expressions

chegou a hora

When you want to say, it’s time to or, the time has come to… Use chegou a hora. Literally, the hour arrived. It’s always followed by “de”. Like this:

Chegou a hora de dormir. (It's time to go to sleep.)

Chegou a hora de mudar. (It's time to change.)

Chegou a hora de pagar. (It's time to pay.)

Chegou a hora de partir. (It's time to leave.)

Note the verb following the “de” is always in the infinitive. When you say de dormir, for example – you are saying: to sleep.


dar para

DAR para = to be possible (to)
Use this when you want to convey the possibility of something.

Dá para fazer? (Can it be done?/ Would it be possible to do?)

Dá para usar? (Can it be used?/ Would it be possible to use?)


em falta

This expression using the verb FALTAR (to lack, run out of) means, to be out of. Use it to say things like:

A camisa branca está em falta. (We're out of the white shirts.)

Está em falta! (We're out of it!)


encher o saco

ENCHER o saco = to fill the sack: to annoy, piss someone off.

Para de encher meu saco. (Stop annoying me.)

“The sack” is this:


expression: jeito

jeito = way, manner

Several important expressions use this word:

dar um jeito

Literally, to give a way.
Use it to say: We will find a way (to fix something, solve a problem).

Vou dar um jeito nesse cabelo! (I'm going to fix this hair!)

Ele vai dar um jeito para resolver. (He's going to find a way to solve it.)

não tem jeito

There is no way.

de jeito nenhum

No way! / Absolutely not!

Simplesmente não tem jeito. (There's simply no way.)

De jeito nenhum! (Absolutely not!)


fala sério

This expression means: Be serious!

Fala sério! (Be serious!)


ir embora

The phrase vamos embora evolved from the old time phrase Vamos em boa hora. Say it fast! Meaning, let’s go at a good time (while spirits are high!). It’s current meaning is roughly: go away, leave.

Vamos embora logo. (Let's go soon.)

It’s often used with the verb ir like this:

Eu preciso ir embora. (I need to leave.)

Ele vai embora. (He's leaving.)

Ela foi embora. (She left.)


já volto

Já volto means, I’ll be right back. Literally, already, I’m back. You just need to remember that já means, already. Volto is from the verb, voltar.


muito prazer

The proper way to say this is, muito prazer em conhecer você ➜➜ very pleased to meet you. The literal translation is more like: lot’s of pleasure in knowing you.

But, that’s a mouthful. Brazilians usually shorten this to, muito prazer or even, prazer.

What about saying, how do you do? Brazilians don’t say that! You can say, como vai? or, tudo bem? instead.

normal ➜ Muito prazer! (It's a great pleasure!)

formal ➜ Muito prazer em conhecer você. (Great to meet you.)


nada a ver

Use this to express: nothing to do (with).

The cost has nothing to do with it. > O custo tem nada a ver com isso.

Tem nada a ver com o custo. (It has nothing to do with the price.)


papo

BATER papo = to chat (literally: to hit chat). O papo = the chat.

O papo dele é muito bom. (He's good at chatting.)

Vamos bater papo! (Let's chat.)


physical descriptions

Brazilians often call people by their physical attributes — even if it’s potentially unflattering or offensive to our ears!

Você quer dizer o baixinho? (You mean the short one?)

Ela é a loira. (She's the blonde.)

Aquela novinha ali. (That young girl.)


querer dizer

This translates to “to mean”.

Quer dizer que você está sem dinheiro? (You mean you have no money?)

Eu quero dizer que eu gostei! (I mean that I liked it!)

Literally: to want to say.


saudade

Use saudade to express longing and missing. It can be of a person or a place or anything. You can use it with ESTAR + com, TENHO or SENTIR.

You can say either saudade or, saudades (plural).

estar com » Eu estou com saudades dela. (I miss her.)

ter » Ele tem saudades do Brasil. (He misses Brazil.)

sentir » Eu sinto saudade da minha casa. (I miss my home.)


sua praia

This a common expression used to say: your thing (as in, something one likes). Use it like this:

Golf não é minha praia. (I don't really like golf.)

Esse filme não é sua praia, não é? (This film isn't your thing, is it?)


tudo bem

tudo bem = everything fine or, everything ok. It can be a question as well as an answer. Brazilians will also say, tudo bom. It’s the same thing, though it translates to literally: everything good.

Tudo bem? (Everything ok?)

Está tudo bem! (Everything is fine!)