tankar
pt
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tolerate, endure, withstand, handle, survive
/tɐ̃ˈkaɾ/
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To tolerate something absurd and, by extension, to keep from laughing in a situation where humor arises.
Examples
Nós tankamos o barulho da construção.
We endured the construction noise.
Eles tankam o sorriso quando alguém faz piada.
They keep from laughing when someone makes a joke.
Ela tankou o comentário sarcástico.
She withstood the sarcastic comment.
Eles tankaram o caos da festa.
They survived the chaos of the party.
Nós tankamos o riso durante a reunião séria.
We suppressed laughter during the serious meeting.
Similar words
encarar
resistir
controlar a risada
sobreviver
tolerar
segurar a risada
reprimir o riso
não rir
aguar
segurar o riso
Meanings
Usage
Use tankar for expressing that you can tolerate or survive something absurd.
Examples
Eu tanko esse tipo de música.
I tolerate this kind of music.
Ele tankou a piada, mas não riu.
He tolerated the joke, but didn’t laugh.
Nós tankamos o barulho da construção.
We endured the construction noise.
Vocês tankaram a situação sem reclamar.
You handled the situation without complaining.
Ela tankou o comentário sarcástico.
She withstood the sarcastic comment.
Eles tankaram o caos da festa.
They survived the chaos of the party.
Common mistakes
It is often confused with the literal meaning of ‘to drink’.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Eu tanko água.
| Eu bebo água.
|
| Ele tankou o carro.
| Ele dirigiu o carro.
|
| Nós tankamos a festa.
| Nós aguentamos a festa.
|
Similar words
aguentar
suportar
tolerar
encarar
resistir
sobreviver
aguar
Usage
Use tankar when you manage to stay serious while something funny happens.
Examples
Ele tankou a piada, mas não riu.
He held back his laughter at the joke, but didn’t laugh.
Eu tanko quando o professor conta uma história engraçada.
I keep from laughing when the teacher tells a funny story.
Nós tankamos o riso durante a reunião séria.
We suppressed laughter during the serious meeting.
Ela tankou a situação, apesar de ser hilária.
She repressed her laughter despite the situation being hilarious.
Vocês tankaram a gargalhada no funeral.
You held back laughter at the funeral.
Eles tankam o sorriso quando alguém faz piada.
They keep from laughing when someone makes a joke.
Common mistakes
It is sometimes used for the slang sense of tolerating instead of holding back laughter.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Ele tankou a piada.
| Ele riu da piada.
|
| Eu tanko quando vejo algo engraçado.
| Eu não rio quando vejo algo engraçado.
|
| Ela tankou o filme.
| Ela riu do filme.
|
Similar words
segurar a risada
reprimir o riso
conter a risada
não rir
segurar o riso
suprimir o riso
controlar a risada
Usage
Use context to choose whether tankar means tolerating something absurd or holding back laughter.
Common mistakes
Using tankar to mean ‘drink’ instead of ‘tolerate’ is a frequent mistake.
Etymology
From English gaming slang ‘tank’ meaning to absorb damage, adopted into Brazilian Portuguese internet slang as tankar meaning to endure or tolerate.
FAQ
What does tankar mean in Portuguese?
It is an informal verb meaning to tolerate something absurd or to keep from laughing, depending on context.
Is tankar used as a noun?
No, it is only used as a verb.
How do you conjugate tankar in the present?
Eu tanko, tu tankas, ele/ela tanka, nós tankamos, vós tankais, eles tankam.
What is the origin of tankar?
It comes from English gaming slang ‘tank’, where a player absorbs damage, and was adopted in Brazilian internet slang.
Can tankar be used to mean ‘drink’?
No, that is a common mistake; the correct verb for ‘drink’ is beber.
When should I use tankar to mean ‘hold back laughter’?
Use it in situations where you want to stay serious despite something funny.
What are some synonyms for tankar in the tolerating sense?
Synonyms include aguentar, suportar, tolerar, encarar, resistir, sobreviver, and aguar.
Is tankar considered formal language?
It is informal and mainly used in internet and gaming contexts.
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