Hi, there!

Sometimes learning idiomatic expressions in a foreign language isn’t so easy, but I have to tell you that it is necessary and will make you sound more fluent and your Portuguese will be more “colorful”!

So I chose 5 cool and useful idioms with verb ir (to go) so can improve your Portuguese even more. Estão prontos? Vamos lá!

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1. Ir embora

Ir embora means to go away or to leave. The word embora comes from the expression em boa hora (at a good time).

Estou indo embora. Quer uma carona? [I’m leaving. Do you want a ride?]
Por que ela foi embora tão cedo? [Why did she leave so early?]
Vai embora! [Go away!]

2. Ir com a cara de alguém

This means that you find someone likeable or nice, even if you don’t know that person.

Eu nunca fui com a cara dele. [I never liked him.]
Ela não vai com a cara de ninguém. [She doesn’t think anyone is nice.]
Você não vai com a minha cara? [Don’t you like me?]

3. Ir levando

Ir levando is used when someone asks how we are and we are OK, so-so. It’s also used when you do something just for the heck of it, like when you don’t like your job, but you can’t quit either.

“E aí? Como estão as coisas?” [What’s up? How are things?]
“Ah, vou levando. E você?” [OK. What about you?]

Ela não gosta muito de trabalhar lá, mas vai levando. Afinal, não tem muito emprego por aí. [She doesn’t like to work there, but she’s hanging in there. After all, there are not a lot of jobs around.]

4. Ir direto ao assunto

We use this expression when we stop beating around the bush, go straight to the point, cut to the chase.

Bom, como estou com pressa vou direto ao assunto. [Well, as I’m in a hurry I’ll go straight to the point.]
Pára de enrolar e vai direto ao assunto. Não temos tempo a perder. [Stop beating around the bush and cut to the chase. We don’t have time to lose.]
Ela chegou à reunião e foi direto ao assunto. [She got to the meeting and went straight to the topic.]

5. Ir atrás de

This idiom can be used when you go after someone or take care of something, like a chore or an activity that you have to do.

Ele saiu correndo da sala e ele foi atrás dela. [He stormed out of the room and he went after her.]
Tenho que renovar minha CHN e vou atrás disso amanhã. [I need to renew my driver’s license and I will take care of it tomorrow.]
Quando ele soube que eu estava desempregado ele veio atrás de mim para trabalhar com ele. [When he found out I was unemployed he got in touch with me to work with him.]

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