Today we’re going to learn a useful expression that you can use in everyday conversation. Veja bem literally means “see here,” and can also translate as “Let me explain” or “Well now” or “Mind you.” It’s an expression you’d use before you’re about to tell someone something they may not like.

Here’s an example that actually happened. The scene: a Brazilian churrascaria in New York. A customer asked a waiter:

“A carne daqui vem do Brasil?” Does the meat here come from Brazil?

“Veja bem…” the waiter began, which basically means, “Weeeell….” or  “Let me explain.”

Let’s look at some other examples.

Você pode ficar com as crianças hoje à noite? Can you stay with the kids tonight?

Veja bem… Well actually…

Tem um anel que custa menos de 2.000 reais? Do you have a ring that costs under 2,000 reais?

Veja bem… Err, well…

Just like with ainda bem, there’s another famous song that uses this expression! Here’s Maria Rita’s Veja bem, meu bem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdwCV2HWCck