Significado
To almost remember something but not quite recall it.
Contexto cultural
Brazilians often accompany this phrase with a physical gesture: tapping their chin or actually pointing to their tongue to emphasize the physical frustration. In Portugal, the phrase is used identically, but the pronunciation of 'ponta' has a more closed 'o' sound compared to the open Brazilian 'o'. In Luanda, you might hear this in 'Musseques' (neighborhoods) mixed with local slang, but the core idiom remains a pillar of formal and informal Portuguese. In Cape Verdean Portuguese, the idiom is often used in the context of storytelling (tradition of 'stórias'), where a narrator might 'lose' a word to build suspense.
Buy Time
Use this phrase to avoid 'um' and 'uh' sounds. It makes you sound more fluent even when you forget words.
Don't say 'no'
Remember: 'na ponta' (feminine). 'No ponta' is a common gender error.
Significado
To almost remember something but not quite recall it.
Buy Time
Use this phrase to avoid 'um' and 'uh' sounds. It makes you sound more fluent even when you forget words.
Don't say 'no'
Remember: 'na ponta' (feminine). 'No ponta' is a common gender error.
Ponte a prueba
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the verb 'estar' and the preposition.
O nome do professor ___ ___ ponta da língua.
We use 'está' for temporary states and 'na' because 'ponta' is feminine.
Which sentence means you ALMOST remember something?
Qual frase está correta?
This is the idiomatic way to say you almost remember.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Como se chama aquele café? B: Hum... ____!
This is the natural response when you can't recall a name immediately.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Situation: You are in an interview and forget a technical term.
It describes the temporary lapse of memory.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosO nome do professor ___ ___ ponta da língua.
We use 'está' for temporary states and 'na' because 'ponta' is feminine.
Qual frase está correta?
This is the idiomatic way to say you almost remember.
A: Como se chama aquele café? B: Hum... ____!
This is the natural response when you can't recall a name immediately.
Situation: You are in an interview and forget a technical term.
It describes the temporary lapse of memory.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasYes, it is most commonly used for names and specific nouns.
It is 'na', which is the contraction of 'em' (in/on) + 'a' (the).
Yes, it is perfectly polite and used in all social circles.
'Estar' is for the word being stuck; 'Ter' is for the person being ready to speak.
Yes, it is 100% common in Portugal as well.
No, 'língua' is feminine, so it would be 'da minha língua', but usually we just say 'da língua'.
In Brazil, people just say 'Tá na ponta!' for short.
Usually, it's for a word or a short idea, not a long speech.
No, it implies you will remember very soon.
Yes, to explain a temporary lapse in a presentation.
Frases relacionadas
Saber de cor
contrastTo know by heart.
Dar um branco
similarTo have a mind blank.
Ter a língua afiada
specialized formTo be sarcastic or sharp-tongued.
Falar pelos cotovelos
similarTo talk a lot (through the elbows).
