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How to Say ‘Judging by the accent, I bet you're not from here.’ in Portuguese

Pelo sotaque, aposto que não é daqui.

PEH-loo soo-TAH-kuh uh-POSH-too kuh nowng eh duh-KEE

[PEH-loo soo-TAH-kuh uh-POSH-too kuh nowng eh duh-KEE]

🇵🇹 In Portugal: Guessing someone's origin from their accent is a classic playful opener in Lisbon. It's teasing, but friendly, and it invites them to tell their story.

Phrase Breakdown

Pelo sotaque,

PEH-loo soo-TAH-kuh

Judging by the accent,

'Pelo' is 'por' + 'o'. 'Sotaque' means accent, with stress on 'ta'.

Example

Pelo sotaque, é brasileiro.

Judging by the accent, he's Brazilian.

Words in this phrase

Pelo

[PEH-loo]

by the

Contraction of 'por' + 'o', here meaning judging by.

Example

Pelo tom, está chateado.

By the tone, he's annoyed.

sotaque

[soo-TAH-kuh]

accent

The way someone pronounces a language.

Example

Tens um sotaque bonito.

You have a nice accent.

aposto que não é daqui.

uh-POSH-too kuh nowng eh duh-KEE

I bet you're not from here.

'Aposto' means 'I bet', from 'apostar'. Say 'aposto que' smoothly, like 'a-POSH-tu-k'.

Example

Aposto que vai chover.

I bet it's going to rain.

Words in this phrase

aposto

[uh-POSH-too]

I bet

From 'apostar', to bet.

Example

Aposto que gostas de vinho.

I bet you like wine.

que

[kuh]

that

Often used in expressions like claro que sim to reinforce the statement.

Example

Acho que podemos colaborar bem.

I think that we can collaborate well.

não

[nowng]

not / no

A common negation word meaning 'not' or 'no'.

Example

Não precisavas de trazer nada, e Não torna a frase negativa.

You didn't need to bring anything, and 'Não' makes the sentence negative.

[eh]

Form of the verb 'ser' used to identify or state something.

Example

É meu interesse conhecer melhor a empresa.

It is my interest to get to know the company better.

daqui

[duh-KEE]

from here

Contraction of 'de' + 'aqui'.

Example

Ela é daqui.

She's from here.

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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