🚫😟👍

How to Say ‘No harm at all’ in Portuguese

Não tem mal nenhum

nao tehm mal neh-NYOOM

[nao tehm mal neh-NYOOM]

💬 Usage Tip: Portuguese happily stacks negatives: não + nenhum "none" makes "no harm at all", not a cancelling-out. The same goes for não vi ninguém "I didn't see anyone".

Phrase Breakdown

Não tem

nao tehm

There's no

Both words are nasal. 'Não' sounds like 'now' through the nose, and 'tem' like 'taym' through the nose.

Example

Não tem problema.

No problem.

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.

tem

[tehm]

has

Used to express possession, ownership, or existence of something.

Example

A cidade tem muito trânsito nos dias de semana.

The city has a lot of traffic on weekdays.

mal nenhum

mal neh-NYOOM

harm at all

'Nenhum' means 'none at all' and ends in a nasal 'oong' sound. The 'l' in 'mal' is dark, like English 'ball'.

Example

Não há perigo nenhum.

There's no danger at all.

Words in this phrase

mal

[mal]

harm / wrong

Noun meaning harm; 'não tem mal' means it's no problem.

Example

Não faz mal.

It doesn't matter.

nenhum

[neh-NYOOM]

no / any at all

Emphatic negative: none, not any.

Example

Não tenho problema nenhum.

I have no problem at all.

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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