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How to say ‘change’ in Portuguese Posted by on Sep 26, 2013 in Vocabulary

Ela mudou o corte de cabelo.

Hello, there!

Every language has words that have several meanings and this is the case with “to change”. So here’s a little tip for you to get it right every time!

01. When we consider the aspect of modifying or transforming something, we say mudar:

Ela mudou seu corte de cabelo.
She changed her hairstyle.

Ela quer mudar o contrato.
She wants to change the contract.

Algumas coisas nunca mudam.
Some things never change.

Depois de alguns dias o tempo mudou radicalmente.
After a few days the weather changed dramatically.

O sinal mudou de verde para vermelho.
The signal changed from green to red.

The noun form is mudança.

Várias mudanças importantes aconteceram desde os anos 60.
A number of significant changes have taken place since the 1960s.

O relatório propõe algumas mudanças fundamentais no sistema de seguro social.
The report proposes some fundamental changes to the social security system.

A indústria da informática tem passado por enormes mudanças nos últimos 20 anos.
The computer industry has undergone enormous changes in the last 20 years.

Fizemos algumas mudanças no time para a partida de hoje à noite.
We made a few changes to the team for tonight’s match.

Me ajuda a trocar o pneu?

Preciso trocar de roupa.
I need to change my clothes.

Estou cheio destas cortinas – vamos trocá-las.
I’m sick of these curtains – let’s change them.

Me ajuda a trocar um pneu?
Can you help me change a tire?

Vou devolver essa camisa e vou trocá-la. Não gosto da cor.
I’m going to take that shirt back and change it. I don’t like the color.

Preciso trocar 100 dólares.
I need to cash 100 dollars.

The noun forms are troca or troco.

Ela ficou feliz com a troca de professores.
She was happy with the change of teachers.

A troca de moeda aconteceu rapidamente.
The currency exchange happened rapidly.

A Maria foi para casa para uma troca de roupas.
Maria went home for a change of clothes.

Fique com o troco, por favor.
Keep the change, please.

Você tem troco para uma nota de cinquenta dólares?
Do you have change for a fifty-dollar bill?

Desculpa, não tenho troco.
I’m sorry, I haven’t got any change.

See you next time!

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About the Author: Adir

English / Spanish teacher and translator for over 20 years. I have been blogging since 2007 and I am also a professional singer in my spare time.