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
Infligir imposes harm. Infringir breaks a rule.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
What each word does
infligir
to inflict
Use infligir for imposing punishment, damage, pain, or loss on someone.
infringir
to violate
Use infringir for breaking a law, rule, regulation, or right.
How to choose
- infligir: Choose infligir if the sentence points to imposing punishment, damage, pain, or loss on someone.
- infringir: Choose infringir if the sentence points to breaking a law, rule, regulation, or right.
Examples
A decisao infligiu prejuizos.
The decision inflicted losses.
A empresa infringiu a lei.
The company violated the law.
Common trap
If there is a law or rule, think infringir. If there is pain or punishment, think infligir.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with infligir, then once with infringir. 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.