Have you ever caught yourself saying “mais grande” in Portuguese and received a funny look in response? You’re not alone! Many learners stumble over irregular comparisons in Portuguese, especially when direct translations from English don’t work. In this Portuguese lesson, you’ll learn irregular comparative forms in Brazilian Portuguese, ensuring you say it right. Get ready to refine your Portuguese and impress your listeners with flawless comparisons!
How to say Bigger and Smaller in Portuguese
You’ve likely already learned how to make regular comparisons in Portuguese using “mais” and “menos”. I have a full Portuguese lesson on how to do comparisons in Portuguese. Check it out here.
However, it is incorrect to say “mais grande” or “mais pequeno” in Brazilian Portuguese.
Instead, say maior (bigger) and menor (smaller).
How to say Better and Worse in Portuguese
We also don’t say “mais bom”, “mais mal” or “mais ruim”.
Instead, we say melhor (better) and pior (worse).
🚨 Attention here, Spanish speakers: Make sure you pronounce pior with an “i” (and not peor with and “e”)
Examples Using Irregular Comparisons in Context
Here is a dialogue – with translation in English – showing these irregular comparisons in context.
🎧 Listen to the audio file to learn the pronunciation:
Carlos: Você já visitou o Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo, né? Qual cidade você achou melhor para viver?
Marta: Sem dúvida, São Paulo tem uma infraestrutura melhor, mas o Rio tem um charme que São Paulo não consegue superar.
Carlos: Concordo. E sobre o tamanho? Qual cidade é maior?
Marta: São Paulo é maior em termos de população e área.
Carlos: É verdade. E quanto à segurança?
Marta: Infelizmente, a situação do Rio é pior nesse aspecto. São Paulo também tem seus problemas, mas eu me sinto um pouco mais segura lá.
Carlos: Entendi. E o trânsito, como é?
Marta: Ah, o trânsito no Rio é menor do que em São Paulo, especialmente fora do horário de pico.
Translation in English:
Carlos: You’ve visited both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, right? Which city did you find better to live in?
Marta: Without a doubt, São Paulo has better infrastructure, but Rio has a charm that São Paulo just can’t beat.
Carlos: I agree. And about the size? Which city is bigger?
Marta: São Paulo is bigger in terms of population and area, but Rio has those wonderful open spaces, like Flamengo Park.
Carlos: True. And what about safety?
Marta: Unfortunately, the situation in Rio is worse in that respect. São Paulo has its problems too, but I feel a bit safer there.
Carlos: I see. And the traffic?
Marta: Ah, the traffic in Rio is less and more manageable than in São Paulo, especially outside of rush hours.
How to say Much Bigger and Much Better in Portuguese
Just as with regular comparisons, you can enhance your use of irregular comparisons in Portuguese by incorporating intensifiers. Two commonly used intensifiers are muito and bem.
If you’re wondering, “Hey, doesn’t ‘bem’ mean ‘well’?” Yes, it does. It also serves as an intensifier. I’ve discussed this in another lesson that you might find helpful, so be sure to check it out too.
Now let’s see how you can use intensifiers in your comparisons in Portuguese:
1) São Paulo é muito maior do que João Pessoa. / São Paulo é bem maior do que João Pessoa. (São Paulo is much bigger than João Pessoa.)
2) João Pessoa é muito menor do que São Paulo. / João Pessoa é bem menor do que São Paulo.(João Pessoa is much smaller than São Paulo.)
3) Estou gripada, mas hoje me sinto muito melhor do que ontem. / Estou gripada, mas hoje me sinto bem melhor do que ontem. (I have the flu, but today I feel much better than yesterday.)
4) Antônio está doente, e hoje ele está muito pior do que ontem. / Antônio está doente, e hoje ele está bem pior do que ontem. (Antônio is sick, and today he is much worse than yesterday.)
How to say “For better or worse” in Portuguese
When you use the phrase “for better or for worse”, it implies that the outcomes of a particular event or action are uncertain and could be either positive or negative.
In Brazilian Portuguese, we say “para o bem ou para o mal“, which literally translates to “for the good or for the bad”.
Here’s an example:
- Para o bem ou para o mal, ele sempre diz a verdade, mesmo que isso às vezes cause problemas. (For better or worse, he always tells the truth, even if it sometimes causes problems.)
We also very often simply say “bem ou mal“:
- Bem ou mal, conseguimos terminar o projeto antes do prazo. (For better or worse, we managed to finish the project before the deadline.)
Key Takeaway
| 🛑 Don’t say: | ✅ Say: |
|---|---|
| mais grande | maior |
| mais pequeno | menor |
| mais bom, mais bem | melhor |
| mais ruim, mais mal | pior |
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