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How to Say ‘It wasn't that bad after all.’ in Portuguese

Afinal não estava assim tão mau.

a-fee-NAL nao ehs-tah-vah ah-SEENG towng mow

[a-fee-NAL nao ehs-tah-vah ah-SEENG towng mow]

Phrase Breakdown

Afinal

[a-fee-NAL]

after all

Shows a result different from what was expected.

Example

Afinal ele veio.

He came after all.

não estava assim tão mau.

nao ehs-tah-vah ah-SEENG towng mow

it wasn't that bad.

'Estava' describes how the traffic was. 'Tão mau' means 'so bad'.

Example

O tempo não estava assim tão mau.

The weather wasn't that bad.

Words in this phrase

não

[nao]

not

Used to make a verb negative.

Example

Eu não gosto dessa rota.

I do not like this route.

estava

[ehs-tah-vah]

It was

Refers to a state or condition in the past.

Example

A sopa estava pronta.

The soup was ready.

assim

[ah-SEENG]

so / like that

Adverb; with 'mesmo' it means 'even so'.

Example

Está chover, mas mesmo assim vamos.

It's raining, but we're going anyway.

tão

[towng]

Used before an adjective to mean so or such.

Example

Tão intensifica em “Que roupa tão gira.”

So intensifies in “What lovely clothes.”

mau

[mow]

bad

Masculine adjective meaning bad or poor.

Example

O tempo está mau.

The weather is bad.

Guides for Portuguese learners

The Portuguese You Actually Need in Your First Month in PortugalThe European Portuguese phrases for your first weeks in Portugal: paperwork, renting a flat, the bank, the health centre, cafés, trains and your new neighbours.

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