Definition
To carry or bring something (or someone) from one place to another.
Example
Puoi portare le borse in cucina, per favore?
Show translation
Can you bring the bags to the kitchen, please?
Etymology
From Latin *portāre* ("to carry, to bear"), from the Proto-Indo-European root *per-* ("to lead, pass over"). The same root gives English words like *port*, *transport*, and *export*, and is shared across Romance languages: Spanish *portar*, French *porter*, Portuguese *portar*.
Cultural note
Italian distinguishes subtly between *portare* (to carry/bring toward the speaker or a destination) and *prendere* (to take/fetch). In everyday speech, *portare* also extends to wearing: *portare gli occhiali* means "to wear glasses," and *portare il cappotto* means "to wear a coat" — a usage that can catch English speakers off guard.