Tirando in Portuguese: Except, Apart From—or Physically Removing?

An exception changes the scope of the statement

Caldas Aulete’s tirar entry includes removal and excluding or making an exception. This guide separates those readings in new everyday examples. The reference was checked on October 21, 2026.

• Tirando a chuva, o passeio foi ótimo. — “Apart from the rain, the outing was great.”
• Todos chegaram, tirando o Paulo. — “Everyone arrived, except Paulo.”
• Tirando terça-feira, posso conversar qualquer dia. — “Except Tuesday, I can talk any day.”

The exception is not an extra item included in the claim. The second sentence does not say Paulo arrived late; it excludes him from the people who arrived. The third removes Tuesday from the available days. You still need to agree on a particular time.

Original dialogue: choose a day inside the available set

A does not choose the excluded day. B’s original answer gives a set of possible afternoons rather than a complete appointment. The final confirmation supplies the concrete next step. In a real exchange, specify which week if there is room for confusion.

Estou tirando describes an action in progress

• Estou tirando os livros da mochila. — “I’m taking the books out of the backpack.”
• Ela está tirando o casaco. — “She is taking off her coat.”
• Estou tirando a mesa do caminho. — “I’m moving the table out of the way.”

These sentences contain an action happening now. A thing is being moved or removed. With a sentence such as Tirando o preço, gostei da ideia — “Apart from the price, I liked the idea” — the expression introduces a limitation on an evaluation instead. Look at the full structure before choosing the English -ing form.

Use the exception rather than erase it in your summary

If a friend says Tirando a primeira noite, dormi bem — “Apart from the first night, I slept well” — a summary of “they slept well every night” loses important information. Repeat the scope: Você dormiu bem nas outras noites? — “You slept well on the other nights?”

In food or packing instructions, however, physical removal may be the intended action. Tirar a cebola can mean removing the onion. Clarify the task rather than assuming that every use means except. This distinction also helps you follow lists of available dates or suitable options.

Practice: keep the exception out of the claim

1. Who has not arrived in Todos chegaram, tirando o Paulo?
2. Translate Tirando sexta, posso qualquer dia.
3. Is Estou tirando o casaco an exception marker?
4. Someone liked a trip apart from the weather. Can you summarize it as “everything was perfect”?
5. Ask whether you understood the available days correctly.

Continue with real conversation practice

For the wider conversation that prompted this companion activity, see the episode guide about reacting when things go wrong. The examples and exercises here are original written teaching material, not a transcript, quotation or additional audio recording.

Continue with Real Life Portuguese for native Brazilian audio and everyday expressions. Listen to a short exchange available in the app, identify what the speaker is doing and prepare your own reply. Bruno Lopes is a co-founder of the app. Use these written exercises to prepare your own reply.