Rasgar

Rasgar is a Portuguese verb meaning to tear, rip, or shred. It is used for physical objects such as paper, fabric, or clothing, but can also be employed in figurative senses, for example to break or disrupt something like a seal, a silence, or a promise. Phrases such as rasgar um papel, rasgar a cortina, rasgar o silêncio, or rasgar uma promessa illustrate its broad use.

Conjugation and forms: Rasgar is a regular -ar verb. Common forms include: eu rasgo, tu rasgas, ele rasga, nós rasgamos, vocês rasgam (in Brazilian Portuguese; in European Portuguese, vós rasgáis is also used). Preterite tense: eu rasguei, tu rasgaste, ele rasgou, nós rasgamos, eles rasgaram. Imperfect: eu rasgava, tu rasgavas, ele rasgava, nós rasgávamos, eles rasgavam. Gerund: rasgando. Past participle: rasgado. The verb is transitive, typically taking a direct object that is being torn.

Usage notes: Rasgar is commonly used with physical objects, but it also appears in figurative expressions such as rasgar o silêncio (to break the silence) or rasgar uma promessa/contrato (to break/void a promise or contract). Context and tone determine whether the action is literal or metaphorical. In regional variation, some forms may be more frequent in one dialect than another, but the standard Brazilian form with vocês rasgam is widely understood.

Etymology: The verb derives from the Portuguese root -rag-, common to many verbs meaning to tear; it is related to the general Latin and Romance language family of verbs describing tearing actions.