O que é a diferença entre de:
- levar e trazer
- ver e olhar
- acabar e terminar
- caminhar e andar
- acordar e levantar
- almoçar e comer
- conduzir e dirrigir
Muito obrigado - (sou americano - descuple por os erros!)
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Ora bem, pegando na tua lista, temos o seguinte:
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levar e trazer = to take and to bring
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ver e olhar = to see/watch and to look (only in the sense of looking at something, not looking like something)
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acabar e terminar = to end, to finish. São basicamente sinónimos, exceto, por exemplo, quando usamos acabar em expressões como “Ele acabou por fazer tudo.” (He ended up doing everything.). Aí não podemos usar terminar.
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caminhar e andar = to walk. Também sinónimos (andar é mais usado). Andar também surge em expressões como “O que andas a fazer?” (What are you up to?)
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acordar e levantar = to wake up and to get up/rise up
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almoçar e comer = to have lunch and to eat.
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conduzir e dirigir = Duas opções: 1) to lead, to conduct - neste sentido, os dois verbos são sinónimos. 2) to drive (a vehicle) - em Portugal, só conduzir é que pode ser usado neste sentido. No Brasil, só dirigir é que pode ser usado neste sentido.
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Muito obrigado de novo!
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De nada, Stephen!
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Hi @Joseph thanks for defining these verbs but I have some follow-up questions.
What are the distinctions between levar and trazer in particular school contexts. These nuances are important for parent-teacher communication.
Are the verbs trazer and levar interchangeable in certain contexts. For instance, how are the following phrases different? Both English translations provided by Deepl mean transporting the kids to school:
Levarei as crianças à escola. (I will take the children to school)
Trarei as crianças à escola. (I will bring the children to school.)
Also…
What is the difference between levantar and buscar in the following phrases? Again, both English translations mean similar things.
Vou levantar as crianças na escola? ( I will pick up the children at school.)
Vou buscar as crianças na escola? (I will pick up the children from school.)
Thanks.
Olá, @mdomocol. In any context, the difference between levar and trazer is comparable to the difference between to take and to bring. There is a specific logic behind each verb, which is not to say that people don’t switch it up sometimes in the real world 
We can think of levar (to take) as divergent – suggesting a movement from here to there – and trazer (to bring) as convergent – suggesting a movement from there to here. So, even when it seems that there is no practical difference, the nuance is there.
- Levarei as crianças à escola → Applicable, for example, when you’re home and telling this to your spouse next to you. Home is your here and you’ll be moving away from it to go to the school, which is there for both of you.
- Trarei as crianças à escola → Applicable, for example, when you’re on the phone with a teacher waiting for your kids at school. You’ll be moving towards the teacher, which is already here for your listener and will eventually become here for both of you.
Between levantar and buscar, in the sense of picking something up, the differences are the following:
- Levantar → Used for ‘formal’ collection processes, such as collecting an order in a store, collecting a boarding pass at the airport, etc. Not applicable to people or animals.
- Buscar → Used much more broadly. So, it can be used to refer to picking up people, getting something from your room, etc.
Considering the above, only your second example is idiomatic:
Vou buscar as crianças à escola.
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