Abrir Mão de: Give Up, Let Go, or Do Without in Portuguese — Practice

Use abrir mão de for a choice to give something up

Abrir mão de means to give up, let go of, or do without something. It often describes a choice involving a right, opportunity, preference, or convenience. The object comes after de, or you can put an infinitive there to name an action.

When de comes before a definite article, it contracts: de + o becomes do and de + a becomes da. That is why you may say abrir mão do desconto or abrir mão da viagem.

Distinguish abrir mão de from losing something involuntarily

Abrir mão de often presents the decision as voluntary. Perder describes losing something, whether or not you chose it. Desistir de focuses on stopping an attempt or abandoning a goal. The context may make two expressions possible, but their emphasis differs.

The verb abrir is conjugated normally: abro mão (I give up), abriu mão (gave up), and vamos abrir mão (we will give up). Mão remains singular in the phrase.

Remember: Use abrir mão de when someone chooses to give up an option or do without something; use perder for an involuntary loss.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. I don’t want to give up my day off.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Não quero abrir mão do meu dia de folga.

2. She gave up the position to care for her family.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ela abriu mão da vaga para cuidar da família.

3. He decided to do without traveling this month.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ele abriu mão de viajar este mês.

4. I decided not to buy the more expensive ticket.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Abri mão de comprar o ingresso mais caro.

5. I lost the ticket on the way to the theater.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Perdi o ingresso no caminho para o teatro.

6. We stopped looking for the store after it closed.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Desistimos de procurar a loja depois que ela fechou.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Use abrir mão de when someone chooses to give up an option or do without something; use perder for an involuntary loss.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Abrir Mão de: Give Up, Let Go, or Do Without in Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.