Ficar com vs. Ficar sem in Portuguese: Keep, End Up With, or Run Out
A single preposition changes whether you keep or end up with something or are left without it.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Ficar com can mean to keep something, take it, or end up with it. The exact meaning depends on the situation: it can describe a choice, an arrangement, or what remains after sharing.
Use ficar com for keeping or ending up with something
The phrase can also describe a temporary condition, as in ficar com sono (to get sleepy) or ficar com dúvida (to have a question). Learn it with the noun that follows.
Pode ficar com este livro.
You can keep this book.
Eu fico com a mesa perto da janela.
I’ll take the table near the window.
Depois da divisão, cada pessoa ficou com uma parte.
After the split, each person ended up with one part.
Use ficar sem for being left without something
Ficar sem means to be without something or run out of it. It can describe a temporary lack, a missed item, or a supply that has been used up.
With a person or service, it can also describe losing access: ficar sem internet (to be without internet) or ficar sem bateria (to run out of battery).
Fiquei sem dinheiro para o táxi.
I ran out of money for the taxi.
A gente ficou sem internet durante a reunião.
We lost internet during the meeting.
Não quero ficar sem o recibo.
I don’t want to be left without the receipt.
Use the preposition to express the outcome
After ficar, com points to what someone retains, chooses, or experiences; sem points to what is absent. The preposition gives you a helpful cue before you translate the sentence.
The same noun can appear in both patterns: fiquei com a chave (I kept the key) versus fiquei sem a chave (I was left without the key).
Ela ficou com o ingresso extra.
She kept the extra ticket.
Ele ficou sem o ingresso e voltou para casa.
He was left without the ticket and went home.
Se sobrar café, pode ficar com ele.
If there is coffee left over, you can have it.
Put it into practice
Ficar com signals what remains with you or what you choose; ficar sem signals what you lack or lose access to.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “She kept the extra ticket”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.