How do you say "But today there was a lot of traffic." in Portuguese?

"But today there was a lot of traffic." in Portuguese is "Mas hoje houve muito trânsito.". This phrase is commonly used in Portugal.

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How to Say ‘But today there was a lot of traffic.’ in Portuguese

Q: What does "Mas hoje houve muito trânsito." mean in English?

"Mas hoje houve muito trânsito." means "But today there was a lot of traffic." in English. Usage tip: Portuguese often uses a form of [haver] for [there was/there were]: [houve muito trânsito]. The same pattern works with singular or plural ideas: [houve um problema], [houve muitos atrasos].

Mas hoje houve muito trânsito.

mahz OH-zhe OH-v MWEE-too TRAN-zee-too

[mahz OH-zhe OH-v MWEE-too TRAN-zee-too]

💬 Usage Tip: Portuguese often uses a form of [haver] for [there was/there were]: [houve muito trânsito]. The same pattern works with singular or plural ideas: [houve um problema], [houve muitos atrasos].

Phrase Breakdown

Mas

[mahz]

but

'Mas' is a common conjunction meaning 'but', used to contrast ideas.

Example

Mas hoje houve muito trânsito no centro.

But today there was a lot of traffic in the city centre.

hoje

[OH-zhe]

today

'Hoje' means 'today' and sets the time of the situation.

Example

Mas hoje houve muito trânsito por causa da chuva.

But today there was a lot of traffic because of the rain.

Houve muito trânsito

OH-v MWEE-too TRAN-zee-too

There was a lot of traffic

Says that the roads were congested, which can increase the fare or travel time.

Example

Houve muito trânsito na cidade.

There was a lot of traffic in the city.

Words in this phrase

houve

[OH-v]

there was

'Houve' is used to say that something happened or existed in the past.

Example

Hoje houve muito trânsito perto do aeroporto.

Today there was a lot of traffic near the airport.

muito

[MWEE-too]

a lot of / much

'Muito' adds the idea of a large quantity or intensity.

Example

Hoje houve muito trânsito na ponte.

Today there was a lot of traffic on the bridge.

trânsito

[TRAN-zee-too]

traffic

'Trânsito' refers to road traffic and congestion.

Example

Muito trânsito pode aumentar o valor final.

Heavy traffic can increase the final amount.

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