empenhar

Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Late Latin *impignāre, from pignus (“pledge”). Compare Spanish empeñar and Italian impegnare.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.pẽˈɲa(ʁ)/ [ẽ.pẽˈj̃a(h)], (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.pẽˈɲa(ʁ)/ [ĩ.pẽˈj̃a(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.pẽˈɲa(ʁ)/ [ẽ.pẽˈj̃a(h)], (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.pẽˈɲa(ʁ)/ [ĩ.pẽˈj̃a(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.pẽˈɲa(ɾ)/ [ẽ.pẽˈj̃a(ɾ)], (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.pẽˈɲa(ɾ)/ [ĩ.pẽˈj̃a(ɾ)]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.pẽˈɲa(ʁ)/ [ẽ.pẽˈj̃a(χ)], (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.pẽˈɲa(ʁ)/ [ĩ.pẽˈj̃a(χ)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.peˈɲa(ɻ)/, (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.peˈɲa(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ẽ.pɨˈɲaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ẽ.pɨˈɲaɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ẽ.pɨˈɲa.ɾi/

• Hyphenation: em‧pe‧nhar

Verb

empenhar (first-person singular present empenho, first-person singular preterite empenhei, past participle empenhado)

1. (transitive) to pawn
2. (transitive) to pledge

   empenhar a palavra ― to pledge one's word

3. (transitive) to force, to coerce [with direct object ‘someone’, along with a (+ infinitive) or a que (+ subjunctive clause) ‘to do something’]
4. (transitive) to commit
5. (pronominal) to get into debt
6. (pronominal) to dedicate oneself; to commit oneself [with em ‘to something’ or em (+ infinitive) ‘to doing something’]

   empenhar-se em fazer alguma coisa ― to put a lot into something

7. (pronominal) to strive to; to make an effort in [with em ‘something’ or em (+ infinitive) ‘doing something’]

Conjugation

    Conjugation of empenhar (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	empenhar
Personal	empenhar	empenhares	empenhar	empenharmos	empenhardes	empenharem
Gerund
	empenhando
Past participle
Masculine	empenhado			empenhados
Feminine	empenhada			empenhadas
Indicative
Present	empenho	empenhas	empenha	empenhamos	empenhais	empenham
Imperfect	empenhava	empenhavas	empenhava	empenhávamos	empenháveis	empenhavam
Preterite	empenhei	empenhaste	empenhou	empenhamos1, empenhámos2	empenhastes	empenharam
Pluperfect	empenhara	empenharas	empenhara	empenháramos	empenháreis	empenharam
Future	empenharei	empenharás	empenhará	empenharemos	empenhareis	empenharão
Conditional	empenharia	empenharias	empenharia	empenharíamos	empenharíeis	empenhariam
Subjunctive
Present	empenhe	empenhes	empenhe	empenhemos	empenheis	empenhem
Imperfect	empenhasse	empenhasses	empenhasse	empenhássemos	empenhásseis	empenhassem
Future	empenhar	empenhares	empenhar	empenharmos	empenhardes	empenharem
Imperative
Affirmative		empenha	empenhe	empenhemos	empenhai	empenhem
Negative (não)		não empenhes	não empenhe	não empenhemos	não empenheis	não empenhem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Synonyms

• (to pawn): penhorar
• (to commit): comprometer
• (to force): forçar, obrigar
• (to dedicate oneself): dedicar-se
• (to get into debt): endividar-se

Derived terms

• empenhado