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
Discriminar means discriminate or distinguish. Descriminar means decriminalize.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
What each word does
discriminar
to discriminate or distinguish
Use discriminar for unfairly treating groups differently, or listing distinctions in detail.
descriminar
to decriminalize
Use descriminar for removing criminal status from an act.
How to choose
- discriminar: Choose discriminar if the sentence points to unfairly treating groups differently, or listing distinctions in detail.
- descriminar: Choose descriminar if the sentence points to removing criminal status from an act.
Examples
A lei proibe discriminar candidatos.
The law forbids discriminating against candidates.
O debate era sobre descriminar a conduta.
The debate was about decriminalizing the conduct.
Common trap
For prejudice, use discriminar. For removing a crime from the law, use descriminar.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with discriminar, then once with descriminar. 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.