Portuguese · Everyday Verbs
"to laugh" in Portuguese: rir
rir
To laugh in Portuguese is rir. Prefer ri or riu so it is clearly the verb—eu rio also counts, but rio can mean river.
Watching a comedy
Ele ri de tudo neste filme.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce rir
Say it
hee
/ˈʁiʁ/
hee. Ele ri is hee.
"to laugh" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| rir | to laugh Dictionary form. | Dictionary form. |
| ele ri | he laughs Clear present verb. | Clear present verb. |
| riu | laughed Past: Ela riu. | Past: Ela riu. |
| rir alto | to laugh loudly Manner. | Manner. |
| dar risada | to laugh / crack up Very Brazilian alternate. | Very Brazilian alternate. |
How to use rir in real life
- 1Watching a comedy
Ele ri de tudo neste filme.
He laughs at everything in this movie.
Ri is clearly the verb.
- 2Group chat fail
Todo mundo riu da minha correção.
Everyone laughed at my typo fix.
Riu past.
- 3Nervous moment
Eu rio quando fico nervosa, desculpa.
I laugh when I get nervous, sorry.
Eu rio counts; context blocks 'river'.
Mistakes English speakers make with rir
Incorrect: Eu laugh muito.
Correct: Eu rio muito.
Conjugate rir: eu rio, ele ri, nós rimos.
Incorrect: A piada me fez o rio.
Correct: A piada me fez rir.
Use the verb rir; o rio is the river noun.
Good to know
Brazilians pile on dar risada and cair na gargalhada for big laughs. Ri sem parar praises a comic. Tone tells eu rio (I laugh) from o rio (the river).
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Sharing a funny video
ChatPal
Olha isso. Eu ri alto agora.
Look at this. I laughed out loud just now.
You
Deixa eu ver… também ri.
Let me see… I laughed too.
ChatPal
Minha irmã ri toda vez que reabre o vídeo.
My sister laughs every time she reopens the video.
You
Manda no grupo.
Send it to the group.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to laugh" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to laugh" in Portuguese
Eu rio or eu ri?
Present: eu rio. Past: eu ri.
How do I avoid the river meaning?
Prefer ri / riu, or make eu rio obvious with context.
We laugh?
Nós rimos.
Loud laugh?
Rir alto / dar risada.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
