Bedeutung
To be suddenly startled or scared.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The 'Pegadinha' (prank) is a staple of Brazilian TV. Shows like 'Programa Silvio Santos' made 'levar um susto' a national pastime for viewers. In Portugal, 'apanhar um susto' is the standard. Using 'levar' might sound like a Brazilianism to older Portuguese people. There is a belief that a 'susto' can 'deslocar o espírito' (displace the spirit), requiring a prayer or blessing to fix. Brazilians use 'Que susto!' frequently in WhatsApp when someone sends a message after a long silence or a shocking photo.
Use 'Que susto!'
This is the most natural way to react immediately after being startled. You don't even need the verb.
Gender Agreement
Remember: 'um susto' is always masculine. Never say 'uma susta'.
Bedeutung
To be suddenly startled or scared.
Use 'Que susto!'
This is the most natural way to react immediately after being startled. You don't even need the verb.
Gender Agreement
Remember: 'um susto' is always masculine. Never say 'uma susta'.
Metaphorical Use
Use it for prices, news, and surprises to sound more like a native speaker.
Regional Verbs
If you are in Portugal, try using 'apanhar' to blend in better.
Teste dich selbst
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the verb 'levar'.
Ontem, eu ____ um susto com o gato.
'Ontem' (yesterday) requires the past tense (Pretérito Perfeito).
Which sentence is correct?
How do you say 'I got a huge fright'?
'Susto' is masculine and 'levar' is the standard verb.
Match the reaction to the situation.
Situation: You see a very high price on a menu.
'Levar um susto' is used for sudden shocks like high prices.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Bú! B: Ai! Você ____!
When someone else causes the fright, they 'give' (dar) it to you.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Susto vs. Medo
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenOntem, eu ____ um susto com o gato.
'Ontem' (yesterday) requires the past tense (Pretérito Perfeito).
How do you say 'I got a huge fright'?
'Susto' is masculine and 'levar' is the standard verb.
Situation: You see a very high price on a menu.
'Levar um susto' is used for sudden shocks like high prices.
A: Bú! B: Ai! Você ____!
When someone else causes the fright, they 'give' (dar) it to you.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenIt is grammatically possible but sounds unnatural. Natives almost always use 'levar' or 'tomar'.
Usually, yes. But you can 'levar um susto bom' (a good shock), like a surprise party, though 'surpresa' is more common there.
In Brazil, they are interchangeable. 'Levar' is slightly more common in writing, 'tomar' in speaking.
You say 'Você me deu um susto' or simply 'Que susto você me deu!'.
Yes! 'Esse filme tem muitos sustos' (This movie has many jump scares).
It is neutral. You can use it with friends or in a business meeting to describe a market shock.
It means 'scared to death'—a very big fright.
Yes, it is almost always 'levar UM susto'.
Yes, it is very common to describe pets being startled.
Yes, 'levar sustos'. 'Eu levei muitos sustos na casa assombrada'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Dar um susto
specialized formTo scare someone else
Assustar-se
synonymTo get scared
Estar assustado
similarTo be scared
Pelo susto
builds onBecause of the scare
Susto passageiro
specialized formA brief scare
