7 ways to use the verb “Ficar”!


Ficar doesn’t just mean ‘to stay’ it can be used in many creative ways.

Ficar can also mean to become, to look good/bad, to be…

These multiple uses make it an essential verb to learn!

Ficar – to stay

eu fico – I stay
tu ficas – you stay
ele fica – he stays
nós ficamos – we stay
eles ficam – they stay

Let’s see it in a sentence, or three.

Eu fico aqui e tu ficas aí – I stay here and you stay there.

Ela fica num hotel – she stays (is staying) in a hotel.

Eles ficam em casa – they stay at home.

To be

Technically it can mean to stay or to lie, but here it translates as ‘to be’

O banco fica na Avenida – the bank is on the Avenue.

A minha casa fica no fundo da rua – my house is at the end of the road

Fica lá em baixo – it’s down there.

Onde fica a casa de banho, por favor? – where is the bathroom please?

To become

To become or to get. For example, to get ill, to get tired.

Ele fica doente quando come chocolates – he gets sick when he eats chocolates.

Fico triste quando chove – I get sad when it rains.

Ficamos cansados se andamos muito – we get tired if we walk a lot.

Ela ficou contente quando recebeu a prenda – she became happy when she received the present.

In English we might just say – ‘she was happy when she received the present’ – the Portuguese way shows a transformation from one state to another!)

To belong

A place for everything and everything in its place. To have a place, to belong or go somewhere.

A chave fica na porta – the key stays/belongs in the door.

Estes livros ficam naquela estante – these books go on that bookshelf.

Essa mesa não fica aí – that table doesn’t go there.

A almofada fica em cima do sofá – the cushion goes on the sofá (it belongs there)

To look (good or bad)

Esse vestido fica-te bem – that looks good on you (suits you – Informal)(tu familiar)
Essa blusa fica-lhe bem – that blouse suits you (formal)(você – informal)

A cozinha fica muito bem assim – the kitchen looks really good like this

Esta planta não fica bem aqui – this plant doesn’t look good here

To turn out (well, or not)

O quadro ficou bem – the painting turned out well (in the end)

A sopa não ficou muito bem, não pus sal – the soup didn’t turn out well, I didn’t put salt.

To keep

A Paula ficou com a minha mala – Paula kept my bag

Pode ficar com isso, eu já não quero – you can keep that, I no longer want it.

I hope you enjoyed this short lesson. If you are having difficulty with portuguese verbs, you might like to join our workshop
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