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Study Resource: Common impersonal expressions in Brazilian Portuguese

By: Fabiana Dametto Oliveira

Below you will find some common Portuguese impersonal verbs.


Impersonal verbs to talk about the weather
amanhecer Translation: to dawn	Amanhece mais cedo no horário de verão. Translation: It dawns earlier in summer time.
chover Translation: to rain	Choveu a noite toda. Translation: It rained all night long.
escurecer Translation: to darken	Escurece tarde no verão. Translation: It gets dark late in the summer.
garoar Translation: to drizzle	Garoa todos os dias em Dublin. Translation: It drizzles every day in Dublin.
nevar Translation: to snow	Não neva há anos aqui. Translation: It hasn't snowed in years here.
trovejar Translation: to wander	Trovejou à tarde e as crianças ficaram com medo. Translation: It thundered in the afternoon, and the children were afraid.
ventar Translation: to wind	Ventou durante o passeio todo. Translation: It was windy the whole ride.


Impersonal expressions about the weather
Está garoando.	It's drizzling.
Está congelando!	It's freezing!
Está ventando.	It's windy.
Está nublado.	It's cloudy.
Está nublando / Está ficando nublado.	It’s getting cloudy.
Está fresquinho.	It's cool.
Está friozinho.	It's chilly.
Vai fazer calor.	It will be hot.
Fez 10 graus.	It was 10 degrees.
Faz frio em São Paulo no inverno.	It is cold in São Paulo in winter.
Ontem fez muito sol.	Yesterday it was very sunny.
Que temporal!	It’s pouring!


Other impersonal verbs in Brazilian Portuguese
chegar/bastar Translation: to be enough	Chega de doces por hoje! Translation: No more sweets for today!
dar Translation: to turn/to be enough	Deu meia-noite. Translation: It turned midnight.
dar + para Translation: to be possible	O que dá para fazer se eu perder o trem? Translation: What can be done if I miss the train?
parecer Translation: to seem	Parece que o ônibus vai atrasar. Translation: It seems like the bus is going to be late.
passar Translation: to pass	Passou das nove horas e eles ainda não chegaram. Translation: It's past nine o’clock and they still haven't arrived.