Assistir vs. ajudar
While ajudar is the direct and common way to say to help in Portuguese, assistir is a bit trickier. Its most frequent meaning is to watch, and it only means to assist or to help in more formal or specific contexts. Understanding this distinction is key to using them correctly.
Assistir
A2The most common meaning of assistir is to watch something, like a movie, a show, or a game. When used this way, it requires the preposition a before the object. In more formal contexts, such as medical, legal, or technical support, assistir can mean to assist or to provide support to, but this usage is much less common in everyday conversation.
Eu gosto de assistir a filmes de comédia.
(I like to watch comedy movies.)
Nós vamos assistir ao jogo de futebol no estádio.
(We are going to watch the soccer game at the stadium.)
Você assistiu à série nova na televisão?
(Did you watch the new series on television?)
O médico vai assistir o paciente durante a cirurgia.
(The doctor will assist the patient during the surgery.)
A empresa oferece um serviço para assistir os clientes com problemas técnicos.
(The company offers a service to assist clients with technical problems.)
O advogado assiste seus clientes em questões legais.
(The lawyer assists his clients in legal matters.)
Ajudar
A1The word ajudar is the standard and most common verb for to help or to aid in Portuguese. It can be used in virtually any situation, from informal favors to more significant assistance, and it does not require a preposition before the person or thing being helped.
Você pode me ajudar a carregar estas caixas?
(Can you help me carry these boxes?)
Ele sempre ajuda os amigos quando eles precisam.
(He always helps his friends when they need it.)
Estudar todos os dias ajuda a aprender o idioma.
(Studying every day helps to learn the language.)
A sua doação vai ajudar muitas famílias carentes.
(Your donation will help many families in need.)
Eu te ajudo com o dever de casa mais tarde.
(I'll help you with the homework later.)
O guia nos ajudou a encontrar o caminho de volta.
(The guide helped us find the way back.)
Summary
In short, use ajudar for to help in almost all everyday situations. Use assistir when you mean to watch (remembering to add the preposition a). Only use assistir to mean to assist in specific, formal professional contexts like medicine, law, or technical support. For a beginner, it's safest to associate assistir with watching and ajudar with helping.