Today’s one-word Portuguese lesson is about the verb avacalhar.
It’s a great verb to know, especially when you are really upset about a service or product. Hopefully you will be using the the verb avacalhar, and not the other way around!
Avacalhar means:
- to ridicule, to demoralize, to demean
- to make a travesty of
Avacalhar is a regular verb.
The video above shows the pronunciation of avacalhar and has the first example of the verb in use. Below are two additional examples.
Example 1:
- Os críticos avacalharam o filme. = The critics ridiculed the movie.
Example 2:
Milena and Clara are going out to dance. Milena is wearing her new dress, which is very colorful. Here’s their dialogue:
Milena: Gostou do meu vestido novo?
Clara, mockingly: Eu não sabia que a gente ia pra uma festa de carnaval.
Milena: Não precisa avacalhar!
Translation:
Milena: How do you like my new dress?
Clara, tirando onda: I didn’t know that we were going to a carnival party.
Milena: There’s no need to ridicule me.
Example 3:
- (talking about a soccer game) O narrador avacalhou o desempenho do time. = The commentator ridiculed the team’s performance.
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Please do a video on the verb “rolar” I am seeing this verb alot on tv. This is one context “Acabei de sair de um rolo.Não seria um rolo.”
I guessing “rolo” means a relationship?
Seen plenty of other uses and dictionary not much help. Thanks.
Oi, Michal! Rolo is a great word. It means a complicated situation. The verb rolar is different. It is used colloquially to say acontecer (to happen). O que rolou? = What happened?