Quick answer
Emigrar looks from the place left. Imigrar looks from the place entered.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
emigrar
to emigrate
Use emigrar for leaving one country or region to live elsewhere.
imigrar
to immigrate
Use imigrar for entering a country or region to live there.
How to choose
- emigrar: Choose emigrar if the sentence points to leaving one country or region to live elsewhere.
- imigrar: Choose imigrar if the sentence points to entering a country or region to live there.
Examples
A familia emigrou do Brasil.
The family emigrated from Brazil.
Muitos imigraram para o Brasil.
Many immigrated to Brazil.
Common trap
The same person can emigrar from one country and imigrar to another.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with emigrar, then once with imigrar. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
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