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Slang Phrases Posted by on Feb 12, 2009 in Learning

Today we’re going to look at some slangy phrases you can use in everyday conversation with friends.

1. Até parece

This means “yeah, right.”

Vou na festa da Camila amanhã. O Tom Cruise também vai! I’m going to Camila’s party tomorrow. Tom Cruise is going too!

Até parece! Yeah, right!

2. Pois é

This literally means, “well, yeah,” but is used in a negative context, so can also mean “yes, unfortunately.”

Sua mãe disse que você tem que fazer o vestibular de novo. Your mom told me you have to take the college entrance exam again.

Pois é. Yeah, unfortunately.

3. E dai?

This means both “so what?” and “what’s up?”

Essa pizza deve ter muitas calorias. That pizza must have a lot of calories.

E dai? So what?

4. Ainda bem

This means “just as well,” or “well, thank goodness!”

O furacão não vai passar perto daqui. The hurricane isn’t going to come close to here.

Ainda bem! “Well, thank goodness!”

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Comments:

  1. Sara:

    Thank you for posting! Brasilians use much slang so this info is very helpful.

  2. Tint:

    Thank you for this informative post. I often hear “E ai” (as opposed to “E dai”). Is it the same? I have one contact who, during conversation, starts almost every sentence that way.

  3. Pierre:

    Tint, actually “E aí?” means “what’s up?”. “E aí…” means something like “And then… (something happened)”. “E daí?” means “So what?”

    Depending of the region (mostly South), the person might use “E daí?” as “What’s up?” like in the example, but it’s usually used like I just said. People would look you with a weird face if you said that in Southeast or Northeast.

  4. Gustavo:

    Tint, “E daí?” means “So what?”.
    It is a very informal way to say “What’s the problem?”.

    “E aí?” means “What’s up”.
    It is also very informal.
    E.g.: E aí? Como você está? – What’s up? How you’re doing?

    Lately, we’ve been using little rhyming phrases like:

    – Suave na nave: Literally, it means ‘Chilling in the (space)ship’. But it is used to say someone or a situation is under control.
    – De boa na lagoa: Same meaning. But literally it means ‘Chilling at the lake’.
    – Sussa na montanha russa: Same thing. Literally, ‘Cool in the rollercoaster’.

    This is part of a huge list. This list is growing constantly.

    Should anyone need any further help, feel free to contact me by email: nampo.g@gmail.com

  5. Lucy:

    I explain: E aí? means “Hey, what’s up??”
    Example: E aí, tudo bem?? “What’s up, how are you??”

  6. Tint:

    Thank you so much! Pierre, I think the “And then…” may be accurate in this case. We’re talking about Paulista Portuguese. “And then…” can be the only meaning in this context, as it was used at the start of sentences while relating an event.

    I won’t forget this lesson though. Thank you everyone!

  7. darryl weaver:

    Can you help translate some Brazilian/Portuguese song lyrics?

  8. Gustavo:

    Sure thing, Darryl.
    Whats the song?

  9. robert:

    are these phrases brazilian or from portugal