Empurrando

Empurrando is the gerund form of the Portuguese verb empurrar, meaning to push. It denotes ongoing action and is used in both Brazilian and European Portuguese to describe someone or something that is pushing. In ordinary speech, empurrando often appears with auxiliary verbs such as estar or continuar to express progressive aspect (for example, ele está empurrando). In formal writing, speakers sometimes prefer the simple present or other constructions to express ongoing action, but the gerund remains common in colloquial and descriptive contexts.

The word also appears in idiomatic expressions such as empurrando com a barriga, which describes delaying or avoiding action by postponing decisions. The noun empurrão, meaning a shove or a push, is related but distinct from the verb form. Empurrando translates to “pushing” or “being pushing” in English, depending on tense and aspect; it functions as a verb form rather than a standalone noun.

The term is used across Portuguese-speaking regions, with minor regional differences in usage and register. It is cognate with the Spanish empujar, reflecting shared Romance-language roots for “to push.”