provar

Provar is a Portuguese verb with multiple related meanings. The primary senses are to prove or demonstrate something as true, to taste or sample food or drink, and to try or attempt something. In Portuguese, provar can be used in contexts such as provar uma hipótese (to prove a hypothesis), provar comida (to taste food), or provar um novo prato (to try a new dish). The noun prova means proof, test, or exam, while prova can also refer to a trial or demonstration.

Etymology and usage. Provar derives from Latin probare, meaning to test or prove. In everyday language, it is a versatile verb that can express intellectual verification as well as sensory testing. In idiomatic use, phrases like provar de tudo (to try everything) or provar do próprio remédio (to taste one’s own medicine) illustrate its breadth of meaning.

Conjugation notes. Provar follows the regular -ar verb pattern in Portuguese. Present indicative forms include eu provo, tu provas, ele prova, nós provamos, vocês/provão. Past tense forms such as eu provei and ele provou are common, with dialect differences affecting second-person forms. The imperative mood includes prove (você), prova (tu), provemos, and provem.

Overview. As a core Portuguese verb, provar connects concepts of evidence, sampling, and experimentation, reflecting how language treats truth, experience, and trial in everyday life. It is closely related to its cognate in Spanish, probar, though spelling and some usages differ between the languages.