forçar

Forçar is a Portuguese verb meaning to apply physical force to move or open something, to compel or coerce someone to do something, and more broadly to push beyond resistance or limits. It is transitive and can be used in both literal and figurative senses. A reflexive form, forçar-se, exists to indicate making an effort or constraining oneself to do something.

Common uses include: forçar a porta (to force the door), forçar a passagem (to force a passage), and forçar o fechamento (to force a closing). In mechanical contexts, forçar can mean operating a device beyond its normal limits, as in forçar o motor (to over-rev the engine). In social or moral contexts, it can denote coercion, as in forçar alguém a dizer a verdade (to force someone to tell the truth).

Reflexive: forçar-se expresses self-imposed effort, as in ele se força a terminar o trabalho or ela se força a sorrir (she’s forcing herself to finish the work / to smile).

Idioms and colloquial uses include forçar a barra, meaning to push things too far or to bend the rules.

Conjugation: Forçar é um verbo regular da primeira conjugação. Present indicative: eu forço, tu forças, ele/ela força, nós forçamos, vós forçais, eles/elas forçam. Pretérito perfeito: eu forcei, tu forçaste, ele/ela forçou, nós forçamos, vós forçastes, eles/elas forçaram.