🙂👍

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

Não estava assim tão mau

nao ehs-tah-vah ah-SEENG towng mow

[nao ehs-tah-vah ah-SEENG towng mow]

💬 Usage Tip: assim tão works like "all that": não é assim tão longe "it's not all that far".

Phrase Breakdown

Não estava

nao ehs-tah-vah

It wasn't

Imperfect of 'estar', used for a temporary state. Say it as 'nãoysh-TA-va'.

Example

Não estava em casa.

I wasn't at home.

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 tão mau

ah-SEENG towng mow

that bad

'Assim tão' means 'all that' or 'so'. 'Mau' rhymes with 'now'.

Example

O filme não é assim tão mau.

The film isn't that bad.

Words in this phrase

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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