Comportarse/Portarse

Question

Friends, what are some explicit usage differences?

Please fill out your profile so that we may better help you . Bienvenido al fora , buena suerte amigo. - ray76, Dec 7, 2014

How would that help you? I would just like to know the natural usage for these words, both meaning 'to behave' - aputnam, Dec 7, 2014

Because knowing your level of your Spanish helps members when they are answering your questions. They look for the best way to answer your question based in part on your understanding of the language. - rac1, Dec 7, 2014

Oh, I am a low advanced learner of Spanish! - aputnam, Dec 7, 2014

Answer 1

You can use both. It's common to hear "adios portate bien" o "adios portese bien" like an unformal way to say goodbye between friends. (Latin America).

There's a funny way in CoLombia to say goodbye "portese mal para que la pase bien" it will be someting like "be bad to have a good time" but with a second meaning that could be more like "be nasty to have a good time".

Let's see if someone can give a better translation.

When I was staying in a b&b in Amsterdam with my boyfriend and we were going outside, the owner told us 'Go and misbehave, you two! :D' I instantly liked him. X) (We went to a museum, park and to dinner and a movie. No-one can tell ús what to do! XDDD - Suzanne_Romijnders, Dec 7, 2014

Answer 2

I think they're pretty interchangeable.

I've only heard "portarse" used with children, like telling a child "behave yourself!" or to behave like you're supposed to (like in school).

However, I think "comportarse" is a little bit more formal, my Costa Rican friend is always telling me "Compórtase!", and los costarricenses always are more formal than mexicanos (at least to me). This may vary by country, I don't know, but I think that if you were to say "Pórtate bien!" to an adult it would be like, maybe they're not serious, or they're talking to you like you are a child.

Other than that, I think they are interchangeable.