Excited vs. Excitado: Say You’re Looking Forward to Something — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Use animado or empolgado for positive anticipation
If you are excited about a trip, project, or event, animado or empolgado is usually the natural choice. Match the ending to the speaker: animado for masculine forms and animada for feminine forms.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Estou animada para conhecer o Rio. | I’m excited to visit Rio. |
| A equipe está empolgada com o lançamento. | The team is excited about the launch. |
Understand the tone of excitado
Excitado can mean highly stimulated or agitated and may carry a sexual meaning in everyday conversation. It can occur in technical or other literal contexts, but it is not the safest default for ordinary enthusiasm.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| As crianças ficaram animadas com a viagem. | The children got excited about the trip. |
| Estou empolgado para ver o show ao vivo. | I’m excited to see the show live. |
Say what you are excited about
Use animado para… or empolgado com… to connect your feeling to an event or plan. A preposition helps complete the idea: para + infinitive often introduces an upcoming activity, while com + noun names what excites you.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Estamos animados para começar as aulas. | We’re excited to start classes. |
| Ela está empolgada com o novo trabalho. | She is excited about the new job. |
Remember: For everyday enthusiasm, animado and empolgado are safer choices than excitado.
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.
I’m excited to visit Rio.
Show a Portuguese answer
Estou animada para conhecer o Rio.
The team is excited about the launch.
Show a Portuguese answer
A equipe está empolgada com o lançamento.
The children got excited about the trip.
Show a Portuguese answer
As crianças ficaram animadas com a viagem.
I’m excited to see the show live.
Show a Portuguese answer
Estou empolgado para ver o show ao vivo.
We’re excited to start classes.
Show a Portuguese answer
Estamos animados para começar as aulas.
She is excited about the new job.
Show a Portuguese answer
Ela está empolgada com o novo trabalho.
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.
For everyday enthusiasm, animado and empolgado are safer choices than excitado.
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 Excited vs. Excitado: Say You’re Looking Forward to Something 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.
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