Traz vs. Trás in Portuguese: Bring or Behind?
Traz is a verb form meaning ‘brings’; trás refers to the back or appears in fixed expressions about position.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Traz is the present-tense form of trazer for ele, ela, and você: ela traz, ele traz, você traz. The verb means to bring or carry something toward the place or person being discussed. It has z at the end because it is a verb form.
Use traz as a form of trazer
A quick check is to replace the word with leva? No: ask whether the sentence names someone bringing an object or person. If so, traz may be the form you need. The related infinitive is trazer.
Você traz seu caderno amanhã?
Will you bring your notebook tomorrow?
A loja traz produtos de várias regiões.
The store carries products from several regions.
Ele sempre traz boas notícias.
He always brings good news.
Use trás for the back or behind
Trás is a noun or part of expressions that refer to the back or a position behind something. It appears in por trás de (behind), de trás (from the back), and para trás (backward). For the common standalone adverb meaning ‘behind,’ Portuguese usually writes atrás.
When you can substitute a verb form of trazer, write traz. When the phrase is por trás, para trás, or de trás, keep the accent. The location words atrás and detrás are also written with an accent.
Há uma rua estreita por trás do mercado.
There is a narrow street behind the market.
O banco de trás está vazio.
The back seat is empty.
Ele deu dois passos para trás.
He took two steps backward.
Put it into practice
Write traz for the verb trazer. Write trás in expressions about the back, such as por trás and para trás; use atrás for the usual standalone ‘behind.’
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “The store carries products from several regions”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
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