encorajar

Senses

1. 1.

   to encourage

   to give support, confidence, or hope to someone

2. 2.

   to embolden

   to make someone brave enough to do something

Examples

• "Meus pais sempre me encorajaram a seguir meus sonhos."

  My parents always encouraged me to follow my dreams.

• "O professor encorajou os alunos a fazer perguntas durante a aula."

  The teacher encouraged the students to ask questions during class.

• "Ela me encorajou a não desistir quando tudo parecia difícil."

  She encouraged me not to give up when everything seemed difficult.

Usage

Common regular -ar verb. Often used with preposition "a" + infinitive (encorajar alguém a fazer algo). Can be reflexive: "encorajar-se" (to take courage, to encourage oneself). Slightly more formal than "animar" but widely used in both spoken and written Brazilian Portuguese.