praticar

Praticar is a Portuguese verb that means to perform an activity regularly in order to improve, to exercise or to apply a skill. It is commonly used with sports, arts, professions and actions undertaken with intentional repetition, such as practicing a sport, a musical instrument, a technique, or a behavior. It can also mean to commit or to carry out an action, including a crime, a policy, or a duty, depending on the context.

Etymology and usage. Praticar comes from Latin practicāre and, through historical development in the Romance languages, acquired its current sense of doing something repeatedly to gain proficiency. In everyday language, it is a regular -ar verb and follows the standard conjugation pattern of this group. It is used with a direct object that names the activity, such as praticar esportes, praticar música, praticar uma técnica, or praticar um hábito. In broader contexts, it can mean to put something into practice, as in praticar uma política or praticar uma regra.

Conjugation and forms. As a regular -ar verb, praticar forms like eu pratico, você pratica, nós praticamos are typical in present tense; pretérito perfeito é pratiquei, praticaste, praticou, praticamos, praticaram; imperfect is praticava, praticavas, praticava, praticávamos, praticavam. In many regions, the second-person forms vary between tu practicas and você/pratica, reflecting regional usage.

Related terms. The noun prática denotes practice or the act of practicing, while praticante refers to a practitioner and prático to something practical or pragmatic. Examples: Ela pratica yoga todo dia. É importante praticar a pronúncia para melhorar a comunicação.

Notes. Praticar is widely used in both Brazilian and European Portuguese, with nuances across contexts ranging from sport and music to professional activity and social behavior.