Advertise vs. Advertir: Don’t Confuse These Portuguese Words
Advertir and advertise look related, but their everyday meanings differ. Choose a Portuguese verb based on whether you mean promote or warn.
Real Life Portuguese · 4 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
Advertise a product or service is usually anunciar, divulgar, or fazer propaganda. Use anunciar for an announcement or launch, and divulgar for sharing information widely. The best verb depends on whether you mean a paid ad, a public announcement, or simply spreading the word.
Use anunciar or divulgar to promote something
A loja vai anunciar a promoção nas redes sociais.
The store is going to advertise the sale on social media.
Eles divulgaram o evento para toda a comunidade.
They advertised the event to the whole community.
Use advertir when you mean to warn
Advertir is closer to “warn” or “caution.” It can sound formal, and avisar or alertar is often more natural in everyday conversation. Choose the verb that matches how direct or formal you want to sound.
O professor advertiu a turma sobre o prazo.
The teacher warned the class about the deadline.
Preciso avisar os visitantes sobre a obra.
I need to warn visitors about the construction.
Pick the verb by asking what the message does
If the message promotes a product, service, or event, choose anunciar or divulgar. If it alerts someone to a risk or consequence, choose avisar, alertar, or advertir. This small distinction prevents a marketing sentence from sounding like a warning.
A empresa anunciou um novo curso de português.
The company advertised a new Portuguese course.
O guia alertou o grupo sobre a trilha fechada.
The guide warned the group about the closed trail.
Put it into practice
Advertise is usually anunciar or divulgar; advertir means to warn.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I need to warn visitors about the construction”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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