memorizar

Memorizar is a Portuguese verb that means to commit information to memory, to learn something by heart, or to retain it for later recall. It is commonly used in educational contexts, such as memorizing vocabulary, formulas, dates, or a speech. The term can be distinguished from decor, though in everyday speech the distinction between memorizing and memorizing by rote can be nuanced.

Etymology and usage notes: Memorizar is built from memória (memory) with the suffix -izar, forming a verb that conveys causing information to be kept in memory. It is widely used in Brazilian and European Portuguese and has cognates in other Romance languages, such as memorizar in Spanish.

Conjugation and forms: Memorizar is a regular -ar verb. In the present indicative, common forms are eu memorizo, tu memorizas, ele memoriza, nós memorizamos, vocês memorizam. Other tenses follow the standard -ar pattern (for example, memorizou in the pretérito perfeito, memorizava in the pretérito imperfeito, memorizarei in the futuro). The past participle is memorizado, used in compound tenses. Derived nouns include memorização (the act or process of memorizing) and memorizador (one who memorizes).

Techniques and context: Effective memorization often involves strategies such as repetition, chunking, and spaced repetition. In cognitive and educational contexts, memorization is one step in learning that can be complemented by understanding and application.

See also: decor (to decorate/learn by rote), memória, memorização.