Expressions “X a Y”

Portuguese expressions "X a Y"

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:

Tudo a ver
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!
Algo a dizer
literally: something to say.
Used when asking if someone has something to add.
Você tem algo a dizer? ➜ Do you have anything to say?
Muito a aprender
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.
Nada a perder
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.
Nada a declarar
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.
Muito a ver
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.
Pouco a pouco
literally: little by little.
Means gradually or "bit by bit".
Estou aprendendo português pouco a pouco. ➜ I’m learning Portuguese little by little.
Tudo a ganhar
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.)