Nadar
to swim
Presente
Current actions, habits, and general truths.
| eu | nado | Eu nado três vezes por semana na piscina do clube. — I swim three times a week at the club pool. |
| você/ele/ela | nada | Ela nada no mar mesmo no inverno. — She swims in the sea even in winter. |
| nós | nadamos | Nós nadamos juntos nas férias. — We swim together during the holidays. |
| eles/elas | nadam | Eles nadam melhor do que correm — é a modalidade deles. — They swim better than they run — it's their discipline. |
I swim to let go — no phone, no meeting, just the sound of water. My friend swims breaststroke because it's calmer for thinking. We swim in silence and talk at the edge — it works. The sea swims with you when you let it.
Pret. Perfeito
Completed past actions — what happened.
| eu | nadei | Eu nadei dois quilômetros sem parar pela primeira vez. — I swam two kilometres without stopping for the first time. |
| você/ele/ela | nadou | Ela nadou contra a maré e saiu mais forte. — She swam against the current and came out stronger. |
| nós | nadamos | Nós nadamos até a pedra lá longe — e voltamos. — We swam out to the rock in the distance — and swam back. |
| eles/elas | nadaram | Eles nadaram em águas desconhecidas e sobreviveram bem. — They swam in unknown waters and did well. |
The sea in Florianópolis was a test. I swam against the undertow for fifteen minutes — and won. My friend Fernanda swam beside me humming, as if it were a lagoon. We swam more than we planned and came out breathless and full of joy. The beachgoers who stayed on the sand looked at us as if we were a bit mad — perhaps.
Pret. Imperfeito
Ongoing or habitual past — what used to happen or was happening.
| eu | nadava | Eu nadava todo verão na lagoa da fazenda. — I used to swim every summer in the farm lagoon. |
| você/ele/ela | nadava | Ela nadava desde os três anos — a água sempre foi casa. — She used to swim since she was three — water was always home. |
| nós | nadávamos | Nós nadávamos de manhã cedo antes do calor apertar. — We used to swim early in the morning before the heat arrived. |
| eles/elas | nadavam | Eles nadavam no riacho todo dia depois da escola. — They used to swim in the stream every day after school. |
In childhood, I used to swim in grandma's pool without stopping all afternoon. I used to swim badly but with great enthusiasm. My cousin used to swim better — and taught me without looking like she was teaching. We used to swim until our fingers pruned and mum told us to get out. Summers tasted of chlorine and freedom.
Futuro Informal
Plans and intentions — "going to." The most common future form in spoken BR Portuguese.
| eu | vou nadar | Vou nadar na praia amanhã cedo. — I'm going to swim at the beach early tomorrow. |
| você/ele/ela | vai nadar | Ela vai nadar no torneio regional no mês que vem. — She's going to swim in the regional tournament next month. |
| nós | vamos nadar | Vamos nadar no rio quando chegar no rancho. — We're going to swim in the river when we get to the ranch. |
| eles/elas | vão nadar | Eles vão nadar de madrugada para pegar a calmaria. — They're going to swim at dawn to catch the calm waters. |
The swimming marathon is in August. I'm going to swim the five kilometres for the first time. My coach is going to swim beside me for the first thousand metres to guide me. We're going to swim in the same training group until then — five days a week. The other entrants are going to swim their own stories that day.
Futuro Formal
Formal future — "shall/will." More common in writing than speech.
| eu | nadarei | Nadarei enquanto o mar me deixar. — I will swim for as long as the sea allows. |
| você/ele/ela | nadará | Ela nadará os cem metros livre abaixo de um minuto. — She will swim the hundred metres freestyle in under a minute. |
| nós | nadaremos | Nadaremos na última etapa do triathlon juntos. — We will swim the final leg of the triathlon together. |
| eles/elas | nadarão | Os atletas nadarão a revezamento na final olímpica. — The athletes will swim the relay in the Olympic final. |
The club's communiqué was published: "Athletes will swim under supervision during open sessions. We will swim the training sessions with official timing from this week. Qualified swimmers will swim the elimination heats on Saturday morning. I will swim the demonstration race with the juniors at the closing ceremony."
Condicional
Hypotheticals and polite requests — "would."
| eu | nadaria | Eu nadaria todo dia se tivesse piscina em casa. — I would swim every day if I had a pool at home. |
| você/ele/ela | nadaria | Ela nadaria mais longe com um parceiro ao lado. — She would swim further with a partner beside her. |
| nós | nadaríamos | Nadaríamos no rio se a água fosse mais limpa. — We would swim in the river if the water were cleaner. |
| eles/elas | nadariam | Eles nadariam mais vezes se a academia fosse mais perto. — They would swim more often if the gym were closer. |
If the pool were closer, I would swim every day without fail. My friend would swim in the sea if she weren't afraid of jellyfish. We would swim more if there were public pools in every neighbourhood. Children from the outskirts would swim with more safety if access to water were a real right.
Nadar across the tenses
A short story using nadar in multiple tenses
Minha mãe nadava no rio quando era menina — descalça, sem medo, sem protetor solar. Nadava de olhos abertos debaixo d'água e dizia que o mundo era mais claro assim. Nós nadávamos no clube quando ela podia nos levar — e era festa.
Hoje ela nada na piscina do condomínio toda manhã às seis. Ontem nadou quarenta minutos e veio tomar café com o rosto brilhando. Nadamos juntas uma vez naquelas férias de Maragogi — e eu vejo essa cena na memória quando preciso de calma.
No verão que vem, vou nadar com ela de madrugada no mar. "Se o corpo deixar, nadarei até os oitenta," ela diz, séria.
Perguntei o que ela sente quando nada. Ela parou. "Sinto que sou água também. Que não preciso de mais nada."
My mum used to swim in the river as a little girl — barefoot, fearless, no sunscreen. She used to swim with her eyes open underwater and say the world was clearer that way. We used to swim at the club when she could take us — and it was a celebration. Today she swims in the condo pool every morning at six. Yesterday she swam forty minutes and came for coffee with her face shining. We swam together once during those holidays in Maragogi — and I see that scene in my memory when I need calm. Next summer, I'm going to swim with her at dawn in the sea. "If my body allows, I will swim until I'm eighty," she says, seriously. I asked what she feels when she swims. She paused. "I feel like I'm water too. That I don't need anything else."
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