passear

Passear is a Portuguese verb that denotes going for a leisurely walk, a stroll, or a sightseeing outing. It can describe moving around a place for relaxation, exploration, or recreation, and it is commonly used for both urban and outdoor contexts. The action can be done alone or with others, and it may involve a destination or simply wandering. The verb can take direct objects, as in passear o cachorro (to walk the dog), or be used with prepositions such as por, em, or pelo to indicate the place being explored, for example passear pelo centro or passear no parque.

Etymology and forms: Passear derives from the noun passeio, meaning a walk or outing, which in turn relates to the idea of passing through a space. Typical conjugations include eu passeio, tu passeias, ele passeia, and past forms like eu passeei, tu passeaste, ele passeou. The gerund is passeando, used to describe the ongoing action, as in “Estamos passeando pelo bairro.”

Usage notes: In Brazilian Portuguese, passear emphasizes leisure and social outings, as in “vamos passear no shopping” or “vou passear com os amigos.” In European Portuguese, the sense is similar and can also cover roaming through a city during a trip. The expression “dar um passeio” is common to refer to the act in a more fixed form, while “passear” by itself often highlights the activity of strolling or sightseeing.

See also: passeio (noun), dar uma volta, caminhar, turistar.