🚫🧠

How to Say ‘I don't understand’ in Portuguese

Não percebo

nowng pur-SEH-boo

[nowng pur-SEH-boo]

💬 Usage Tip: perceber looks like "perceive", but in Portugal it's the everyday verb for "understand". You'll hear it far more than entender.

Phrase Breakdown

Não

[nowng]

not / no

'Não' is the basic Portuguese word for negation: 'not' or 'no'.

Example

Não entendi a razão da cobrança.

I did not understand the reason for the charge.

percebo

[pur-SEH-boo]

I understand

From the verb 'perceber'; with 'Não' it means 'I don't understand'.

Example

Quando falam depressa, Não percebo bem.

When people speak quickly, I don't understand well.

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