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How to Say ‘Right, but the problem came back.’ in Portuguese

Pois, mas o problema voltou.

POYSH mas oo proo-BLAY-muh vohl-TOH

[POYSH mas oo proo-BLAY-muh vohl-TOH]

Phrase Breakdown

Pois, mas o problema

POYSH mas oo proo-BLAY-muh

Right, but the problem

'Pois' is a very Portuguese filler meaning 'right' or 'yes, well'. It sounds like 'POYSH'. 'Mas o' links smoothly into 'mazoo'.

Example

Pois, mas o preço subiu.

Right, but the price went up.

Words in this phrase

Pois

[POYSH]

right / indeed

Very common Portuguese filler showing agreement or acknowledgment.

Example

Pois, tens razão.

Right, you're correct.

mas

[mas]

But

Used to introduce something contrasting.

Example

Eu gostaria de ir, mas não posso.

I would like to go, but I can't.

[oo]

the

A masculine singular definite article used before nouns.

Example

O prazer de participar foi grande.

The pleasure of taking part was great.

problema

[proo-BLAY-muh]

problem

Masculine noun despite ending in -a.

Example

Não há problema.

There's no problem.

voltou.

vohl-TOH

came back.

This is the past tense of 'voltar' (to return). Stress the last syllable: 'vol-TOH'.

Example

A dor voltou.

The pain came back.

Words in this phrase

voltou

[vohl-TOH]

came back / returned

Past tense of 'voltar', third person.

Example

A avaria voltou.

The fault came back.

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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