How do Brazilians use gente?
Brazilians use gente for "people" (Tinha muita gente, "There were a lot of people"), for "everyone" in a greeting (Oi, gente!), and in tem gente que… ("some people…").
| Portuguese | Meaning | In CiaoSpeak |
|---|---|---|
| Oi, gente! | Hi, everyone! | Unit 2 |
| Tinha muita gente. | There were a lot of people. | Unit 15 |
| Tem gente que adora voar, tem gente que odeia! | Some people love flying, some hate it! | Speak: Language exchange |
| O pessoal daqui é gente boa, né? O que você está achando? | The people here are nice, right? What do you think so far? | Speak: New job |
What does a gente mean?
A gente means "we" in everyday Brazilian speech, and it takes the same verb form as você and ele: a gente vai ("we're going"), not a gente vamos. In formal writing, Brazilians use nós.
| Portuguese | Meaning | In CiaoSpeak |
|---|---|---|
| a gente | we | Unit 7 |
| A gente vai à praia. | We're going to the beach. | Unit 7 |
| A gente se encontra às oito? | Shall we meet at eight? | Unit 11 |
| A gente se conheceu numa festa. | We met at a party. | Unit 15 |
What does gente! mean as an exclamation?
On its own, Gente! is "Oh my gosh!" or "Guys!": surprise, or a call for everyone's attention. It's casual and clean.
| Portuguese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Gente, que calor! | Oh my gosh, it's so hot! |
| Gente, olha isso! | Guys, look at this! |
What does gente boa mean?
Gente boa (or gente fina) means a nice, good-hearted person: Ele é gente boa is "He's a nice guy". It stays gente boa for men and women.
| Portuguese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ele é gente boa. | He's a nice guy. |
| Ela é gente fina. | She's really nice. |
How can you practice Brazilian Portuguese out loud?
Practice it in short, real exchanges, out loud. CiaoSpeak's Brazilian Portuguese course teaches everyday words like a gente and Oi, gente! with a recording in a Brazilian accent, and in the Speak tab people across Brazil (a São Paulo baker, a Rio ride-app driver, your language-exchange partner Ana) ask you one question at a time. You answer by voice or typing, and the app tells you whether a Brazilian would understand you. Lessons are free; in the Speak tab, today's questions (up to five a day) are free too, and CiaoSpeak+ adds practice in any scene whenever you like. More words like this one: the Brazilian slang list.