tropeçar

Senses

1. 1.

   to trip, to stumble

   to catch one's foot on something and almost fall

2. 2.

   to stumble upon, to run into

   to encounter something or someone unexpectedly

3. 3.

   to stumble (over words)

   to have difficulty speaking clearly or fluently

Examples

• "Eu tropecei na calçada e quase caí."

  I tripped on the sidewalk and almost fell.

• "Ela tropeçou com o ex-namorado no shopping."

  She ran into her ex-boyfriend at the mall.

• "O estudante tropeçou nas palavras durante a apresentação."

  The student stumbled over his words during the presentation.

Usage

Commonly used with the prepositions "em" (to trip on something physical) or "com" (to run into someone/something). The figurative sense of making a mistake or encountering difficulties is also common: "tropeçar em um problema" (to stumble upon a problem).