Portuguese · Everyday Verbs

"to wear" in Portuguese: usar

usar

Say it: oo-ZAHRverb/u.ˈzaʁ/

Note: also: vestir

To wear in Portuguese is often usar. Say eu uso tênis and ela usa vestido. Vestir also means to wear/put on; keep usar in the sentence when that’s your headword.

Outfit check

Hoje eu uso a camisa azul pra reunião.
Today I’m wearing the blue shirt for the meeting.
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How to pronounce usar

Say it

oo-ZAHR

/u.ˈzaʁ/

oo-ZAHR

"to wear" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
usarto wear / to use

Dictionary form.

eu usoI wear / I use

First person.

usar vestidoto wear a dress

Clothes.

vestirto put on / wear

Common synonym; related.

How to use usar in real life

  1. 1Outfit check

    Hoje eu uso a camisa azul pra reunião.

    Today I’m wearing the blue shirt for the meeting.

    First person.

  2. 2Advice

    Você usa casaco; o vento está frio.

    Wear a coat; the wind is cold.

    Suggestion.

  3. 3Party prep

    Ela usa aquele vestido vermelho nas festas.

    She wears that red dress to parties.

    Habit.

Mistakes English speakers make with usar

Incorrect: Eu usar sapato novo.

Correct: Eu uso sapato novo.

Conjugate: eu uso, not the infinitive as main verb.

Incorrect: Eu vestir camisa azul hoje.

Correct: Eu uso camisa azul hoje.

Prefer conjugated usar (eu uso) for this headword; don’t leave vestir unconjugated as the main verb.

Good to know

Usar covers wear and use (phones, apps, tools). Vestir focuses more on putting clothes on. Fashion talk still says usar look, usar tênis branco. Beach days: não uso sapato na areia.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Picking clothes for dinner

  1. ChatPal

    Você usa jeans ou saia hoje?

    Are you wearing jeans or a skirt today?

  2. You

    Eu uso jeans com blusa clara.

    I’m wearing jeans with a light blouse.

  3. ChatPal

    Eu uso a mesma calça então.

    I’ll wear the same pants then.

  4. You

    Combina. Vamos às oito.

    It works. Let’s go at eight.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"to wear" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to wear" in Portuguese

I wear?

Eu uso.

Usar vs vestir?

Both work; usar also means to use.

Wear a dress?

Usar vestido / vestir um vestido.

She wears?

Ela usa.

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  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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