assegurar

Assegurar is a Portuguese verb with several related meanings centered on making something certain or guaranteed. It can mean to assure or convince someone of something, to guarantee a result or condition, to ensure that something happens, or, in some contexts, to insure against a risk. In everyday use it often appears as a synonym of garantir or certificar, while in insurance contexts it may be replaced by fazer seguro or contratar um seguro.

Origin and related forms: assegurar derives from the verb segurar (to hold or secure) with the prefix a- added for emphasis or causation. It is cognate with the Spanish asegurar and the Italian assicurare, reflecting common Romance-language roots related to security and certainty. The term is used across Portuguese-speaking regions, with nuances that mirror those found in related languages.

Usage and nuance: the primary sense is to convey certainty or to guarantee. It is common in formal and contractual language, as in "O contrato assegura os direitos dos trabalhadores." It also has the sense of assuring someone of something, as in "Eu asseguro que tudo estará pronto." In insurance contexts, the verb is less common; speakers often say fazer seguro or contratar um seguro.

Conjugation: assegurar is a regular -ar verb. Present: asseguro, asseguras, assegura, asseguramos, asseguram. Preterite: assegurei, asseguraste, assegurou, asseguramos, asseguraram. Future: assegurarei, assegurarás, assegurará, asseguraremos, assegurarão. Subjunctive present: assegure, asseures, assegure, asseguremos, assegurem. Subjunctive imperfect: assegurasse, assegurasses, assegurasse, assegurássemos, assegurassem.

See also: garantir, certificar, seguro.