Traz vs. Trás in Portuguese: Bring It or Move Back?
Traz comes from trazer and means ‘brings.’ Trás appears in phrases such as para trás, meaning ‘backward’ or ‘behind.’
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
Traz is the present-tense form of trazer for ele, ela, or você. It means ‘brings’ or can be a familiar affirmative command meaning ‘bring’: você traz o livro amanhã? (will you bring the book tomorrow?). The verb infinitive is trazer.
Use traz for the verb trazer
Other forms include trago (I bring), trouxe (brought), and trazendo (bringing). Only traz, the verb form without an accent, belongs to this verb pattern.
Ela traz o almoço de casa.
She brings lunch from home.
Você traz os documentos para a reunião?
Can you bring the documents to the meeting?
Esse aplicativo traz exemplos com áudio.
This app includes examples with audio.
Use trás in expressions about the back
Trás is used in expressions connected with the back or a backward direction. You will often see it in para trás (backward), por trás de (behind), and de trás para frente (back to front). It is usually part of a phrase rather than a verb.
The accent distinguishes trás from traz in writing. A quick check: if the sentence can be changed to trouxe or trazer, choose traz. If you mean behind or backward, use trás.
Dê um passo para trás.
Take a step backward.
A bicicleta está por trás da garagem.
The bicycle is behind the garage.
Leia a frase de trás para frente.
Read the sentence backwards.
Put it into practice
Traz is a present form of trazer: ele traz. Trás appears in phrases about the back or a backward direction: para trás, por trás de.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Read the sentence backwards”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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