As you’re reading this, I’ll probably be in Salvador, Bahia!  My friend and I are in Salvador and Morro de São Paulo in Brazil’s northeast state of Bahia this week.

I have always wanted to go to Bahia because of the state’s rich culture, music, and food.  Salvador is the state’s capital and it supposedly has a little bit of everything the great state (second largest in Brazil!) has to offer including friendlysoteropolitanos, Salvador natives.

And what better way to train oneself than to learn to speak baianês? If you’re learning Portuguese, you’ve probably already realized that not only every country, but many states in lusophonic countries have distinct accents and sayings.  Baianos have a great African influence in their culture and their sayings tend to look like a Brazilian-esquecreole.

The order goes baianês, português, English, got it?

E aê meu rei! – Oi amigo! – Hey buddy!

Venha, painho – Vem aqui – Come over here [friend, relative]

Colé de mermo? – O que é que você quer mesmo? – What was it you wanted again?

Vou cumê água – Vou beber [álcool] – I’m going to get a drink [usu. alcohol]

Lá ele! – Eu não! Sai fora! – Not me, get out of here!

Ó Pai, ó! – Olhe para aí, olhe! – Look out! Look over there!

Bó batê o baba! – Vamos bater uma bola! – Let’s go kick a ball around (play pick up soccer)

Oxe! – Baianos use this for everything.  It’s like the Mineiro, “uai,” the Paulistano, “meu,” and the Carioca’s, “cara,” – Usually only natives know how to use it, but I’m going to go on a limb here and use an example, “Oxe! Tô atrasada!” – “Oxe! I’m late!” 🙂

Now that you can speak baianês you’re ready to go to Bahia!