Tirar in Portuguese: What It Really Means and How We Use It in Brazil

If you landed here asking "what does tirar mean in Portuguese?", here's the short answer: in Brazil, tirar almost never means "to throw" like it does in Spanish. The real tirar meaning in Portuguese is to take, to take off or to remove. When someone from Brazil says "vou tirar uma foto", they're taking a picture, and if they tell you "tira o casaco", they're asking you to take off your jacket.

That's why the verb tirar in Portuguese is one of the false friends that trips up learners the most, especially if you already speak some Spanish. And if what you actually want is the Portuguese word for "throw", as in "throw the ball", we Brazilians use a different verb: jogar, as in "jogar a bola".

The fun part starts when tirar teams up with other words. Portuguese expressions with tirar like "tirar de letra", "tirar uma dúvida" or "tirar uma casquinha" have meanings you'd never guess by translating word for word. In this lesson I'll walk you through 15 Brazilian Portuguese phrases with tirar, with example sentences to practice and a video, so you know exactly how to use tirar in Portuguese in your everyday conversations.

Video: The Verb TIRAR in Portuguese Explained

In this video I explain how we use the verb tirar in Portuguese in everyday life in Brazil, with the pronunciation and the context of each expression. Watch it first and then practice with the sentences below, so the meanings stick much faster.

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Sentences with the Verb TIRAR in Portuguese

The verb tirar in Portuguese is regular and is conjugated just like "falar": eu tiro in the present, ele tirou in the past, and eu vou tirar or eu tirarei in the future. These are the 15 expressions with tirar you'll hear the most in Brazil, each one with a sentence to practice.

Tirar (retirar)

In its most basic use, tirar means to take something out of or off the place where it is. "Retirar" also exists, but it sounds more formal, and we use it in cases like "retirar um pedido" or "retirar o que disse". And if you want to do the opposite, to put something somewhere, in Brazil we say botar.

• Você pode tirar sua mochila de cima da mesa?

Tirar uma foto

Tirar uma foto means to take a picture. Good news for English speakers: this one works just like English, since you "take" a photo and in Brazil we "tiramos" one. Heads up if you also speak Spanish: the verb sacar in Portuguese exists, but it isn't used for photos.

• Pede pro teu irmão tirar uma foto da gente.

Learn 20 Irregular Verbs in Portuguese

Tirar alguém

Tirar alguém means to draw someone's name in a drawing, especially in the famous end-of-year gift exchange that in the US you'd call Secret Santa and that in Brazil we call "amigo secreto".

• - Quem você tirou no amigo secreto?

Tirar de tempo

Tirar de tempo is playing dumb to dodge a conversation: the person stalls, changes the subject or sidesteps the question so they don't have to answer. It's what happens when you ask someone to pay back the money they owe you and, instead of paying, they just act like they don't get it.

• Eu tentei falar com ele sobre o assunto, mas ele ficou tirando de tempo.

Tirar uma dúvida

Tirar uma dúvida means to clear up a doubt or get a question answered, and it's one of the expressions with tirar you'll use the most in class or at work. When someone from Brazil asks "posso tirar uma dúvida?", they're simply asking if they can ask you a question.

• Posso tirar uma dúvida contigo sobre a aula de ontem?

Tirando isso

Tirando isso is the equivalent of "other than that" or "apart from that": we use it to set one detail aside and say everything else is fine. In a casual conversation in Brazil, it sounds much more natural than "exceto isso".

• - Deu tudo certo pra fazer a emissão do documento?
  - Mais ou menos, ficou faltando um comprovante de residência, tirando isso tudo certo.

Tirar de letra

Tirar de letra means to do something with total ease, what in English you'd call a "piece of cake". When a Brazilian tells you "você vai tirar de letra", they're cheering you on because they're sure that test or challenge will be a breeze for you.

• Do jeito que você estudou pra essa prova, tenho certeza que vai tirar de letra.

Different ways to use JEITO in Portuguese.

Tirar uma casquinha

Tirar uma casquinha means to cash in a little on something or someone to get some kind of benefit, like in the sentence below. Watch the context, though: it's also used when someone takes advantage of a situation to touch another person without their consent.

• Agora que ele virou sócio da empresa todo mundo tá querendo tirar uma casquinha dele.

Tirar folga / Tirar férias

Tirar folga means to take a day off work, and tirar férias means to take a vacation. Just like in English you "take" both, in Brazil we "tiramos" both. But be careful, because folga, férias and feriado don't mean the same thing.

• Quando é que você vai tirar folga pra gente poder fazer alguma coisa à tarde?

Learn the difference between Folga, Férias and Feriado.

Tirar onda

Tirar onda has two meanings: to mess with someone or pull their leg, like in the sentence below, or to show off. If in the US you'd say someone is "showing off", in Brazil we'd say they "tá tirando onda".

• Você tá tirando onda comigo ou tá falando sério mesmo?

Different ways to use MESMO in Portuguese.

Tá me tirando?

"Tá me tirando?" is an informal and somewhat provocative way of asking "are you kidding me?" or "are you making fun of me?". Use it carefully, because depending on the tone it can sound like the start of an argument.

• Qual é o teu problema, cara? Tá me tirando?

Tirar algo da cabeça

Tirar algo da cabeça works just like in English: to get an idea or a thought out of your head. It's one of the few expressions with tirar you can translate almost word for word without any risk of getting it wrong.

• Se você não tirar esse pensamento da cabeça nunca vai superar isso.

Tirar uma música

Tirar uma música means to figure out how to play a song by ear on an instrument. If you play guitar with Brazilian friends, you'll hear this expression all the time.

• O primo dele começou a tocar violão há 2 semanas e já tá tirando umas músicas do Metallica.

Tirar proveito

Tirar proveito means to make the most of something or to take advantage of someone. It can be positive, like "tirar proveito de uma oportunidade", or negative, like in the sentence below, when someone takes advantage of other people.

• Esse cara já tem fama de tirar proveito das pessoas aqui na empresa.

Different ways to use LIGAR in Portuguese.

Tirar um fino

Tirar um fino means to barely scrape past something or someone, almost hitting it, especially when you're driving. It's a very informal expression you'll hear in Brazilian traffic, just like in the sentence below.

• A irmã dele pegou o carro pra aprender a dirigir e tirou um fino no meio-fio quando tava treinando a baliza.

Tirar Sarro

Tirar sarro means to make fun of someone or tease them, and it's one of the most common expressions with tirar in Brazil. But be careful: even though it looks similar, "sarrar" means something very different, and I explain it in the full post linked below.

• Ela ficou tirando sarro da cara dele porque a namorada terminou o namoro que ele jurava que ia durar muito.

Full post with example sentences here

Extra

Volta e meia

Volta e meia means "every now and then" or "every so often". It doesn't use the verb tirar, but it shows up in the sentence together with "tirar férias", and it's worth learning because you'll hear it all the time in Brazil.

• - Você nunca tira férias pra viajar?
  - Na verdade volta e meia viajo durante algumas semanas.

Different ways to use MEIA in Portuguese.

Quotes and Sayings with the Verb TIRAR in Portuguese

On the Kdfrases website you'll find more examples with the verb tirar.

Write down your favorite sentences in a notebook so you can review the content often.