Take a look at this chart with the conjugations of ficar in Brazilian Portuguese to review the forms of this verb.
Brazilian Portuguese Articles
How to use the verb ‘ficar’ in Brazilian Portuguese?
By: Fabiana Dametto Oliveira Thu Dec 12 2024
The Brazilian Portuguese verb ficaris literally translated into “to stay.” However ficar is an important verb because of its wide range of meanings, including “to be,” “to get,” “to remain,” and “to become,” and sometimes others.
Pedro ficou doente.
Pedro got sick.
Ficar frequently appears in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, where it is used to describe locations, change, emotions, or feelings, along with much more. If you want to know how to use ficar in different contexts and understand its multiple meanings, keep reading this post!
Table of Contents
How to use ‘ficar’ for location in Brazilian Portuguese?
Like the verbs ser and estar, ficar can be used to express location in Brazilian Portuguese. In these cases it can mean “to be,” “to stay,” or “to be located.”
Tip
Let’s see some of the differences in detail below.
‘Ficar’ for permanent location
Both ficar and ser can be used to express something’s permanent location. In this context, ficar can be translated as “to be.” We use these with all kinds of locations where something can be permanently located, including countries, cities, buildings, shops, etc.
O Brasil fica na América do Sul.
Brazil is in South America.
Ficar often appears in everyday language to ask about the permanent address or location of a business, home, institution, etc.:
Speaker A:Por favor, você sabe onde fica a universidade?
Please, do you know where the university is?
Speaker B:Sim, a universidade fica na Avenida Atlântica.
Yes, the university is on Avenida Atlântica.
Another common use of ficar is to talk about the distance to or between permanent locations:
A universidade fica a 5 quilômetros da minha casa.
The university is 5 kilometers from my house.
Tip
When describing a distance from place, it's common to use the preposition a after the verb (fica + a). However, if you only need to indicate whether a place is near or far, you can use fica + longe de(far from) / perto de(near).
A universidade fica longe da minha casa.
The university is far from my house.
When ficar is used to express where something is located permanently. It’s always in the third personNo definition set for third personLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., and it can be singularNo definition set for singularLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or pluralNo definition set for pluralLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., depending on whether the thing whose location you’re describing is singular or plural. For example:
As Ilhas Canárias ficam no oceano Atlântico.
The Canary Islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean.
→ as Ilhas Canárias and ficam are both plural.
Important: Permanent location: ficar or ser?
We can use either ficar or ser to describe something’s permanent location. There is no difference in meaning:
A praia de Ipanema fica no Rio de Janeiro.
A praia de Ipanema é no Rio de Janeiro.
Ipanema beach is in Rio de Janeiro.
However, it’s more common to use ficar instead of ser in everyday language.
‘Ficar’ for a temporary location
Interestingly enough, we can also use ficar to describe a longer-term temporary location.
When applied to the location of people and animals, we generally translate this meaning as “to stay.” For example:
Eu vou ficar em casa no fim de semana.
I will stay home for the weekend.
As crianças ficaram na escola até a chuva passar.
The children stayed at school until the rain stopped.
Tip
Ficar is also commonly used to refer to an accommodation:
Nós vamos ficar em um hotel perto da praia.
We'll stay at a hotel near the beach.
We can also use the verb ficar to refer to the location of objects, particularly to describe where a certain object is usually stored. It means “to be located at.”
As raquetes de tênis ficam na sessão de esportes.
The tennis rackets are located in the sports section.
In the example above, we could also say, As raquetes de tênis estão localizadas na sessão de esportes. However, ficar expresses the same idea in a more natural and colloquial way.
Notice that in all of the above uses, ficar does convey that the subject is remaining in a place for at least a little while. You can think of this as “temporary permanence” in a place.
Important
Ficar is usually followed by the preposition em(in) and its contractionsNo definition set for contractionsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. no, na, nos, nas(in the). Recall that the form of the contraction you use (no, na, nos, nas), will depend on the gender and number of the following word:
ficar na escola
stay at school (f. sg.)
ficar no trabalho
stay at work (m. sg)
Check out our post on definite articles and contractions in Brazilian Portuguese to refresh your memory!
‘Ficar’ vs. ‘estar’ for a temporary location
Ficar and estar can both be used for a temporary location, but there is a subtle difference in meaning. Ficar describes the usual location of something, while estar just indicates the current location. Take a look at the two examples below:
- Ficar:
Os sapatos ficam no armário.
The shoes are in the closet.
→ This is the usual location of the shoes. - Estar:
Os sapatos estão no armário.
The shoes are in the closet.
→ This is the current location of the shoes.
‘Ficar’ for describing physical and emotional states
In Brazilian Portuguese, the verb ficar is used in descriptions of physical and emotional states. We use it mostly in cases when there is a transition to a new physical/emotional state, typically in response to something in the environment. In this use, ficar is usually followed by an adjective that describes either a physical condition or an emotion. For example:
adjective
Fernanda ficou feliz com o resultado do jogo.
Fernanda was happy with the result of the game.
→ The game caused her emotional state to change.
In this use we translate ficar using a variety of verbs, depending on the context, including “to be,” “to get,” or “to become.”
Let’s look at some more examples of how to use ficar with physical states and emotional states. Then we’ll look at how you can use the phrase ficar com if the physical or emotional state is represented by a noun instead of an adjective.
‘Ficar’ with physical states
Ficar is used to mark a transition into a new physical condition that can be described by an adjective. For example:
adjective
Patrícia ficou doente depois das férias.
Patricia got sick after the holidays.
Nós ficamos cansados depois dos exercícios na academia.
We got tired after exercising at the gym.
Important
Ficar is quite often used to talk about involuntary changes (especially negative ones) that result from an accident or external circumstance.
adjective
Ele ficou careca com 40 anos.
He went bald at the age of 40.
Roberto ficou desempregado depois que a empresa fechou.
Roberto became unemployed after the company closed down.
In the examples above, ficar emphasizes the situation’s outcome and is an example of a “verb of becoming” in Brazilian Portuguese.
‘Ficar’ with emotional states
Ficar can also indicate a transition of emotions or mood. The structure ficar + adjective describes this new emotion. Let’s take a look:
adjective
Nós ficamos animados com a notícia da viagem.
We got excited about the news of the trip.
Eu fiquei nervosa durante minha apresentação do mestrado.
I was nervous during my master’s presentation.
Tip: Spelling Note
Although ficar is a regular verb ending in -ar, there is a spelling change in the preterite form where the c becomes qu in order to keep the [k] sound before the vowel e: Eu fiquei. Check out our post on pronunciation in Brazilian Portuguese to learn more about this!
Notice that in both of the sentences above, there is an implication that the subject’s emotion has slightly changed recently.
Using ‘ficar com’ before a noun for a physical or emotional state
The phrase ficar com can also be used for a change of physical or emotional state, but this is typically used before a noun instead of an adjective. This is a very common sentence structure for talking about illnesses. For example:
noun
Eu fiquei com dor de cabeça depois da prova.
I got a headache after the test.
Meu irmão ficou com febre e precisou ir ao hospital.
My brother got a fever and had to go to the hospital.
The same structure is used to express a change of emotion:
noun
Eu fico com medo quando assisto filmes de terror.
I get scared when I watch horror movies.
Take a look at this list with some more examples of ficar and ficar com to describe feelings in Brazilian Portuguese!
When to use ‘ficar’ vs. ‘estar’ vs. ‘ser’ to talk about emotions?
Ficar, estar, and ser can all be used before certain adjectives that refer to emotions. However, they don't mean the same thing. See the comparison below.
FICAR | ESTAR | SER |
|---|---|---|
Ficar focuses on the change of feeling. | Estar states the final result. | Ser describes the subjects condition in general |
Paulo ficou nervoso com a notícia. Paulo was nervous about the news. → implies that Paulo’s emotions changed because of the news | Paulo está nervoso por causa da notícia. Paulo is nervous because of the news. → simply states Paulo’s emotion | Paulo é nervoso. Paulo is nervous. → describes Paulo’s general personality |
If you’d like a full explanation about the uses of ser and estar, don't miss our post!
What are the other common uses of ‘ficar’?
In addition to the uses of ficar that we have discussed above, this helpful verb can also be used…
as an auxiliary verb in passive and continuous tenses
with an infinitive in the phrase ficar de
to talk about appearance
to mean “to end up”
to mean “to remain”
to refer to costs
in expressions with ficar com + noun
in the expression ficar para to mean “to schedule”
We’ll take a look at each of these uses below.
How to use ‘ficar’ as an auxiliary verb?
Like ser and estar, ficar can also work as an auxiliary verb in certain constructions in the passive voice and in continuous tensesNo definition set for continuous tensesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum..
Ficar in the passive voice
Ficar functions as an auxiliary in the passive voice when the verb describes an involuntary result:
Cinco pessoas ficaram presas no elevador.
Five people got stuck in the lift.
Notice that ficar implies a change in the state of the subject. In the example, people got stuck due to an external circumstance, as it does not sound that they intended to be stuck.
Ficar in continuous tenses
When used in a continuous tense, ficar acts as an auxiliary to emphasize the continuation of an action for a certain period of time.
Márcia ficou assistindo TV o dia inteiro.
Marcia watched TV all day.
→ Using ficar emphasizes the continuation of the action.Notice that by using ficar instead of estar we are drawing attention to the long duration of the action, rather than just stating that the action took place during that time, as in: Márcia estava assistindo TV.
How to use ‘ficar de’ + infinitive verb?
The structure ficar de + infinitiveNo definition set for infinitiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. verb is used to show that someone is in charge of doing something, much like we use “supposed to” in English. This use of ficar often appears in everyday Brazilian Portuguese.
infinitive verb
Eu fiquei de comprar os ovos, mas esqueci.
I was supposed to buy the eggs, but I forgot.
Eu e a Flávia ficamos de sair no domingo se não chover.
Flávia and I were supposed to go out on Sunday if it doesn't rain.
How to use ‘ficar’ to talk about appearance?
The verb ficar is also used to describe the appearance of something in contexts where we would use the verb “to look” or sometimes “to fit” in English.
Nossa, essa blusa é tamanho P, mas ficou larga!
Wow, this shirt is S size, but it looks big on you!
Esse corte de cabelo ficou ótimo em você.
This haircut looks great on you.
Você ficou linda com esse vestido.
You look beautiful in this dress.
Notice that ficar is in the preterite in the examples above. It’s quite common to use the preterite in this case.
How to use ‘ficar’ to say “to end up”?
Ficar can be used to mean “to end up” or “to turn out” when describing the end result of a situation that has ended.
O jogo ficou 0 a 0.
The game ended up 0-0.
As fotos da viagem não ficaram muito boas.
The photos from the trip didn't turn out very well.
Como ficou o frango assado? Ficou bom?
How was the roasted chicken? Was it good?
In this sense, ficar is often used to indicate the final total in financial exchanges. It is often used this way in colloquial contexts and it refers to the cost of services or products.
Quanto ficou o conserto do carro?
How much was the car repair?
A inflação do ano passado ficou acima de dez por cento.
Last year's inflation was above ten percent.
How to use ‘ficar’ to say “to remain”?
Ficar can sometimes be translated as “to remain” or “to be left” in English.
Eu limpei a casa toda. Só ficou o quintal para você limpar.
I cleaned the whole house. Only the backyard is left for you to clean.
Depois do evento, só ficaram os gerentes no local.
After the event, only the managers remained on site.
In Brazilian Portuguese, we could also use the words sobrar(to be left) or restar(to remain) instead of ficar, as in:
Depois do evento, só restaram os gerentes no local.
After the event, only the managers remained on site.
However, ficar is more informal and used more often in everyday spoken language.
Other uses of ‘ficar com’ + noun
The expression ficar com + noun can also be used to express that someone is temporarily in possession of something. For example:
Eu fiquei com o seu cachecol.
I have your scarf.
Important
In this case, we can say either ficar sem(to be left out) and ficar com(to be left with), as in:
Ficamos sem dinheiro.
We ran out of money.
Fique com o troco.
Keep the change.
How to use ‘ficar para’ meaning “to schedule”
It’s common to say ficar para in Brazilian Portuguese to schedule or postpone an appointment.
Patrícia está doente, por isso a reunião vai ficar para a próxima semana.
Patricia is sick, so the meeting will be postponed for next week.
What are some fixed expressions with ‘ficar’ in Brazilian Portuguese?
In addition to all the meanings described above, ficar also appears in various fixed expressions in Brazilian Portuguese. For example:
Entre e fique à vontade.
Come in and make yourself comfortable.
As you can see, ficar is not always literally translated into English. Take a look at this list of different expressions with ficar in Brazilian Portuguese and their meaning in English!
To sum up
In this post, we saw that ficar has multiple uses and meanings in Brazilian Portuguese. Let's quickly review them:
Permanent or temporary location
ficar + em (no, na, nos, nas)
Change of state or condition (for physical and emotional states)
ficar + adjective OR ficar + noun
Ficar and estar differ in meaning: ficar describes a change in condition and estar describes a statement.
Ficar functions as an auxiliary verb in passive and continuous constructions.
Ficar also has other particular meanings, such as “to be in charge of,” “to remain,” “to end up,” and to describe appearance and costs.
Ficar is used in some fixed expressions in Brazilian Portuguese.
Don't forget to practice the verb ficar with our exercises! Happy learning!
