In 15 Sekunden
- Use it to clarify or correct yourself mid-sentence.
- Equivalent to the English phrase 'I mean' or 'that is.'
- Works in both formal meetings and casual coffee chats.
Bedeutung
This is your go-to phrase for clarifying what you just said or correcting yourself mid-sentence. It works exactly like saying 'I mean' or 'that is to say' in English.
Wichtige Beispiele
3 von 6Ordering at a cafe
Eu quero um café, quer dizer, um galão, por favor.
I want a coffee, I mean, a latte, please.
Explaining a delay to a boss
O projeto está quase pronto, quer dizer, faltam apenas os detalhes finais.
The project is almost ready, I mean, only the final details are missing.
Correcting a date in a text
Nos vemos na terça, quer dizer, na quarta!
See you on Tuesday, I mean, on Wednesday!
Kultureller Hintergrund
Brazilians use 'quer dizer' to avoid being too direct or 'dry'. It's part of a social strategy to remain polite while delivering bad news. In Portugal, 'quer dizer' is often used with a specific rising intonation at the end of a sentence to signal that more explanation is coming. In Luanda, 'quer dizer' is frequently used in storytelling to add emphasis and ensure the listener is following the plot's logic. In professional settings across the Lusophone world, 'quer dizer' is used to pivot during presentations when a slide or data point is slightly off.
The Fluency Hack
If you forget a word, don't stop talking. Say 'quer dizer...' to buy yourself 2 seconds of thinking time. It sounds much more natural than 'uhhh'.
Don't Overuse
Using it in every sentence makes you sound indecisive. Try to limit it to 1-2 times per conversation.
In 15 Sekunden
- Use it to clarify or correct yourself mid-sentence.
- Equivalent to the English phrase 'I mean' or 'that is.'
- Works in both formal meetings and casual coffee chats.
What It Means
Think of quer dizer as your linguistic safety net. It literally translates to 'wants to say,' but it functions as a bridge. You use it when your brain moves faster than your mouth. It helps you clarify a point or fix a mistake. It is the ultimate tool for making sure people actually understand you.
How To Use It
Using it is incredibly simple. You just drop it right after the part that needs fixing. You don't need to conjugate it most of the time. It stays as quer dizer regardless of who is talking. Use it to define a word or rephrase a clumsy sentence. It acts like a verbal 'undo' button for your last three seconds of speech.
When To Use It
You will use this constantly in daily life. Use it at a restaurant when you change your mind about an order. Use it in a meeting to explain a complex graph. It is perfect for texting when autocorrect ruins your life. If you see a look of confusion on a friend's face, say quer dizer and try again. It shows you care about being clear.
When NOT To Use It
Don't use it to start every single sentence. It can become a nervous filler word if you aren't careful. Avoid using it in very rigid, scripted speeches where precision is expected from the start. Also, don't use it if you are actually asking what a word means. In that case, you'd ask 'O que significa...?' instead. Using it too much makes you sound indecisive.
Cultural Background
Portuguese speakers value communication and connection deeply. Quer dizer reflects this by being a polite way to ensure everyone is on the same page. In Brazil, it is often shortened in fast speech to something sounding like 'quedizê.' It’s a humble phrase. It admits that your first attempt at speaking wasn't perfect. It bridges the gap between your thoughts and your listener's ears.
Common Variations
In very casual settings, you might hear ou seja. This is more like 'in other words' and is a bit more formal. You might also hear isto é, which is the direct equivalent of 'i.e.' or 'that is.' However, quer dizer remains the king of conversational Portuguese. It’s the most natural and versatile option for any learner.
Nutzungshinweise
The phrase is incredibly versatile. It sits right in the middle of the formality scale, making it safe for almost any situation from a first date to a job interview.
The Fluency Hack
If you forget a word, don't stop talking. Say 'quer dizer...' to buy yourself 2 seconds of thinking time. It sounds much more natural than 'uhhh'.
Don't Overuse
Using it in every sentence makes you sound indecisive. Try to limit it to 1-2 times per conversation.
The 'Que' Rule
Remember: 'Quer dizer' = I mean. 'Quer dizer QUE' = Does that mean...?
Beispiele
6Eu quero um café, quer dizer, um galão, por favor.
I want a coffee, I mean, a latte, please.
Used here to quickly change an order before the waiter leaves.
O projeto está quase pronto, quer dizer, faltam apenas os detalhes finais.
The project is almost ready, I mean, only the final details are missing.
Adds necessary nuance to a statement to remain professional and honest.
Nos vemos na terça, quer dizer, na quarta!
See you on Tuesday, I mean, on Wednesday!
A common way to fix a typo or a mental slip in messaging.
Eu amo o seu irmão... quer dizer, como amigo!
I love your brother... I mean, as a friend!
Used to avoid an awkward romantic misunderstanding.
Eu sinto sua falta, quer dizer, a casa parece vazia sem você.
I miss you, I mean, the house feels empty without you.
Expands on an emotion to give it more weight.
A inflação subiu, quer dizer, o poder de compra diminuiu.
Inflation rose, that is to say, purchasing power decreased.
Used to explain the consequence of a statement.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the blank with the correct phrase to fix the mistake.
Eu moro no Rio de Janeiro há dez anos, __________, há oito anos.
The speaker is correcting the number of years from ten to eight.
Which sentence uses 'quer dizer' to ask for confirmation of an implication?
Choose the correct option:
Starting with 'Quer dizer que...' is the standard way to ask 'Does that mean...?'
Complete the dialogue naturally.
Ana: 'Você comprou o presente?' Pedro: 'Sim! __________, esqueci de embrulhar.'
Pedro is clarifying that while he bought it, there is a 'but' or a correction to the full success of the task.
Match the 'quer dizer' sentence to the correct situation.
Sentence: 'A aula é na sala 4, quer dizer, na sala 5.'
The speaker is changing the room number from 4 to 5.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Quer Dizer vs. Ou Seja
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenEu moro no Rio de Janeiro há dez anos, __________, há oito anos.
The speaker is correcting the number of years from ten to eight.
Choose the correct option:
Starting with 'Quer dizer que...' is the standard way to ask 'Does that mean...?'
Ana: 'Você comprou o presente?' Pedro: 'Sim! __________, esqueci de embrulhar.'
Pedro is clarifying that while he bought it, there is a 'but' or a correction to the full success of the task.
Sentence: 'A aula é na sala 4, quer dizer, na sala 5.'
The speaker is changing the room number from 4 to 5.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
14 FragenOnly if you literally mean 'I want to say' (desire). For 'I mean' (correction), always use 'quer dizer'.
It is neutral. You can use it with friends or with your boss, but avoid it in formal essays.
'Quer dizer' is for fixing mistakes; 'ou seja' is for explaining things more logically.
You can write 'quer dizer' or just 'qd' in very informal Brazilian slang.
As a connector, no. As a verb meaning 'to define', yes: 'Essas palavras querem dizer...'
Yes, but 'ou seja' is slightly more common there for clarification.
Yes, usually followed by 'que' to ask 'Does that mean...?'
'Digo' is faster and more casual for tiny slips of the tongue.
Yes! 'Isso quer dizer que...' is the standard way to say 'That means that...'
It's a high-frequency filler, so it often gets compressed into 'qu'dizer'.
No, but it's more polite to use it to correct yourself than to correct others.
Yes, it shows you are precise and careful with your words.
There isn't a direct opposite, but 'exatamente' (exactly) confirms a point rather than correcting it.
No. For 'I mean it!', use 'É sério!' or 'Estou falando sério!'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
ou seja
synonymIn other words / that is
isto é
synonymThat is to say
digo
similarI say / I mean
em outras palavras
builds onIn other words
afinal
contrastAfter all / actually
