Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.
Quick answer
Consertar is the common verb for fixing. Reparar can mean repair, but also means notice.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
What each word does
consertar
to fix
Use consertar for repairing something broken in everyday speech.
reparar
to repair or notice
Use reparar for repairing in a more formal sense, or noticing something.
How to choose
- consertar: Choose consertar if the sentence points to repairing something broken in everyday speech.
- reparar: Choose reparar if the sentence points to repairing in a more formal sense, or noticing something.
Examples
Preciso consertar meu celular.
I need to fix my phone.
Voce reparou no sotaque dele?
Did you notice his accent?
Common trap
In Brazil, reparar em often means notice, not repair.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with consertar, then once with reparar. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.