Traz vs. Trás in Portuguese: Bring It or Move Back — Practice

Use traz for the verb trazer

Traz is the present-tense form of trazer for ele, ela, or você. It means ‘brings’ or can be a familiar affirmative command meaning ‘bring’: você traz o livro amanhã? (will you bring the book tomorrow?). The verb infinitive is trazer.

Other forms include trago (I bring), trouxe (brought), and trazendo (bringing). Only traz, the verb form without an accent, belongs to this verb pattern.

Use trás in expressions about the back

Trás is used in expressions connected with the back or a backward direction. You will often see it in para trás (backward), por trás de (behind), and de trás para frente (back to front). It is usually part of a phrase rather than a verb.

The accent distinguishes trás from traz in writing. A quick check: if the sentence can be changed to trouxe or trazer, choose traz. If you mean behind or backward, use trás.

Remember: Traz is a present form of trazer: ele traz. Trás appears in phrases about the back or a backward direction: para trás, por trás de.

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. She brings lunch from home.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ela traz o almoço de casa.

2. Can you bring the documents to the meeting?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você traz os documentos para a reunião?

3. This app includes examples with audio.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Esse aplicativo traz exemplos com áudio.

4. Take a step backward.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Dê um passo para trás.

5. The bicycle is behind the garage.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   A bicicleta está por trás da garagem.

6. Read the sentence backwards.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Leia a frase de trás para frente.

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.

Traz is a present form of trazer: ele traz. Trás appears in phrases about the back or a backward direction: para trás, por trás de.

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 Traz vs. Trás in Portuguese: Bring It or Move Back? 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.