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A2 noun #2,500 am häufigsten 13 Min. Lesezeit

desastre

At the A1 level, you are just starting to learn Portuguese. The word 'desastre' is very useful because it looks and sounds a lot like the English word 'disaster'. This makes it a 'cognate', which is a word that is easy to remember. You can use 'desastre' to talk about very bad things that happen. For example, if there is a big storm that breaks houses, that is a 'desastre'. If you drop your plate of food on the floor and make a big mess, you can also say 'Oh não, que desastre!' (Oh no, what a disaster!). It is a masculine noun, so you always say 'o desastre' (the disaster) or 'um desastre' (a disaster). Do not say 'a desastre'. It is important to learn this word early because you will hear it on the news when they talk about the weather or accidents. You will also hear people use it when they are joking about doing something badly. For example, if someone cannot sing well, they might say 'Eu sou um desastre cantando' (I am a disaster at singing). It is a fun and expressive word to use even when you only know a little bit of Portuguese. Practice saying it out loud: de-ZAS-tre. Remember that the 's' in the middle sounds like a 'z'. Using this word will help you express strong feelings when something goes wrong, which is a very important part of communicating in any language.
At the A2 level, your understanding of 'desastre' deepens. You already know it means 'disaster', but now you can start using it in more complex sentences and different contexts. You should be able to distinguish between a 'desastre natural' (natural disaster) like an earthquake (terremoto) or flood (enchente), and a personal 'desastre', like failing a test or ruining a recipe. At this stage, you should practice using adjectives with the word. For example, 'um grande desastre' (a big disaster) or 'um desastre terrível' (a terrible disaster). You can also start using it with past tense verbs, such as 'O desastre aconteceu ontem' (The disaster happened yesterday) or 'Foi um desastre' (It was a disaster). A key cultural point at this level is understanding how Portuguese speakers use hyperbole (exaggeration). If a friend says their haircut is a 'desastre', they don't mean it's a tragedy; they just mean they don't like it. Learning to use 'desastre' in this lighthearted, exaggerated way will make your Portuguese sound much more natural and less robotic. You should also be comfortable using it to describe yourself playfully: 'Sou um desastre na cozinha' (I'm a disaster in the kitchen). Remember the gender rule: it is always masculine. Even if a woman is speaking about herself, she says 'Eu sou um desastre', not 'uma desastre'. Mastering these small details at the A2 level sets a strong foundation for fluency.
As a B1 learner, you are moving into intermediate territory, and your use of 'desastre' should reflect this. You are no longer just pointing at a mess and saying 'desastre'. You can now discuss the causes and consequences of disasters. You should be comfortable using vocabulary related to emergency situations, such as 'equipes de resgate' (rescue teams), 'vítimas' (victims), and 'danos' (damages). For example, you can say, 'As consequências do desastre foram graves para a economia local' (The consequences of the disaster were severe for the local economy). At this level, you should also be aware of the difference between 'desastre', 'acidente', and 'tragédia'. An 'acidente' is usually smaller (like a car crash), a 'desastre' involves widespread damage, and a 'tragédia' emphasizes the loss of human life and sadness. You can also use 'desastre' in professional or academic contexts. If a company launches a product that nobody buys, you can describe it as 'um desastre comercial' (a commercial disaster). Furthermore, you should practice using the word with prepositions and conjunctions to form complex thoughts: 'Apesar do desastre, a comunidade se uniu' (Despite the disaster, the community united). Your ability to use 'desastre' metaphorically should also expand. You can describe a chaotic event, a poorly organized party, or a bad political decision as a 'desastre'. This shows that you understand the nuances of the language beyond literal translations.
At the B2 level, your command of Portuguese is becoming quite advanced, and your use of 'desastre' should be precise and idiomatic. You are expected to participate in detailed discussions about current events, environmental issues, and historical catastrophes. You should be able to use sophisticated collocations like 'desastre ambiental' (environmental disaster), 'desastre humanitário' (humanitarian disaster), or 'à beira do desastre' (on the brink of disaster). You can construct complex sentences discussing hypothetical situations or analyzing past events: 'Se o governo não tivesse intervindo, a crise teria se transformado num desastre sem precedentes' (If the government had not intervened, the crisis would have turned into an unprecedented disaster). At this stage, you should also be familiar with related verbs and nouns, such as 'desastroso' (disastrous - adjective) and 'desastradamente' (disastrously - adverb). You can say, 'A decisão foi desastrosa para a empresa' (The decision was disastrous for the company). Additionally, you should fully grasp the cultural weight of the word in specific contexts, such as referring to the Mariana dam collapse in Brazil as a 'desastre-crime', a term used by activists to emphasize corporate negligence. In informal speech, your use of 'desastre' for comedic or dramatic effect should be seamless. You understand the irony when someone says, 'Meu encontro de ontem foi um desastre épico' (My date yesterday was an epic disaster). Your vocabulary is broad enough that you don't overuse 'desastre', substituting it with words like 'fiasco', 'debacle', or 'ruína' when appropriate to add variety to your speech.
Reaching the C1 level means you possess a high degree of fluency and can express yourself with nuance and precision. Your understanding of 'desastre' goes far beyond its basic definition. You can engage in abstract and complex discussions about risk management, systemic failures, and the socio-economic impacts of disasters. You use advanced phrasing such as 'mitigação de desastres' (disaster mitigation), 'gestão de desastres' (disaster management), and 'prenúncio de um desastre' (harbinger of a disaster). You are comfortable reading academic texts or opinion pieces that use the word in sophisticated ways. For example: 'A política externa adotada provou ser um desastre diplomático, isolando o país no cenário internacional' (The adopted foreign policy proved to be a diplomatic disaster, isolating the country on the international stage). At this level, you effortlessly navigate the morphological family of the word. You use 'desastrado' to describe a clumsy person ('Ele é tão desastrado que quebrou três copos' - He is so clumsy he broke three glasses) and 'desastroso' for events. You also understand the subtle register shifts. You know exactly when 'desastre' sounds too colloquial for a formal essay and when it is the perfect rhetorical device to emphasize a point. You can debate the semantics of whether an event was merely an 'incidente' or a full-blown 'desastre', demonstrating a deep understanding of the subjective nature of language. Your speech is characterized by natural flow, rich vocabulary, and the ability to use 'desastre' in both its most tragic and most ironically trivial contexts without hesitation.
At the C2 level, your mastery of Portuguese is near-native. You wield the word 'desastre' with complete authoritative control, understanding its etymological roots, its historical resonance, and its subtlest connotations. You can analyze literature, political discourse, and sociological texts where 'desastre' is used as a central theme. You recognize how the narrative of a 'desastre' is constructed in the media—how the word is sometimes weaponized to assign blame or to declare a state of exception. You are comfortable with highly literary or poetic uses of the word. For instance, in a philosophical discussion, you might explore the concept of disaster not just as a physical event, but as an existential rupture: 'O desastre, na concepção moderna, não é apenas a ruína física, mas o colapso das narrativas de progresso' (The disaster, in the modern conception, is not just physical ruin, but the collapse of narratives of progress). You seamlessly integrate idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms related to the concept, perhaps using regional variations or historical references. You understand that calling someone a 'desastre ambulante' (a walking disaster) is a vivid, colorful way to describe chronic ineptitude. You can write comprehensive reports, deliver persuasive speeches, and engage in rapid-fire, witty banter, all while using 'desastre' and its synonyms (cataclismo, hecatombe, debacle) with perfect stylistic appropriateness. At this pinnacle of language learning, 'desastre' is not just a vocabulary word to be translated; it is a conceptual tool that you use to articulate complex realities, critique societal structures, and express the full spectrum of human experience in Portuguese.
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desastre in 30 Sekunden

  • A sudden, catastrophic event causing immense damage, such as earthquakes or floods.
  • A situation or event that ends in complete failure or chaos, like a ruined party.
  • An informal way to describe someone who is exceptionally clumsy or bad at a specific task.
  • A masculine noun (o desastre) that requires masculine articles and adjectives.
The Portuguese word 'desastre' is a masculine noun that translates directly to 'disaster' in English. It is used to describe a sudden event, such as an accident or a natural catastrophe, that causes great damage, destruction, or loss of life. Beyond its literal meaning, 'desastre' is frequently employed in everyday conversation to describe a situation that has gone completely wrong, a total failure, or a person who is exceptionally clumsy or inept at a particular task. Understanding the multifaceted nature of 'desastre' is crucial for learners, as it bridges the gap between formal news reporting and casual, expressive daily speech. When we look at the etymology, the word comes from the Old Italian 'disastro', which is formed from the pejorative prefix 'dis-' and 'astro' (star), literally meaning 'ill-starred' or an event caused by unfavorable astrological alignments. This historical context enriches our understanding of how ancient people viewed calamities as cosmic events. In modern Portuguese, however, the astrological connection is entirely lost, and the word is firmly grounded in tangible reality. Let us explore some practical examples to solidify this understanding.

O terremoto foi um verdadeiro desastre para a região.

A festa de ontem à noite terminou em um desastre total.

Ele tentou cozinhar, mas o jantar foi um desastre.

Evitamos um desastre financeiro por muito pouco.

O novo projeto da empresa provou ser um desastre de relações públicas.

As seen in these examples, the scale of a 'desastre' can range from a massive earthquake to a ruined dinner. This versatility makes it a high-frequency word in both written and spoken Portuguese.
Literal Meaning
A catastrophic event causing physical or structural damage, such as floods, fires, or earthquakes.
Figurative Meaning
A complete failure, a highly embarrassing situation, or a poorly executed plan.
Personal Descriptor
Used informally to describe someone who is clumsy or bad at something (e.g., 'Sou um desastre na cozinha').
To fully master this word, learners should pay attention to the adjectives that commonly accompany it. We often hear 'desastre natural' (natural disaster), 'desastre ecológico' (ecological disaster), or 'desastre total' (total disaster). The emotional weight of the word changes depending on these collocations. In a news broadcast, 'desastre' carries a somber, serious tone, often accompanied by statistics of loss and damage. In a casual chat among friends, calling a bad date a 'desastre' is usually done with a sense of humor or dramatic exaggeration. This duality is common in Romance languages, but Portuguese speakers are particularly fond of using strong words like 'desastre', 'tragédia', or 'catástrofe' for minor daily inconveniences, adding a theatrical flair to their storytelling. Therefore, when you hear a Portuguese speaker say their morning commute was a 'desastre', they likely just mean there was heavy traffic, not that an actual calamity occurred. This nuanced understanding of register and hyperbole is what separates an intermediate learner from an advanced speaker who truly grasps the cultural rhythm of the language.
Using the word 'desastre' correctly in Portuguese involves understanding its grammatical placement, its common collocations, and the appropriate contexts for its literal versus figurative meanings. Grammatically, 'desastre' is a masculine noun, meaning it must be preceded by masculine articles (o, um, os, uns) and followed by masculine adjectives (e.g., 'um desastre terrível', 'o grande desastre'). It can function as the subject of a sentence, the direct object, or the object of a preposition. Let us examine the structural mechanics of how this word integrates into various sentence patterns.

O desastre ambiental afetou milhares de famílias.

Eles estão tentando se recuperar do desastre.

A apresentação foi um desastre absoluto do início ao fim.

Ninguém previu que a tempestade se tornaria um desastre tão grande.

Meu irmão é um desastre jogando futebol.

When constructing sentences, the choice of verbs is highly indicative of the context. For literal disasters, verbs like 'ocorrer' (to occur), 'acontecer' (to happen), 'causar' (to cause), and 'evitar' (to avoid) are standard. For instance, 'O governo tentou evitar o desastre' (The government tried to avoid the disaster). In figurative contexts, the verb 'ser' (to be) is dominant, as in 'Isso é um desastre' (This is a disaster) or 'Acabou em desastre' (It ended in disaster).
With Verbs of Occurrence
Use 'acontecer' or 'ocorrer' to state that a disaster took place. Example: Um desastre ocorreu na rodovia.
With Verbs of Mitigation
Use 'prevenir', 'evitar', or 'mitigar' when discussing disaster management. Example: Precisamos prevenir futuros desastres.
As a Predicative Noun
Use after 'ser' or 'parecer' to describe a failed situation or clumsy person. Example: O plano parece um desastre.
Furthermore, 'desastre' is often modified by specific adjectives that categorize the type of event. 'Desastre natural' is the most common, referring to earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes. 'Desastre aéreo' refers to plane crashes. 'Desastre financeiro' points to economic collapse or bankruptcy. 'Desastre amoroso' is a playful term for a terrible romantic relationship or a bad date. When using the word to describe a person's lack of skill, it is almost always followed by the preposition 'em' (in) or a gerund, though the gerund is more common in Brazilian Portuguese. For example, 'Sou um desastre em matemática' (I am a disaster at math) or 'Ele é um desastre dançando' (He is a disaster at dancing). This specific construction is a fantastic way for learners to express humility or self-deprecating humor, which is highly appreciated in Portuguese-speaking cultures. It breaks the ice and shows a comfortable command of idiomatic language. Remember that while 'desastre' is a strong word, its frequent metaphorical use has somewhat softened its impact in daily conversation, making it a safe and expressive choice for learners at the A2 level and beyond.
The word 'desastre' permeates almost every level of Portuguese discourse, from the most formal news broadcasts to the most informal neighborhood gossip. Its ubiquity is a testament to its flexibility. In the realm of journalism and media, 'desastre' is a staple vocabulary word. Whenever there is a significant event involving destruction, news anchors will use phrases like 'desastre de proporções épicas' (disaster of epic proportions) or 'zona de desastre' (disaster zone).

As equipes de resgate chegaram ao local do desastre de madrugada.

O documentário analisa as causas do desastre nuclear.

A manchete do jornal dizia: 'Desastre na economia global'.

Eles declararam estado de emergência após o desastre.

O filme de Hollywood retrata um desastre natural que destrói o mundo.

In these formal contexts, the word retains its heavy, literal meaning. It evokes images of sirens, emergency responders, and urgent government action. However, step away from the television and into a local café, and you will hear 'desastre' used in entirely different ways.
In the Workplace
Colleagues might describe a failed presentation, a crashed server, or a lost client as a 'desastre'. It conveys frustration and the need for immediate damage control.
In Sports
Sports commentators frequently use 'desastre' to describe a terrible performance by a team, a catastrophic mistake by a goalkeeper, or a season filled with losses.
In Pop Culture
Movie reviews might call a poorly directed film a 'desastre de bilheteria' (box office disaster). Reality TV shows thrive on interpersonal 'desastres'.
Understanding the cultural context of where you hear 'desastre' also involves recognizing historical touchstones. In Portugal, the 1755 Lisbon earthquake is often referred to as 'o grande desastre' or 'a catástrofe'. In Brazil, recent environmental tragedies, such as the dam collapses in Mariana and Brumadinho, are universally referred to as 'desastres ambientais' (environmental disasters). These events have left deep scars on the national consciousness, and when the word 'desastre' is used in connection with them, it carries profound grief and demands for justice. On a lighter note, you will hear 'desastre' in comedic contexts. Stand-up comedians use it to describe their dating lives. Parents use it affectionately to describe the mess their toddlers make in the living room ('Esta sala está um desastre!'). This spectrum of usage—from national mourning to domestic messiness—makes 'desastre' a fascinating word to track as you consume Portuguese media. By paying attention to the context, the speaker's tone, and the accompanying vocabulary, you will develop a rich, intuitive grasp of how to deploy this powerful noun in your own conversations.
While 'desastre' is a relatively straightforward noun, learners of Portuguese often stumble over a few common pitfalls regarding its gender, pronunciation, and exact semantic boundaries. The most frequent error is related to gender agreement. Because 'desastre' ends in an 'e', it does not have the obvious 'o' or 'a' ending that typically signals masculine or feminine nouns. Consequently, some learners mistakenly treat it as feminine, saying 'uma desastre' or 'a desastre'. This is incorrect.

INCORRECT: A desastre foi terrível. / CORRECT: O desastre foi terrível.

INCORRECT: Foi uma desastre natural. / CORRECT: Foi um desastre natural.

INCORRECT: Ela é uma desastre na cozinha. / CORRECT: Ela é um desastre na cozinha.

INCORRECT: As desastres do ano passado. / CORRECT: Os desastres do ano passado.

INCORRECT: Que desastre feia! / CORRECT: Que desastre feio!

Notice the third example carefully: 'Ela é um desastre'. Even when referring to a female person who is clumsy, the noun 'desastre' remains masculine. You do not change the gender of the noun to match the subject. This is a very common mistake for English speakers who are still getting used to grammatical gender.
Gender Agreement
Always use masculine articles (o, um) and masculine adjectives (grande, terrível, feio) with 'desastre', regardless of who or what it refers to.
Pronunciation of 'S'
The first 's' in 'desastre' is pronounced like a 'z' because it sits between two vowels (e and a). Pronouncing it as a sharp 's' is a common phonetic error.
Overuse for Minor Issues
While hyperbole is common, using 'desastre' for a slightly spilled drop of water might sound unnatural. Reserve it for noticeable messes or actual failures.
Another semantic mistake is confusing 'desastre' with 'desgraça'. While both are negative, 'desgraça' translates more closely to 'disgrace' or 'misfortune' and carries a heavier moral or deeply personal tragic weight. A flood is a 'desastre'. Losing your family in the flood is a 'desgraça'. Using 'desgraça' when you mean 'desastre' can make you sound overly dramatic or archaic. Furthermore, learners sometimes struggle with the preposition that follows 'desastre' when describing a lack of skill. As mentioned earlier, use 'em' (in) + noun, or simply use a gerund. Saying 'Sou um desastre para cozinhar' is understandable but slightly less natural than 'Sou um desastre na cozinha' or 'Sou um desastre cozinhando'. By avoiding these common pitfalls—maintaining the masculine gender, nailing the 'z' pronunciation of the intervocalic 's', and choosing the right prepositions—you will sound much more fluent and natural when deploying this highly useful vocabulary word.
To build a robust and nuanced vocabulary in Portuguese, it is essential to understand the synonyms and related terms for 'desastre'. While 'desastre' is a fantastic, versatile word, using it repeatedly can make your speech sound repetitive. Depending on the exact nature of the event, there are several other words that might be more precise. Let us explore the lexical field surrounding 'desastre', examining words like catástrofe, tragédia, acidente, calamidade, and ruína. Each of these carries its own specific flavor and connotation.

A catástrofe climática destruiu a colheita deste ano.

Foi uma verdadeira tragédia familiar.

O acidente de trânsito parou a rodovia por horas.

O país enfrenta uma calamidade pública devido à seca.

O vício levou o empresário à ruína financeira.

'Catástrofe' is perhaps the closest synonym to the literal meaning of 'desastre'. It implies an event of massive, widespread destruction, often natural. You would use 'catástrofe' for a tsunami or a massive earthquake. It sounds slightly more formal and scientific than 'desastre'. 'Tragédia', on the other hand, focuses on the human element of suffering and loss. A plane crash is a 'desastre aéreo', but the loss of the passengers' lives is a 'tragédia'. 'Tragédia' evokes sadness, mourning, and emotional pain.
Catástrofe
Focuses on the massive scale of physical destruction. Often used interchangeably with natural disasters.
Tragédia
Focuses on human suffering, death, and emotional devastation. Can also refer to a theatrical genre.
Acidente
An unexpected event causing damage or injury, but typically on a smaller scale than a disaster (e.g., a car crash, a workplace injury).
Another interesting related word is 'fiasco'. While 'desastre' can mean a failure, 'fiasco' is used exclusively for humiliating, complete failures, especially in public performances, events, or projects. If a highly anticipated concert has terrible sound and the singer forgets the lyrics, it is a 'fiasco' (and colloquially, a 'desastre'). Understanding these distinctions allows you to paint a much clearer picture with your words. If you want to emphasize the suddenness and damage, use 'desastre'. If you want to emphasize the sorrow, use 'tragédia'. If you want to emphasize the sheer scale of annihilation, use 'catástrofe'. If you are talking about a minor fender-bender, stick to 'acidente'. By mastering this cluster of vocabulary, you elevate your Portuguese from basic communication to precise, expressive fluency, capable of navigating both sensitive emotional topics and dramatic storytelling with ease.

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Wichtige Grammatik

Beispiele nach Niveau

1

O desastre foi muito grande.

The disaster was very big.

Uses the masculine article 'O' with the noun.

2

Isso é um desastre.

This is a disaster.

Simple present tense with the verb 'ser'.

3

Eu vi o desastre na TV.

I saw the disaster on TV.

Uses the past tense verb 'vi' (I saw).

4

A chuva causou um desastre.

The rain caused a disaster.

Subject-verb-object structure.

5

Que desastre!

What a disaster!

An exclamation using 'Que'.

6

O bolo caiu. É um desastre.

The cake fell. It is a disaster.

Connecting two simple ideas.

7

Não gosto de filmes de desastre.

I don't like disaster movies.

Using 'de' to create a compound noun phrase.

8

Onde foi o desastre?

Where was the disaster?

Question word 'Onde' (where).

1

O terremoto foi um desastre natural terrível.

The earthquake was a terrible natural disaster.

Adding adjectives 'natural' and 'terrível'.

2

A festa terminou em um desastre.

The party ended in a disaster.

Using the preposition 'em' (in).

3

Eu sou um desastre na cozinha.

I am a disaster in the kitchen.

Metaphorical use with 'na' (in the).

4

Eles perderam tudo no desastre.

They lost everything in the disaster.

Past tense 'perderam' (they lost).

5

O desastre aconteceu ontem à noite.

The disaster happened last night.

Time expression 'ontem à noite'.

6

Muitas pessoas ajudaram depois do desastre.

Many people helped after the disaster.

Using 'depois do' (after the).

7

O projeto foi um desastre total.

The project was a total disaster.

Using 'total' to emphasize the failure.

8

Nós precisamos evitar outro desastre.

We need to avoid another disaster.

Infinitive verb 'evitar' (to avoid).

1

O governo declarou estado de emergência após o desastre.

The government declared a state of emergency after the disaster.

Formal vocabulary 'declarou estado de emergência'.

2

As consequências do desastre ambiental serão sentidas por anos.

The consequences of the environmental disaster will be felt for years.

Passive voice 'serão sentidas' (will be felt).

3

Apesar do desastre, a comunidade se uniu para reconstruir a cidade.

Despite the disaster, the community united to rebuild the city.

Concession clause 'Apesar do' (Despite the).

4

Foi um desastre financeiro para a pequena empresa.

It was a financial disaster for the small business.

Specific context 'desastre financeiro'.

5

Eles estão arrecadando fundos para as vítimas do desastre.

They are raising funds for the victims of the disaster.

Present continuous 'estão arrecadando' (are raising).

6

O desastre aéreo chocou o país inteiro.

The air disaster shocked the entire country.

Collocation 'desastre aéreo'.

7

Se chover mais, será um desastre para a colheita.

If it rains more, it will be a disaster for the harvest.

Future conditional 'Se chover... será'.

8

A reunião foi um desastre porque ninguém estava preparado.

The meeting was a disaster because no one was prepared.

Cause and effect using 'porque'.

1

A falta de planejamento transformou o evento num desastre iminente.

The lack of planning turned the event into an imminent disaster.

Advanced vocabulary 'iminente' and preposition contraction 'num'.

2

Medidas de mitigação foram implementadas para prevenir futuros desastres.

Mitigation measures were implemented to prevent future disasters.

Passive voice in the past 'foram implementadas'.

3

O escândalo de corrupção provou ser um desastre para a imagem do partido.

The corruption scandal proved to be a disaster for the party's image.

Verb phrase 'provou ser' (proved to be).

4

Especialistas alertam que o aquecimento global aumentará a frequência de desastres naturais.

Experts warn that global warming will increase the frequency of natural disasters.

Reported speech and future tense.

5

Ele tentou consertar o encanamento sozinho, o que resultou num desastre.

He tried to fix the plumbing himself, which resulted in a disaster.

Relative pronoun 'o que' referring to the whole previous clause.

6

A resposta lenta das autoridades agravou as proporções do desastre.

The slow response of the authorities worsened the proportions of the disaster.

Advanced verb 'agravou' (worsened).

7

Sobreviver a um desastre dessa magnitude deixa traumas psicológicos profundos.

Surviving a disaster of this magnitude leaves deep psychological trauma.

Infinitive as the subject 'Sobreviver'.

8

O filme retrata a resiliência humana diante de um desastre apocalíptico.

The film portrays human resilience in the face of an apocalyptic disaster.

Prepositional phrase 'diante de' (in the face of).

1

A negligência corporativa foi o catalisador desse desastre ecológico sem precedentes.

Corporate negligence was the catalyst for this unprecedented ecological disaster.

Sophisticated vocabulary 'catalisador' and 'sem precedentes'.

2

O colapso da bolsa de valores desencadeou um desastre econômico em escala global.

The stock market collapse triggered an economic disaster on a global scale.

Advanced verb 'desencadeou' (triggered).

3

Longe de ser uma anomalia, o desastre revelou as falhas sistêmicas da infraestrutura urbana.

Far from being an anomaly, the disaster revealed the systemic flaws of the urban infrastructure.

Introductory phrase 'Longe de ser' (Far from being).

4

A gestão da crise foi tão ineficaz que beirou o desastre absoluto.

The crisis management was so ineffective that it bordered on absolute disaster.

Verb 'beirou' (bordered on) indicating proximity to a state.

5

O relatório concluiu que o desastre poderia ter sido evitado com manutenção adequada.

The report concluded that the disaster could have been avoided with proper maintenance.

Complex past conditional 'poderia ter sido evitado'.

6

A tentativa de reformular a lei educacional culminou num desastre legislativo.

The attempt to reformulate the educational law culminated in a legislative disaster.

Verb 'culminou' (culminated) showing the final result.

7

O autor utiliza a metáfora do desastre para ilustrar a desintegração dos laços familiares.

The author uses the metaphor of disaster to illustrate the disintegration of family ties.

Literary analysis vocabulary.

8

A iminência do desastre forçou o governo a adotar medidas drásticas e impopulares.

The imminence of the disaster forced the government to adopt drastic and unpopular measures.

Abstract noun 'iminência' (imminence).

1

A hecatombe financeira não foi um mero revés, mas um desastre estrutural que reconfigurou a geopolítica.

The financial hecatomb was not a mere setback, but a structural disaster that reconfigured geopolitics.

Highly advanced vocabulary 'hecatombe', 'revés', 'reconfigurou'.

2

O desastre, em sua acepção mais crua, desnuda a fragilidade do pacto social.

The disaster, in its rawest sense, strips bare the fragility of the social contract.

Literary phrasing 'acepção mais crua' and 'desnuda'.

3

A retórica inflamada do líder populista precipitou um desastre diplomático de proporções incalculáveis.

The populist leader's inflammatory rhetoric precipitated a diplomatic disaster of incalculable proportions.

Verb 'precipitou' used metaphorically for causing an event.

4

Ao negligenciar os avisos premonitórios, a administração pavimentou o caminho para o desastre.

By neglecting the premonitory warnings, the administration paved the way for disaster.

Infinitive clause 'Ao negligenciar' and idiom 'pavimentou o caminho'.

5

A obra literária postula que o verdadeiro desastre reside na apatia coletiva, e não na ruína material.

The literary work postulates that the true disaster resides in collective apathy, and not in material ruin.

Academic verb 'postula' and philosophical contrast.

6

A sucessão de equívocos táticos transmutou uma operação rotineira num desastre retumbante.

The succession of tactical errors transmuted a routine operation into a resounding disaster.

Poetic/advanced verbs 'transmutou' and adjective 'retumbante'.

7

A crônica aborda o desastre cotidiano das pequenas desilusões que corroem a alma.

The chronicle addresses the everyday disaster of small disappointments that corrode the soul.

Metaphorical extension of the word to emotional states.

8

O inquérito revelou uma teia de corrupção subjacente ao desastre, obliterando qualquer narrativa de fatalidade.

The inquiry revealed a web of corruption underlying the disaster, obliterating any narrative of fatality.

Complex syntax and advanced vocabulary 'subjacente', 'obliterando'.

Häufige Kollokationen

desastre natural
desastre ambiental
desastre aéreo
desastre financeiro
desastre total
evitar um desastre
causar um desastre
zona de desastre
recuperação de desastres
um desastre ambulante

Häufige Phrasen

Foi um desastre.

Que desastre!

Acabou em desastre.

Um desastre à espera de acontecer.

Sou um desastre nisso.

Um verdadeiro desastre.

Prevenir o desastre.

À beira do desastre.

Receita para o desastre.

Desastre de proporções épicas.

Wird oft verwechselt mit

desastre vs desgraça

desastre vs acidente

desastre vs tragédia

Redewendungen & Ausdrücke

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

Leicht verwechselbar

desastre vs

desastre vs

desastre vs

desastre vs

desastre vs

Satzmuster

So verwendest du es

note

While 'desastre' is highly versatile, be careful not to use it to describe a deeply personal, moral tragedy (like a family disgrace), where 'desgraça' would be more appropriate. Stick to 'desastre' for physical destruction, accidents, or failures.

Häufige Fehler
  • Using the feminine article ('a desastre' instead of 'o desastre').
  • Pronouncing the first 's' as a sharp 's' instead of a 'z'.
  • Using 'estar' instead of 'ser' when calling someone a disaster ('Estou um desastre' instead of 'Sou um desastre').
  • Confusing 'desastre' with 'desgraça' in inappropriate contexts.
  • Using 'para' instead of 'em' when stating a lack of skill ('um desastre para matemática' instead of 'em matemática').

Tipps

Masculine Gender

Always remember that 'desastre' is masculine. Say 'o desastre', never 'a desastre'. This is a very common mistake for beginners.

The 'Z' Sound

The 's' in the middle of 'desastre' makes a 'z' sound. Practice saying 'de-ZAS-tre' out loud to get used to it.

Use with 'Ser'

When describing a clumsy person, use the verb 'ser' (to be permanently), not 'estar' (to be temporarily). Say 'Eu sou um desastre'.

Hyperbole is Normal

Don't be afraid to use 'desastre' for small things like a bad haircut or a ruined dinner. Portuguese speakers love dramatic exaggeration.

Synonyms for Variety

If you are talking about a massive natural event, try using 'catástrofe' instead of 'desastre' to sound more advanced.

Preposition 'Em'

To say you are a disaster AT something, use the preposition 'em'. For example, 'um desastre em biologia'.

Specific Collocations

Learn common pairings like 'desastre aéreo' (plane crash) and 'desastre ambiental' (environmental disaster) for reading the news.

Portuguese Usage

If you are in Portugal, remember that 'desastre' is often used just to mean a car accident, not necessarily a huge catastrophe.

Avoid 'Desgraça' for Objects

Do not use 'desgraça' when you mean a physical mess or a failed project. Stick to 'desastre' to sound natural.

Einprägen

Wortherkunft

From Old Italian 'disastro', from the pejorative prefix 'dis-' + 'astro' (star).

Kultureller Kontext

Often used for environmental tragedies (e.g., dam collapses) and playfully for personal clumsiness ('Sou um desastre').

Can also be used as a direct synonym for a car accident ('Tive um desastre' = I had a car crash).

Im Alltag üben

Kontexte aus dem Alltag

Gesprächseinstiege

"Você se lembra de algum desastre natural que aconteceu recentemente?"

"Qual foi o maior desastre que você já fez na cozinha?"

"Você acha que o mundo está preparado para um grande desastre ecológico?"

"Você se considera um desastre em alguma atividade específica?"

"Como as pessoas costumam ajudar umas às outras depois de um desastre?"

Tagebuch-Impulse

Escreva sobre uma vez em que um plano seu terminou em desastre.

Descreva um desastre natural que você viu nas notícias e como você se sentiu.

Se você fosse um líder, como prepararia sua cidade para um desastre?

Escreva uma história engraçada sobre um 'desastre' em um encontro romântico.

Qual é a diferença entre um acidente e um desastre na sua opinião?

Häufig gestellte Fragen

10 Fragen

It is a masculine noun. You must always say 'o desastre' or 'um desastre'. Do not let the 'e' ending trick you into thinking it is feminine. Adjectives must also be masculine, like 'desastre terrível' or 'desastre feio'. This rule applies even if you are using the word to describe a woman.

The first 's' is pronounced like a 'z'. This is because it is located between two vowels (e and a). So, it sounds like 'de-ZAS-tre'. The second 's' (if plural) at the end of the word sounds like a regular 's' in Brazil, or a 'sh' in Portugal.

Yes, but only in a figurative, informal way. You can say 'Ele é um desastre' to mean he is very clumsy or bad at something. It is a common, slightly humorous way to describe someone who drops things or fails at simple tasks. Remember to keep the noun masculine even for a female subject.

An 'acidente' is usually an unexpected event that causes some damage or injury, like a minor car crash or dropping a glass. A 'desastre' is much larger in scale, causing widespread destruction or loss of life, like an earthquake. However, in Portugal, 'desastre' is sometimes used interchangeably with a car crash.

A 'desastre' is an event of physical destruction or a complete failure. A 'desgraça' translates more to 'disgrace' or 'misfortune' and carries a heavy emotional, moral, or deeply personal weight. Losing your house in a flood is a desastre; the resulting suffering of your family is a desgraça.

You say 'desastre natural'. It is a very common collocation. Examples include terremotos (earthquakes), enchentes (floods), and furacões (hurricanes). The plural is 'desastres naturais'.

Absolutely. In informal Portuguese, 'desastre' is frequently used to describe any event, project, or situation that was a complete failure. If a party had bad music, no food, and everyone left early, you can definitely call it 'um desastre'.

You typically use 'em' (in) followed by the noun. For example, 'Sou um desastre em matemática' (I am a disaster at math). You can also use 'na' or 'no' (in the) for specific places, like 'Sou um desastre na cozinha' (I am a disaster in the kitchen).

It is both. It is a standard, formal word used in news and academic writing to describe catastrophes. At the same time, it is a highly common informal word used in daily conversation to exaggerate a minor failure or mess.

It translates literally to 'walking disaster'. It is a humorous idiom used to describe a person who is constantly causing accidents, making messes, or doing things wrong. It is a very expressive way to call someone extremely clumsy.

Teste dich selbst 180 Fragen

/ 180 correct

Perfect score!

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