense because of querer; subjunctive appears when wishing or expressing doubt: Tentei convencer para que ele viesse, mas não deu certo.
Common verbs that pair with tentar
Some infinitives frequently follow tentar because they describe typical attempts:
– tentar falar
– tentar entender
– tentar aprender
– tentar abrir
– tentar convencer
Ela tentou falar com o chefe sobre o projeto.
Eu tentei entender o exercício, mas era muito difícil.
Vamos tentar aprender aquela canção hoje.
Using tentar for polite requests and offers
Tentar can soften statements and make requests more polite, similar to try in English to sound less direct. For example, instead of commanding someone to do something, you might say: Tente ajudar ele se puder. This is less forceful than Ajude ele.
Differences between tentar, esforçar-se and tentar de novo
Esforçar-se emphasizes effort and persistence and is often reflexive: Ele se esforçou para passar no concurso. Use esforçar-se when you want to highlight sustained effort. Tentar can be a single attempt or multiple attempts.
Tentar de novo literally means to try again and is common in colloquial speech: Tente de novo! Another natural form is tentar novamente: Não desista, tente novamente.
Colloquial variations and contractions
In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, you will hear shortened forms and relaxed word order. Examples include vou tentar becoming vou tentar or tentar vou in quick speech, and pronoun placement like Vou tentar te explicar. Contractions are natural: tenta aí vem meaning informal encouragement, though not grammatical in writing.
Cultural and usage notes
Brazilian speakers often use tentar to show encouragement or to express empathy, especially in informal conversations. Saying Tenta que dá certo conveys optimism and support. In professional settings, using tentar can sound noncommittal if overused. For firm promises, prefer vou conseguir, vou fazer, or vou resolver instead of vou tentar.
Regional differences: In some regions, people use tentar less hesitantly and pair it with modal expressions like ver se vou conseguir: Vou ver se consigo. Both are natural and reflect slightly different attitudes toward certainty.
Common mistakes to avoid
1) Do not conjugate the second verb after tentar. Wrong: Eu tentei que eu aprendi. Correct: Eu tentei aprender.
2) Avoid mixing up conseguir and tentar when you want to communicate success. Wrong: Eu tentei terminar o trabalho. (If you mean you finished it.) Better: Eu consegui terminar o trabalho.
3) Pronoun placement: In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, prefer Vou tentar te ajudar over Vou tentar ajudá-lo in casual contexts, but both are correct depending on formality.
More example sentences
Vou tentar explicar de novo para que fique claro.
Ela tentou esconder a verdade, mas o time descobriu.
Tente não se preocupar tanto — tudo vai dar certo.
Tentei aprender a cozinhar, mas prefiro pedir comida.
Eles vão tentar negociar um acordo amanhã.
Summary: quick rules checklist
– Use tentar + infinitive to express an attempt.
– Conjugate tentar, keep the following verb in the infinitive.
– Place pronouns either attached to the infinitive or before the conjugated verb depending on formality and register.
– Use não before tentar to negate.
– Prefer conseguir to emphasize success, and esforçar-se to emphasize sustained effort.
Conclusion
Mastering tentar with infinitives gives you a powerful and flexible tool for everyday conversation in Brazilian Portuguese. Keep in mind placement of pronouns, the difference between trying and succeeding, and register. Practice by noticing how native speakers use expressions like tenta de novo, vou tentar, and tente não and you’ll quickly gain confidence in using tentar naturally.
