Planning a dinner or booking an appointment? Use the verb Marcar in Portuguese!
Whether you’re scheduling an appointment, making plans with friends, or even tagging someone online, the verb marcar in Portuguese fits into countless real-life situations. In this lesson, I’ll walk you through the various ways we Brazilians use marcar in Portuguese—from organizing events to highlighting important details. Let’s make sure you know exactly when and how to use it in your own conversations. You’ll also learn that “fazer um apontamento” means something entirely different in Portuguese!
Common ways to use the verb Marcar in daily life
Use the verb marcar whenever you book or schedule something. Here are some situations in which we use it:
Marcar uma consulta médica – to schedule a doctor’s appointment
Marcar uma aula – to book a class
Marcar uma reunião – to schedule a meeting
Marcar um horário – to set a time
Marcar um jantar – to arrange/schedule a dinner
Marcar um churrasco – to schedule/arrange a barbecue
And when plans are set, we say:
Tá marcado – It’s set. I’s scheduled.
Other uses of the verb Marcar in Portuguese
The verb marcar also means to tag someone online:
Marcar uma pessoa na sua publicação – to tag someone in your post.
And it also means to highlight something:
Marquei as palavras importantes no texto em negrito – I highlighted the important words in bold in the text.
Beware of false friends: “Fazer um Apontamento” isn’t what you think
While the verb marcar is used for scheduling or booking, the expression fazer um apontamento is a false cognate in Portuguese.
It might sound like “to make an appointment”, but in reality, it means “to make a note” or “to jot down an observation”.
It’s commonly used in academic, professional, or study contexts when someone is taking notes or recording important information.
For example:
Ela fez um apontamento sobre o que foi discutido na reunião. (She made a note about what was discussed in the meeting.)
Practical examples for everyday situations using the verb Marcar in Portuguese
Example 1
Marquei uma consulta médica para a semana que vem. Não estou me sentindo muito bem.
Translation:
I scheduled a doctor’s appointment for next week. I’m not feeling very well.
Example 2
Keith: Eu marquei todas as aulas do próximo mês.
Luciana: Eu vi. A próxima aula tá marcada pra quarta que vem, né?
Translation:
Keith: I booked all the classes for next month.
Luciana: I saw it. The next class is scheduled for this coming Wednesday, right?
Example 3
Tatiana explicou para a equipe que precisa marcar uma reunião urgente para discutir as novas leis trabalhistas que entrarão em vigor no próximo mês.
Translation:
Tatiana explained to the team that she needs to schedule an urgent meeting to discuss the new labor laws coming into effect next month.
Example 4
Marcelo ligou para a clínica para marcar um horário com o fisioterapeuta porque ele tem sentido dor nas costas.
Translation:
Marcelo called the clinic to schedule an appointment with the physical therapist because he has been experiencing back pain.
Example 5
Tuca: Estou marcando um churrasco aqui em casa pra comemorar meu aniversário. Você vem, né?
Luciana: Claro que eu vou!
Tuca: Tá bom, tá marcado, viu?
Translation:
Tuca: I’m planning a barbecue at my place to celebrate my birthday. You’re coming, right?
Luciana: Of course, I’ll be there!
Tuca: Great, it’s set then, okay?
Example 6
Postei as fotos da festa ontem e marquei você em todas. Dá uma olhada lá no meu perfil.
Translation:
I posted the party photos yesterday and tagged you in all of them. Take a look at my profile.
Example 7
Eu marquei o verbo marcar em negrito nesta lição.
Translation:
I highlighted the verb marcar in bold in this lesson.
See? Marcar is your go-to for so many things in Brazil. Now you’ve got the key to booking, tagging, and setting plans like a Brazilian. Go on, give it a try next time you’re making plans or booking an appointment!
Don’t let grammar intimidate you!
Why do prepositions trip us up?
Literal translations often don’t work. For example, in English, we say “I’m worried ABOUT you,” but in Portuguese, it’s “Estou preocupada COM você.” See? Different languages, different prepositions.
If matching verbs and prepositions feels tricky, my Bootcamp de Verbos e Preposições is here to help!
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- Bootcamp do Verbo Gostar
- Bootcamp das Preposições Por e Para (coming soon)
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👉🏼 Learn more and get started today. Porque seu português merece o melhor 🇧🇷
