Have you noticed how many Brazilian Portuguese expressions are built on this format?...
"X a Y" ➜ "nada a ver" (nothing to see 🙈)
These are all great to use and EASY to learn!
I'm pretty sure you can invent your own as long as you keep it simple 😎.
Here are the most common/useful ones:
literally: everything to see.
The opposite of “nada a ver,” meaning “it makes total sense” or “it’s completely related.”
Essa música tem tudo a ver com você!
➜ This song totally fits you!
literally: something to say.
Used when asking if someone has something to add.
Você tem algo a dizer?
➜ Do you have anything to say?
literally: much to learn.
Used to express that someone still has a lot to learn.
Ele é talentoso, mas ainda tem muito a aprender.
➜ He’s talented, but he still has a lot to learn.
literally: nothing to lose.
Means someone has no risks or consequences in a situation.
Vamos tentar, não temos nada a perder!
➜ Let’s try, we have nothing to lose.
literally: nothing to declare.
Common phrase used in legal or official contexts, meaning “I have nothing to say.”
Eu não tenho nada a declarar.
➜ I don't have anything to declare.
literally: much to see.
Right in-between Tudo a ver & Nada a ver, used to say something is strongly connected.
Familia tem muito a ver com amor.
➜ Family has a lot to do with love.
literally: little by little.
Means gradually or "bit by bit".
Estou aprendendo português pouco a pouco.
➜ I’m learning Portuguese little by little.
literally: everything to gain.
The opposite of “nada a perder,” meaning there’s a big potential benefit.
Se der certo, temos tudo a ganhar!
➜ If it works, we have everything to gain!
Grammar: indefinite pronouns: algo, nada, tudo, cada
Called indefinite pronouns because they refer to things that are indefinite.
algo = something
nada = nothing
tudo = everything
cada = each
algo >
Algo para beber?
(Something to drink?)
nada >
Nada faz sentido.
(Nothing makes sense.)
tudo >
Ele quer tudo!
(He wants everything!)
cada >
Ela sabe cada palavra.
(She knows each word.)
You don’t need to modify these to agree with gender — they don’t change.
Grammar: indefinite pronouns: pouco, muito
pouco(a) = few, a little
muito(a) = much, many
pouco >
Eu falo um pouco.
(I speak a little.)
pouca >
Tenho pouca paciência.
(I have little patience.)
muito >
Não tenho muito tempo.
(I don't have much time).
muita >
Muita gente fala isso.
(A lot of people say this.)
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