Para de vs. Parar de: Give a Command or Name an Action
Para de falar is a command to stop talking; parar de falar is the infinitive phrase ‘to stop talking.’ The missing r changes the role.
Real Life Portuguese · 6 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Para de + infinitive is a familiar spoken command meaning ‘stop…’: para de falar (stop talking), para de brincar (stop playing or joking). It comes from parar in a command form, where the final r is absent. Because it is direct, tone and relationship matter; soften it when the situation calls for courtesy.
Use para de as a direct command in casual speech
Brazilian Portuguese often uses você with the third-person verb form, but commands vary by region and by whether a speaker uses tu. Para is widely understood; listen to the forms used around you.
Para de mexer no celular enquanto dirige.
Stop using your phone while driving.
Para de se preocupar; eu já resolvi.
Stop worrying; I’ve already taken care of it.
Por favor, pare de interromper a reunião.
Please stop interrupting the meeting.
Use parar de when the action is not a command
Parar de + infinitive is the full infinitive phrase ‘to stop doing something.’ It can follow another verb, a preposition, or a subject: preciso parar de trabalhar (I need to stop working). Keep the r when parar is not the direct command para.
The second verb stays in the infinitive: parar de fumar, parar de estudar. In a casual negative command, many people say não para de… for ‘don’t stop…’; careful writing may use não pare de….
Quero parar de traduzir tudo na minha cabeça.
I want to stop translating everything in my head.
A chuva parou de madrugada.
The rain stopped during the night.
Não para de praticar agora.
Don’t stop practising now.
Put it into practice
Para de… is a casual direct command. Parar de… is the infinitive ‘to stop doing.’ Watch the final r to identify the form, and soften commands when appropriate.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Stop using your phone while driving”?
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