Support vs. Suportar: How to Say ‘Support’ in Portuguese
Suportar can mean to endure or hold something up. Learn when apoiar is the natural choice for supporting a friend, idea, or cause.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
When you mean to support a person, team, idea, or cause, apoiar is often the most direct verb. Dar apoio means to provide support. Match the verb ending to the subject: eu apoio, você apoia, nós apoiamos.
Use apoiar for emotional or practical support
Quero apoiar minha amiga durante essa mudança.
I want to support my friend during this move.
A equipe recebeu apoio dos colegas.
The team received support from their colleagues.
Understand when suportar means to endure
In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, suportar alguém or alguma coisa often means to put up with or tolerate it. The negative não suporto… is a common way to say “I can’t stand…” This is why using suportar for emotional support can sound different from what you intend.
Não suporto barulho enquanto estou estudando.
I can’t stand noise while I’m studying.
Ela não suporta esperar sem saber o horário.
She can’t stand waiting without knowing the time.
Use suportar for weight or a load
Suportar also appears in technical or physical contexts, such as a shelf that can support a certain weight. The noun suporte can mean a stand, support, or help, so look at the surrounding words before deciding what a sentence means.
Esta prateleira suporta até vinte quilos.
This shelf supports up to twenty kilograms.
Agradeço todo o apoio que você me deu.
I appreciate all the support you gave me.
Put it into practice
Choose apoiar or dar apoio for backing a person; reserve suportar for enduring something or physically bearing a load.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “The team received support from their colleagues”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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