Portuguese Language Blog

Last week, we took a look at the adjective arrasado. This week, we’re going to look at the verb arrasar, which has a few similar negative meanings, and a few very different positive connotations.

1. Destroy, devastate (literally or emotionally)

As chuvas arrasaram a Região Serrana do Rio. The rains devastated Rio’s mountain region.

A namorada arrasou o garoto quando acabou o namoro. The girlfriend destroyed the boy when she ended the relationship.

2. Raze, tear down

O incêndio arrasou o prédio velho. The fire razed the old building.

3. Criticize, trash [slang]

O Ricky Gervais arrasou com os convidados durante os Prêmios Globo de Ouro. Ricky Gervais trashed the guests at the Golden Globe Awards.

O blogueiro sempre arrasa com os outros. The blogger always trash talks others.

4. Go for it! Kick some butt! [Slang]

Vai competir hoje? Arrasa, menina! Are you competing today? Kick some butt, girl!

Seu encontro é amanhã? Arrasa! Is your date tomorrow? Go for it!

5. Well done! [Slang]

Boa ideia! Arrasou! Good idea! Well done.

6. Do a great job; look great [Slang]

Você arrasou na apresentação! You did great at the performance!

A modelo arrasou no show. The model looked great during the show.

Note: the last three slang phrases are more commonly used by women.

Can you give some more examples of how to use arrasar?

One of the best ways to speak like a native is to pepper your speech with colloquial phrases and slang, which is why we’ve been focusing on these expressions lately.

Awhile back, we learned about some exclamations, including putz.  This word means oh no! or darn it! or uh oh! and is used as an expression of annoyance.

Likewise, the expression putz grila! has the same use. It can express surprise, annoyance, disappointment, impatience or shock.

I wasn’t able to figure out exactly where this phrase came from, but supposedly it emerged in the 1970s as a hippie expression.

Let’s look at some examples.

Putz grila! Esqueci minhas chaves. Oh no! I forgot my keys.

O voo foi cancelado? Putz grila! The flight was canceled? Darn it!

Mãe, você está vindo agora? Não estou pronto ainda. Putz grila! Mom, you’re coming over now? I’m not ready yet. Uh oh!

Putz grila…eles perderam o jogo. Darn it…they lost the game.

Can you think of any other examples?

There’s an interesting slangy expression in Portuguese that is used to express sarcasm, and it’s a helpful one to know to throw into conversation to sound more like a native. Let’s take a look at how it’s used.

Para variar literally means “for a change,” but when used in conversation, it actually means the opposite. It’s a way to show annoyance with something that is actually the same, and the fact that it is still the same is irritating. In translation, it’s a little tricky, so you just have to take “for a change” as being completely sarcastic.

Here are some examples:

Estou em Londres! Está chovendo, para variar. I’m in London! It’s raining, for a change.

Ela está atrasada. O trânsito está muito ruim, para variar. She’s late. Traffic’s bad for a change.

Estamos satisfeitos. Comemos muito para variar. We’re full. We ate a lot for a change.

Enquanto estava na rua, meus pais ligaram dez vezes para variar. While I was out, my parents called ten times, for a change.

A praia está cheia, para variar. The beach is crowded, for a change.

Can you think of any other examples?