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How to Say ‘The waiter is pretending not to see you.’ in Portuguese

O empregado está a fingir que não te vê.

oo en-preh-GAH-doo es-TAH uh feen-ZHEER kuh nowng teh veh

[oo en-preh-GAH-doo es-TAH uh feen-ZHEER kuh nowng teh veh]

💬 Usage Tip: Portugal says "is doing" with estar a + the plain verb: está a fingir "is pretending". Swap the verb: está a rir "is laughing".

Phrase Breakdown

O empregado

oo en-preh-GAH-doo

The waiter

'Empregado' means employee, but in a café or restaurant it means 'waiter'. The 'o' and 'em' blend together: 'uempregádu'.

Example

O empregado trouxe a conta.

The waiter brought the bill.

Words in this phrase

[oo]

the

A masculine singular definite article used before nouns.

Example

O prazer de participar foi grande.

The pleasure of taking part was great.

empregado

[en-preh-GAH-doo]

waiter

Person who serves in a bar or restaurant.

Example

O empregado trouxe a conta.

The waiter brought the bill.

está a fingir

es-TAH uh feen-ZHEER

is pretending

'Estar a' plus an infinitive is the European Portuguese way to say 'is doing'. 'Fingir' means 'to pretend', and its 'g' sounds like the 's' in 'measure'.

Example

Ela está a fingir que dorme.

She is pretending to sleep.

Words in this phrase

está

[es-TAH]

A form of the verb 'to be,' used for state or condition.

Example

Está ótima esta noite.

It is great tonight.

[uh]

(progressive marker)

With an infinitive, shows an ongoing action.

Example

Ela está a ler.

She is reading.

fingir

[feen-ZHEER]

pretend

To act as if something is true.

Example

Não vale a pena fingir.

No point pretending.

que não te vê.

kuh nowng teh veh

that he doesn't see you.

'Que' is reduced to a quick 'k''. 'Não te vê' flows together as one unit.

Example

Acho que não te vê.

I think he doesn't see you.

Words in this phrase

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.

[teh]

you

'Te' is the informal singular pronoun for 'you'.

Example

Fiz isso para te surpreender.

I did this to surprise you.

vê

[veh]

See

To direct one's eyes toward something or someone.

Example

Vê se tudo está em ordem antes de sair.

See if everything is in order before leaving.

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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