No tocante à fatos

You place this phrase at the start of a sentence. You can also use it as a transition. It is always followed by a noun or a concept. For example, No tocante à economia means Regarding the economy. Pay attention to the grammar following it. Use a for masculine or general words. Use à only if the next word is feminine. If you use it with fatos, it is usually a fatos. Adding an extra s makes it aos fatos. It is like a verbal pointing gesture. It says: 'Look at this specific thing now.'

This is a 10 out of 10 on the formality scale. You will see it in law books and news. Academic papers love this phrase for structure. It is almost never used in casual street talk. Using it at a barbecue would be very funny. Your friends might think you are a judge. It belongs in emails, speeches, and formal debates. It shows you have a high level of education. It is the language of bureaucracy and high-level business. Think of it as 'The Professional Pivot.'

You will hear this during a televised political debate. The moderator asks about healthcare, and the candidate responds. They say, No tocante à saúde, temos um plano. It also appears in LinkedIn posts about industry trends. A CEO might write about market shifts using this. Lawyers use it in written petitions to the court. You might see it on a formal news site like G1. It is very common in official government documents too. It is the 'serious talk' signal for Brazilians. Even Netflix subtitles use it for period dramas.

Use it during a job interview on Zoom. It makes you sound organized and articulate. Use it in a cover letter for a big company. It works well in university essays and presentations. If you are writing a formal complaint, use it. It adds weight to your arguments and evidence. Use it when you need to be very specific. It helps separate different points in a long explanation. It is great for summarizing complex data or results. It makes your transition between topics feel seamless.

Never use this in a WhatsApp group with friends. It will sound incredibly stiff and strange. Do not use it while ordering a pizza. 'No tocante à pizza, quero mussarela' is too much. Avoid it in casual Instagram captions about your dog. It is too heavy for light-hearted social media posts. Do not use it if you are angry at home. It might make you sound like a robot. If you are vlogging, use sobre or falar de. Keep it for when you need to be professional. It is too formal for a first date.

The biggest mistake is the 'crase' (the accent). Learners often write No tocante à fatos with an accent. This is wrong because fatos is masculine plural. The correct way is No tocante a fatos. Another mistake is using it for everything. If you say it five times, you sound boring. ✗ No tocante à fatos → ✓ No tocante a fatos. ✗ No tocante o problema → ✓ No tocante ao problema. Don't forget the preposition a after the phrase. It is a package deal that cannot be split.

If you want something slightly less formal, try Quanto a. It still sounds professional but more modern. Em relação a is another great, versatile alternative. No que diz respeito a is the longest version. It is equally formal and very common in writing. Relativamente a is popular in European Portuguese contexts. Sobre is the casual king for everyday talking. Use Acerca de if you are writing a report. Each one shifts the formality level just a bit. Pick the one that fits your current 'outfit'.

Is it too formal for an email? No, it is perfect for work emails. Can I use it in Portugal? Yes, it is used in all Lusophone countries. Does it mean 'touching'? No, it means 'regarding' or 'about' the topic. Is No tocante a always used with nouns? Yes, it always precedes a noun or phrase. Why is the crase so tricky? Because it depends on the gender of the next word. Is there a slang version? Not really, people just use tipo or sobre. Can I use it in a text message? Only if you are being ironically formal.