Portuguese · Everyday Verbs

"to teach" in Portuguese: ensinar

ensinar

Say it: ẽỹ-see-NAHR / ẽỹ-SEE-noo / ẽỹ-SEE-nahverb/ẽ.si.ˈnaʁ/

To teach in Portuguese is ensinar. Say eu ensino and você ensina. Ensinar alguém a + infinitive means teach someone to do something.

Job talk

Eu ensino inglês para adolescentes à noite.
I teach English to teenagers at night.
Practice Portuguese out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce ensinar

Say it

ẽỹ-see-NAHR / ẽỹ-SEE-noo / ẽỹ-SEE-nah

/ẽ.si.ˈnaʁ/

ẽỹ-see-NAHR. Eu ensino is ẽỹ-SEE-noo; você ensina is ẽỹ-SEE-nah.

"to teach" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
ensinarto teach

Dictionary form.

eu ensinoI teach

Present first person.

você ensinayou teach

Questions and praise.

ensinar a dirigirto teach to drive

Ensinar a + verb.

professor que ensinateacher who teaches

Role talk.

How to use ensinar in real life

  1. 1Job talk

    Eu ensino inglês para adolescentes à noite.

    I teach English to teenagers at night.

    Ensino is the natural conjugation.

  2. 2Asking a skill

    Você ensina a fazer esse bolo?

    Will you teach how to make this cake?

    Você ensina a + infinitive.

  3. 3Helping a child

    A avó ensina as crianças a amarrar o tênis.

    Grandma teaches the kids to tie their shoes.

    Ensina for third person.

Mistakes English speakers make with ensinar

Incorrect: Eu ensinar português.

Correct: Eu ensino português. / Vou ensinar português.

Conjugate: eu ensino, or use ir + infinitive.

Incorrect: Eu teach matemática.

Correct: Eu ensino matemática.

Use ensinar, not English teach.

Good to know

Ensinar is warm in Brazilian Portuguese—parents, siblings, and coworkers teach informally all the time. Private aulas particulares are a huge market.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Trading language help

  1. ChatPal

    Você ensina português e eu ensino inglês?

    You teach Portuguese and I teach English?

  2. You

    Topo. Eu ensino os verbos no presente primeiro.

    I'm in. I'll teach present-tense verbs first.

  3. ChatPal

    Perfeito. Eu ensino pronúncia com áudios curtos.

    Perfect. I'll teach pronunciation with short audios.

  4. You

    Combinado. Assim a gente ensina e aprende junto.

    Deal. That way we teach and learn together.

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 teach" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to teach" in Portuguese

How do I say I teach?

Eu ensino.

How do I say teach someone to…?

Ensinar alguém a + infinitive.

Is professor required?

No. Anyone can ensinar a skill.

How do I say she teaches?

Ela ensina.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in Portuguese. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.