encomendarse

Encomendar-se is a reflexive Portuguese verb that means to entrust oneself to someone or something, to commit one’s care or protection to another, or to place trust in a person, an institution, or a fate. The term derives from the Latin commendare, meaning to entrust or to commit.

Uses and nuances

- Entrustment and guardianship: to place oneself under the protection or care of someone, for example, “Ela se encomenda aos cuidados do médico” or “Ele se encomenda à proteção de Deus.”

- Trust and reliance: to rely on someone or something, often in a moment of uncertainty or danger.

- Religious devotion: frequently used in devotional contexts, such as “encomendar-se a Deus” or “entregar-se a Nossa Senhora,” conveying a sense of surrender or prayerful petition.

- Figurative surrender: in broader discourse, it can express resignation to a situation or fate, though this sense is more literary.

Prepositions and usage

- The common construction is a reflexive form followed by a preposition, typically “a” or a prepositional phrase, e.g., “encomendar-se a Deus,” “encomendar-se aos cuidados de alguém.”

- The non-reflexive form “encomendar” means to commend or entrust something to someone, or to recommend.

Conjugation

- Encomendar-se is a regular -ar verb in its reflexive form. Examples in the present indicative include: eu me encomendo, tu te encomendas, ele se encomenda, nós nos encomendamos, eles se encomendam. (Full conjugation can be found in grammar references.)

See also

- encomendar (transitive use)

- entregar-se

- confiar-se