Dar uma Volta: Go for a Walk or Short Ride in Portuguese
Dar uma volta can mean going for a walk, drive, or short outing. Add the place or vehicle when the listener needs more detail.
Real Life Portuguese · 4 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Dar uma volta is a flexible expression for taking a walk, going for a short drive or ride, or making a round through a place. It often describes a casual outing rather than travel to a distant destination.
Use dar uma volta for a short outing
The surrounding words clarify what kind of outing you mean. Add de carro for a drive, a pé for walking, or a place such as no parque when the route matters.
Vamos dar uma volta no parque?
Shall we take a walk in the park?
Meu pai foi dar uma volta de carro.
My father went for a drive.
Dei uma volta pelo centro antes da reunião.
I walked around downtown before the meeting.
Use the expression with dar in the right tense
Dar is an irregular verb, so its common forms include dou uma volta (I take a walk), deu uma volta (he or she took one), and demos uma volta (we took one). The noun volta stays singular in this expression.
A volta can also mean a lap, a turn, or a return depending on context. Dar uma volta around a block might be a short walk; dar a volta por cima means to overcome a setback and is a separate expression.
Depois do jantar, demos uma volta a pé.
After dinner, we went for a walk.
Ela dá uma volta no quarteirão todos os dias.
She walks around the block every day.
O ônibus deu uma volta para evitar a rua fechada.
The bus took a detour to avoid the closed street.
Put it into practice
Use dar uma volta for a short outing or round; add a pé, de carro, or a destination when you want to make the activity clear.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I walked around downtown before the meeting”?
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