Intend vs. Entender: Don’t Confuse These Portuguese Words — 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 entender for understanding an idea
Portuguese entender means to understand. It can describe understanding a person, an explanation, a word, or a situation. English intend means to plan or mean to do something, so a useful Portuguese option is ter a intenção de; planejar also works when you mean to plan an action.
Pretender can mean to intend, but it has other uses and does not translate English pretend. Choose a full phrase when you want to avoid that second false friend.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Não entendi a última pergunta. | I didn’t understand the last question. |
| Tenho a intenção de visitar Salvador no verão. | I intend to visit Salvador in the summer. |
| Ela planeja estudar depois do trabalho. | She intends to study after work. |
Ask yourself whether you mean a plan or comprehension
If you could replace the English verb with “understand,” use entender. If you mean that someone plans to take an action, use ter a intenção de or planejar and add the infinitive that names the action.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Você entende por que precisamos sair cedo? | Do you understand why we need to leave early? |
| Eu pretendo terminar o relatório hoje. | I intend to finish the report today. |
Remember: Entender is to understand; intend is to plan or mean to do something. Use the meaning of the sentence to choose the Portuguese verb.
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 didn’t understand the last question.
Show a Portuguese answer
Não entendi a última pergunta.
I intend to visit Salvador in the summer.
Show a Portuguese answer
Tenho a intenção de visitar Salvador no verão.
She intends to study after work.
Show a Portuguese answer
Ela planeja estudar depois do trabalho.
Do you understand why we need to leave early?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você entende por que precisamos sair cedo?
I intend to finish the report today.
Show a Portuguese answer
Eu pretendo terminar o relatório hoje.
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.
Entender is to understand; intend is to plan or mean to do something. Use the meaning of the sentence to choose the Portuguese verb.
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 Intend vs. Entender: Don’t Confuse These Portuguese Words 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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