Sometimes we come across the verb Look and we end up translating it as a verb “to look”. However, like most English words, they have different uses and meanings, and everything will depend on the context of the sentence.
So in this article we will see the different uses and meanings of the verb Look in Portuguese and English. You will notice that Look is not just a simple verb and that there is much more.
Look meanings and uses
The meaning of the word Look will depend on how it is used, and which word follows or comes before it. See the table below for better understanding:
Responsive Table: Roll the table sideways with your finger <<
| Inglês | Portuguese |
| Look at | to see |
| Look into | get details / investigate / analyze |
| Look for/up | search |
| Look after | take care of / take care of / take care of |
| Look over | check / review |
| Look donw on | belittle, consider yourself better (superior) |
| Look up to | observe / look up to |
| Look up to | respect someone, admire someone |
| Look back | remember, go back in time |
| Look out | look out / be careful and pay attention |
| Look away | look away |
| Look ahead | think about the future, something that will happen |
| Look forward to | yearn / hope that |
| Look through | check / look through |
The table above presented several Phrasal verbs, which are combinations of words formed by a verb and a preposition or a verb and an adverb.
See some examples applied in sentences below:
- You look tired. / You look tired.
- She looks up to her mother. / She admires her mother.
- I’m looking for Kevin. / I'm looking for Kevin.
- Look at me now! / Look at me now!
- Look for me / look for me.
Notice how easy it is to get confused, see that the phrase look for me it's not looking at me but looking for me.
Only the context will make it clear what the look and the phrase mean in each situation. Only with time and dedication will you be able to understand naturally and resolve these confusions that are caused by Phrasal verbs.
