Portuguese Blog

Continuing in our vocabulary series from last week, we’re going to take a closer look at the word graça to examine its several meanings and uses.

1. De graça – free; no cost

Example: A comida no evento é de graça. The food at the event is free.

2. Engraçado – funny

Example: Ele é um cara muito engraçado; sempre conta piadas boas. He’s a really funny guy; he always tells good jokes.

3. graça -  graceful

Example: Apesar de ser velha, a bailarina nunca perdeu a graça. Even though she was old, the ballet dancer never lost her grace.

4. graça = lovely; beautiful

Example: O homem falou para a menina bonita: “Você é uma graça!” The man told the pretty girl, “You’re a beauty!”

From a previous post about this expression:

5. Sem graça – not funny; lame; irritated

-Not funny

Este filme é sem graça. This movie isn’t funny.
Ele não riu da piada sem graça. He didn’t laugh at the joke that wasn’t funny.

-Lame

Os programas de “reality” são sem graça. Reality shows are lame.
Ela contou uma piada sem graça. She told a lame joke.

-Irritated, annoyed, aggravated

O adolescente ficou sem graça quando a mãe dele chegou na escola. The teenager got annoyed when his mom showed up at school.

Eu fiquei sem graça porque a minha namorada estava falando com um homem na boate. I got irritated because my girlfriend was talking to a guy at the club.

And there are even more definitions for sem graça, which basically encompass things that lack a positive component: unattractive, tasteless, unappetizing, uninviting, and bland.