Ratificar vs. Retificar: Confirm or Correct — 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 ratificar to confirm or approve
Ratificar means to confirm, endorse, or formally approve something that has already been decided or proposed. It appears in legal, administrative, and formal contexts, though the meaning is useful in news and everyday reading too.
Think of ratificar as reaffirming that a decision or agreement remains valid. In everyday conversation, confirmar is usually simpler and more common.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| O conselho ratificou a decisão na reunião. | The board confirmed the decision at the meeting. |
| Os países ratificaram o acordo. | The countries ratified the agreement. |
| Preciso confirmar o horário antes de sair. | I need to confirm the time before leaving. |
Use retificar to correct information
Retificar means to correct, amend, or make an adjustment to information. It is used when a figure, name, date, statement, or document needs correction. In everyday conversation, corrigir is a direct alternative.
The spelling difference changes the action: ratificar preserves or confirms a prior decision, while retificar changes an incorrect detail. Check whether the information is being approved or corrected.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| A empresa retificou o valor no relatório. | The company corrected the amount in the report. |
| Vou retificar a data do formulário. | I’m going to correct the date on the form. |
| O jornal publicou uma nota para retificar a informação. | The newspaper published a note to correct the information. |
Remember: Ratificar is to confirm or formally approve; retificar is to correct or amend. Use confirmar and corrigir in everyday speech when they fit.
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.
The board confirmed the decision at the meeting.
Show a Portuguese answer
O conselho ratificou a decisão na reunião.
The countries ratified the agreement.
Show a Portuguese answer
Os países ratificaram o acordo.
I need to confirm the time before leaving.
Show a Portuguese answer
Preciso confirmar o horário antes de sair.
The company corrected the amount in the report.
Show a Portuguese answer
A empresa retificou o valor no relatório.
I’m going to correct the date on the form.
Show a Portuguese answer
Vou retificar a data do formulário.
The newspaper published a note to correct the information.
Show a Portuguese answer
O jornal publicou uma nota para retificar a informação.
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.
Ratificar is to confirm or formally approve; retificar is to correct or amend. Use confirmar and corrigir in everyday speech when they fit.
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 Ratificar vs. Retificar: Confirm or Correct? 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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