decorar

Senses

1. 1.

   to memorize, to learn by heart

   to commit something to memory through repetition

2. 2.

   to decorate, to adorn

   to embellish a space or object with ornamental items

Examples

• "Tive que decorar o poema inteiro para a prova de literatura."

  I had to memorize the entire poem for the literature test.

• "Ela decorou a sala com flores e balões para a festa."

  She decorated the living room with flowers and balloons for the party.

• "Não adianta só decorar as fórmulas, você precisa entender os conceitos."

  There's no point just memorizing the formulas, you need to understand the concepts.

Usage

This verb has two distinct meanings. In educational contexts, "decorar" (memorize) is often contrasted with "entender" (to understand), sometimes with a negative connotation of rote learning without comprehension. Common collocations: "decorar de cor" (memorize by heart), "decorar a casa" (decorate the house). Regular -ar verb conjugation.