← Back to Fala2Me

support itself

[səˈpɔrt ɪtˈsɛlf]
verb phrase
sustentar-se
1. to be self-sufficient; to maintain oneself without external help or funding
The small business struggled to support itself without investors.
O pequeno negócio lutava para sustentar-se sem investidores.
2. to provide adequate structural support to remain standing or functional
The bridge's design allows it to support itself under heavy loads.
O design da ponte permite que ela se sustente sob cargas pesadas.
3. to generate enough revenue or resources to cover operating costs
The nonprofit hopes to support itself through donations and grants.
A organização sem fins lucrativos espera sustentar-se através de doações e bolsas.
Synonyms
sustain itselfbe self-sufficientmaintain itselfstand on its ownfend for itself
Antonyms
depend on othersrequire assistancecollapsefail financially

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
sustentar-se
Most common usage in Brazil
São Paulo
sustentar-se / manter-se
Both terms used interchangeably
Portugal
manter-se / suportar-se a si próprio
More formal phrasing common in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

stand on its own two feet
pull oneself up by one's bootstraps
make ends meet
keep one's head above water
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →