Literal Translation Can Lead to Misunderstanding - with Video

Imagine that you are walking down the street and you drop your wallet without realizing so. A stranger stops you and returns your wallet. You feel genuinely grateful, and express your feeling with a heartfelt "Thank you so much!", to which the stranger replies: "For nothing".

What would you think? Well, I have seen puzzled looks in response to "For nothing". If you have ever wondered what those crazy Brazilians mean by that, here is the answer. 

"For nothing" is the literal translation of "De nada" or "Por nada", which in Portuguese means "You're welcome".

Still puzzled? "De nada" means something like: "It wasn't a problem at all. Don't worry about it." 

So now you know: When you are in Brazil and someone thanks you, you can say:

• De nada.

• Por nada.

• Não há de quê.

All three answers correspond to "You are welcome" in English.

To learn the Portuguese that Brazilians speak, visit StreetSmartBrazil.com

For more on the Portuguese language and Brazilian culture, visit StreetSmartBrazil.com