Portuguese/Interjections

An interjection is a short word used solely to express emotion. They help to make your Portuguese sound more authentic, and expand your expressive capabilities. They give your language more flavor.

Portuguese speakers are very expressive, so a familiarization with at least some of these terms is a must.

então - When used as an interjection, então can mean the same as "Anyway!" It normally means "Then..." or "So..."

Ah! - Is used as it is with most languages.

Socorro! - Means the same as "Help me!", as it is used when there is an immediate danger of some kind.

Vamos! - Used in place of então, similar to "anyway".

Puxa! - Expresses admiration, like "Wow!".

Perdão! - Literally, "Pardon!", used to convey an apology. Typically less formal than its literal English translation.

Arre! - Expresses impatience. Like "Come on!", "Move".

To create an interjective expression from an adjective, use the combination Que + adjective!. This is the equivalent of saying "How [adjective]!" in English. For example:

• Que bom! - "How nice!"
• Que medo! - "How frightening!"
• Que terrível! - "How terrible!"