quer dizer
quer dizer 30 सेकंड में
- An essential Portuguese phrase meaning 'it means' or 'I mean'.
- Used to clarify, correct oneself, or ask for the definition of words.
- Very common in both formal and informal spoken and written Portuguese.
- Acts as a discourse marker to link ideas and explain implications.
The Portuguese expression quer dizer is one of the most versatile and indispensable tools in a learner's vocabulary. Literally translated as wants to say, its functional equivalent in English is usually it means, I mean, or that is to say. It acts as a bridge between a concept and its explanation, or as a pivot point when a speaker realizes they need to clarify or correct what they just said. Whether you are navigating a complex philosophical debate or simply trying to order the right type of coffee in a busy Lisbon pastelaria, quer dizer serves as your linguistic safety net.
- Literal Meaning
- The phrase combines the verb querer (to want) in the third person singular with the infinitive dizer (to say). In a literal sense, something wants to say something else.
- Functional Meaning
- It is primarily used as a discourse marker to introduce a clarification, a definition, or a reformulation of a previous statement.
Ele está atrasado, quer dizer, ele ainda não chegou.
In everyday conversation, the frequency of this phrase cannot be overstated. It is used to define terms: A palavra 'saudade' quer dizer um sentimento de falta (The word 'saudade' means a feeling of missing something). It is also used as a filler when the speaker is searching for the right word, much like how English speakers use I mean... while pausing. This versatility makes it a high-frequency item that helps speech sound more natural and fluid.
O que isso quer dizer exatamente?
- Clarification
- Used to explain a concept in simpler terms or to provide a synonym for a difficult word.
Furthermore, quer dizer can be used to ask for the meaning of something you don't understand. If someone uses a slang term you haven't heard, you can simply point and ask, O que quer dizer isso? (What does that mean?). This makes it an essential survival phrase for any student of the Portuguese language.
Amanhã é feriado, quer dizer, não temos aula.
Using quer dizer correctly involves understanding its two main syntactic roles: as a main verb phrase in a question or definition, and as an adverbial connector in a sentence. When it functions as a verb, it follows the subject (the thing that has a meaning). When it functions as a connector, it usually sits between two clauses, often preceded by a comma.
- As a Definitional Verb
- Structure: [Subject] + quer dizer + [Meaning]. Example: 'Gato' quer dizer 'cat' em inglês.
Isso quer dizer que você não vem?
In questions, the word order can shift slightly, but the core remains the same. O que quer dizer esta palavra? is the standard way to ask for a definition. Notice that the subject esta palavra comes after the verb phrase here. This is common in Portuguese questions to keep the focus on the inquiry.
- As a Self-Correction Marker
- Structure: [Statement A], quer dizer, [Statement B]. Example: Vamos às oito, quer dizer, às nove.
Eu gosto de ler, quer dizer, quando tenho tempo.
One of the most powerful ways to use quer dizer is to introduce a conclusion. If you have just listed several facts, you can use the phrase to summarize the implication. For instance: As lojas estão fechadas e as ruas estão vazias. Quer dizer que é feriado. (The shops are closed and the streets are empty. It means it is a holiday.) This usage is very common in logical reasoning and storytelling.
Não temos dinheiro, quer dizer, não o suficiente para viajar.
- Interrogative Use
- When asking 'What do you mean?', you say: O que você quer dizer com isso?
You will hear quer dizer in almost every conceivable social setting in the Lusophone world. From the formal halls of a university lecture in Coimbra to the bustling street markets of Rio de Janeiro, this phrase is a staple of spoken Portuguese. It is particularly prevalent in instructional settings where a teacher is explaining a new concept or a parent is correcting a child's understanding of a situation.
- In the Classroom
- Teachers use it to simplify complex ideas. 'A fotossíntese é o processo... quer dizer, é como as plantas fazem comida.'
O professor disse que a prova será difícil, quer dizer, temos que estudar muito.
In television interviews and podcasts, speakers use quer dizer as a linguistic crutch to buy time while they formulate their next thought. It is much more polite than a simple silence or a grunt. It signals to the listener: 'I am refining my point; stay with me.' In scripted media like soap operas (telenovelas), it is used to heighten tension or clarify plot points for the audience.
Você não gosta dela, quer dizer, você não a conhece bem.
- In Business Meetings
- Used to clarify terms of a contract or a project goal to ensure everyone is on the same page.
In casual social gatherings, you'll hear friends using it to correct themselves mid-sentence if they exaggerate or get a detail wrong. For example, 'Eu comi dez fatias de pizza, quer dizer, cinco.' It adds a layer of honesty and relatability to the conversation. It is also common in political speeches to soften a harsh statement or to emphasize a specific interpretation of a policy.
A economia está crescendo, quer dizer, para alguns setores.
While quer dizer is a friendly phrase, there are a few pitfalls that English speakers often fall into. The most common mistake is overusing it as a direct translation for I mean in contexts where a different filler would be more appropriate. In English, we use I mean very loosely; in Portuguese, quer dizer usually implies a more specific explanatory intent.
- Confusing with 'Significa'
- While both mean 'it means', significa is more formal and often used for symbols or logical consequences, whereas quer dizer is more conversational.
Errado: O que você significa com isso? (Wrong for 'What do you mean by that?')
Correto: O que você quer dizer com isso?
Another mistake is forgetting to use the third person singular. Even if you are talking about yourself (I mean), you don't usually say quero dizer unless you are being very emphatic or formal about your intention to speak. In most cases, the idiomatic quer dizer (it wants to say) is the fixed form used as a connector, regardless of the subject.
Não é que eu não queira ir, quer dizer, eu só estou cansado.
- Pronunciation Pitfall
- Learners often over-pronounce the 'r' at the end of 'quer'. In many dialects, especially in Brazil, the 'r' is very soft or even silent in fast speech.
Lastly, do not confuse quer dizer with querer dizer in the sense of 'wanting to speak'. If you want to say 'I want to speak to you', you say Quero falar com você. Using querer dizer in that context sounds like you are trying to define yourself, which would be very confusing for a native speaker.
Portuguese offers several synonyms for quer dizer, each with its own nuance and level of formality. Understanding these alternatives will help you sound more sophisticated and precise in your communication. While quer dizer is the 'Swiss Army knife' of clarifications, these other phrases are more like specialized tools.
- Ou seja
- This is perhaps the closest synonym. It means 'or rather' or 'that is'. It is slightly more formal than quer dizer and is very common in academic and professional writing.
- Isto é
- Meaning 'this is', it is used exactly like the English 'i.e.' to provide a specific definition or clarification. It is quite formal and less common in casual speech.
Ele é um poliglota, ou seja, fala várias línguas.
Another option is em outras palavras (in other words). This is great for when you feel you have been too technical or confusing and want to start over with a simpler explanation. It is identical in usage to the English equivalent. For a very informal, slang-heavy alternative in Brazil, you might hear tipo or tipo assim, but use these sparingly as they can sound repetitive.
O projeto foi cancelado, em outras palavras, estamos sem trabalho.
- Significa que
- Use this when you want to point out a direct consequence. 'Nuvens pretas significam que vai chover.'
Finally, there is melhor dizendo (better said). This is specifically for when you want to improve upon a word you just used. It's more precise than quer dizer when your goal is purely linguistic refinement rather than correcting a factual error.
How Formal Is It?
रोचक तथ्य
While English uses 'mean' (from a root meaning 'to intend'), Portuguese uses 'want to say', personifying the words themselves as having desires.
उच्चारण मार्गदर्शिका
- Pronouncing 'quer' like 'queer'.
- Making the 'z' in 'dizer' too sharp like an 's'.
- Over-emphasizing the final 'r'.
कठिनाई स्तर
Very easy to recognize in text.
Requires correct punctuation (commas).
Easy to use, but requires correct intonation.
Can be fast and slightly slurred in casual speech.
आगे क्या सीखें
पूर्वापेक्षाएँ
आगे सीखें
उन्नत
स्तर के अनुसार उदाहरण
O que quer dizer 'mesa'?
What does 'mesa' mean?
Simple question structure.
Isso quer dizer 'sim'?
Does that mean 'yes'?
Using 'isso' as a subject.
Quer dizer que você gosta?
Does it mean you like it?
Using 'quer dizer que' to start a question.
Maçã quer dizer 'apple'.
Maçã means 'apple'.
Direct definition.
O que quer dizer isso?
What does this mean?
General inquiry.
Não sei o que quer dizer.
I don't know what it means.
Negative sentence.
Quer dizer 'obrigado'.
It means 'thank you'.
Dropping the subject.
Livro quer dizer 'book'.
Livro means 'book'.
Vocabulary practice.
Vou amanhã, quer dizer, hoje.
I'm going tomorrow, I mean, today.
Self-correction.
O céu está escuro, quer dizer que vai chover.
The sky is dark, it means it's going to rain.
Logical consequence.
Ela é minha irmã, quer dizer, meia-irmã.
She is my sister, I mean, half-sister.
Clarifying a relationship.
O ônibus já passou, quer dizer que estamos atrasados.
The bus already passed, it means we are late.
Drawing a conclusion.
Quero um café, quer dizer, um chá.
I want a coffee, I mean, a tea.
Correcting a request.
Ele não ligou, quer dizer que esqueceu.
He didn't call, it means he forgot.
Inference.
A loja fecha às seis, quer dizer, agora.
The shop closes at six, I mean, now.
Temporal correction.
Isso quer dizer que acabou?
Does that mean it's over?
Asking for confirmation.
O filme foi bom, quer dizer, a primeira parte foi.
The movie was good, I mean, the first part was.
Nuancing an opinion.
Ele é rico, quer dizer, ele tem muito dinheiro mas não tem tempo.
He is rich, I mean, he has a lot of money but no time.
Adding detail.
Você quer dizer que eu estou errado?
Do you mean that I am wrong?
Clarifying intent.
A viagem foi cansativa, quer dizer, valeu a pena mas foi longa.
The trip was tiring, I mean, it was worth it but long.
Balancing statements.
O que você quer dizer com essa cara?
What do you mean with that face?
Interpreting non-verbal cues.
Quer dizer, não é que eu não goste, eu só prefiro o outro.
I mean, it's not that I don't like it, I just prefer the other one.
Using as a filler/pivot.
Se ele não vem, quer dizer que a festa vai ser menor.
If he isn't coming, it means the party will be smaller.
Hypothetical consequence.
A palavra 'gentileza' quer dizer ser bom com os outros.
The word 'gentileza' means being good to others.
Defining abstract nouns.
A economia está em recessão, quer dizer que o consumo vai cair.
The economy is in recession, which means consumption will drop.
Formal logical link.
Eles ganharam o jogo, quer dizer, por sorte.
They won the game, I mean, by luck.
Introducing a qualifier.
O que o autor quer dizer com essa metáfora?
What does the author mean with this metaphor?
Literary analysis.
Não é um adeus, quer dizer, é só um até logo.
It's not a goodbye, I mean, it's just a see you later.
Softening a statement.
A nova lei, quer dizer, a proposta de lei, ainda está em debate.
The new law, I mean, the bill, is still under debate.
Precise correction.
Quer dizer que você sabia de tudo o tempo todo?
Does it mean you knew everything all along?
Expressing surprise/accusation.
O sucesso demora, quer dizer, requer muita persistência.
Success takes time, I mean, it requires a lot of persistence.
Expanding an idea.
Ele é muito direto, quer dizer, às vezes ele é um pouco rude.
He is very direct, I mean, sometimes he is a bit rude.
Euphemism usage.
A reforma, quer dizer, o arremedo de reforma que fizeram, não resolveu nada.
The reform, I mean, the mockery of a reform they did, solved nothing.
Using for irony/criticism.
Isso quer dizer, em última análise, que a soberania está em risco.
This means, in the final analysis, that sovereignty is at risk.
Complex adverbial insertion.
Não quer dizer que eu concorde com ele, apenas entendo seu ponto.
It doesn't mean I agree with him, I just understand his point.
Subjunctive mood implication (concorde).
O que se quer dizer com 'justiça social' varia muito hoje em dia.
What is meant by 'social justice' varies a lot nowadays.
Passive voice construction (se quer).
Quer dizer, se formos analisar os dados friamente, o projeto falhou.
I mean, if we analyze the data coldly, the project failed.
Conditional clause integration.
Ele é um gênio, quer dizer, no sentido mais estrito da palavra.
He is a genius, I mean, in the strictest sense of the word.
Strict definition marker.
A liberdade, quer dizer, a ilusão de liberdade, é o que nos move.
Freedom, I mean, the illusion of freedom, is what moves us.
Philosophical nuance.
Dizer que ele é 'difícil' é pouco, quer dizer, ele é impossível.
Saying he is 'difficult' is an understatement, I mean, he is impossible.
Hyperbolic correction.
O texto é ambíguo, quer dizer, ele se presta a múltiplas interpretações.
The text is ambiguous, that is to say, it lends itself to multiple interpretations.
High-level academic style.
Não quer dizer, absolutamente, que a empresa esteja falindo.
It does not mean, absolutely, that the company is going bankrupt.
Emphatic negation.
O que o silêncio quer dizer em certas culturas é fascinante.
What silence means in certain cultures is fascinating.
Abstract subject.
Quer dizer, para não dizer outra coisa, que ele foi irresponsável.
It means, to say nothing else, that he was irresponsible.
Idiomatic insertion for emphasis.
Isso quer dizer que o paradigma mudou irrevogavelmente.
This means that the paradigm has shifted irrevocably.
Advanced vocabulary (paradigmas, irrevogavelmente).
A arte não quer dizer nada, ela apenas é.
Art doesn't mean anything, it just is.
Existential statement.
Quer dizer, se é que me faço entender, que a situação é grave.
I mean, if I'm making myself understood, that the situation is grave.
Parenthetical clause (se é que...).
A palavra em si não quer dizer nada fora de contexto.
The word itself means nothing out of context.
Linguistic analysis.
सामान्य शब्द संयोजन
सामान्य वाक्यांश
— Asking for the meaning of an object or situation.
O que quer dizer isso no chão?
— That doesn't mean anything/is irrelevant.
Ele sorriu, mas isso não quer dizer nada.
मुहावरे और अभिव्यक्तियाँ
— Without wanting to imply anything (often used before a criticism).
Sem querer dizer nada, mas seu carro está sujo.
Informal— To mean the world to someone.
Esse presente quer dizer o mundo para ela.
Emotional— To speak one's mind without filters.
Ele sempre diz o que quer, sem pensar.
Neutral— A filler phrase used to seek agreement.
A vida é difícil, quer dizer, né?
Slang/Informal— Means absolutely nothing (vulgar).
O que ele falou não quer dizer bosta nenhuma.
Vulgar— What the eyes don't see, the heart doesn't feel (idiom involving 'to see' but often explained with 'quer dizer').
Isso quer dizer que se você não sabe, não sofre.
Proverbial— It means every man for himself.
A empresa faliu. Quer dizer, salve-se quem puder.
Informal— To be vague or ambiguous.
Ele ficou naquele dizer e não dizer o tempo todo.
Literary— That's what it means, end of story.
Ele não vem. Quer dizer, ponto final.
Emphatic— What does this mean in practical terms?
Bonito no papel, mas o que quer dizer na prática?
Professionalशब्द परिवार
संज्ञा
क्रिया
विशेषण
संबंधित
याद करें
स्मृति सहायक
Think of a word 'wanting' (quer) to 'say' (dizer) its secret meaning to you.
दृश्य संबंध
Imagine a word with a little mouth and a speech bubble, 'wanting' to tell you what it is.
Word Web
चैलेंज
Try to use 'quer dizer' three times in your next conversation to correct a small mistake.
शब्द की उत्पत्ति
Derived from the Latin 'quaerere' (to seek/want) and 'dicere' (to say). The combination evolved in Old Portuguese as a way to express the 'intent' of a word.
मूल अर्थ: Literally 'to seek to say' or 'to intend to express'.
Romance (Indo-European).सांस्कृतिक संदर्भ
Be careful not to use it to sound patronizing when explaining things to others.
English speakers use 'I mean' much more frequently as a pure filler (like 'um'). In Portuguese, 'quer dizer' usually carries more semantic weight.
असल ज़िंदगी में अभ्यास करें
वास्तविक संदर्भ
Learning Language
- O que quer dizer isso?
- Como se diz...?
- Quer dizer 'dog'?
- Não entendi o que quer dizer.
Correcting Yourself
- Vou amanhã, quer dizer, hoje.
- Dez reais, quer dizer, doze.
- Ela é médica, quer dizer, enfermeira.
- Moro em Lisboa, quer dizer, perto de Lisboa.
Arguments
- O que você quer dizer com isso?
- Isso não quer dizer nada!
- Quer dizer que eu estou mentindo?
- Não foi isso que eu quis dizer.
Logic/Conclusions
- Isso quer dizer que vencemos.
- Quer dizer que o plano falhou.
- Luz vermelha quer dizer pare.
- Se ele não ligou, quer dizer que não vem.
Clarifying Concepts
Summary
The phrase 'quer dizer' is the most natural way to explain things or correct yourself in Portuguese. For example, 'Vou às duas, quer dizer, às três' (I'm going at two, I mean, at three).
- An essential Portuguese phrase meaning 'it means' or 'I mean'.
- Used to clarify, correct oneself, or ask for the definition of words.
- Very common in both formal and informal spoken and written Portuguese.
- Acts as a discourse marker to link ideas and explain implications.
संबंधित सामग्री
संबंधित मुहावरे
work के और शब्द
a curto prazo
A2अल्पकालिक। हमें अल्पकालिक समाधान की आवश्यकता है।
à exceção de
B1With the exception of; apart from.
a longo prazo
A2Over a long period of time; long-term.
a não ser que
A2इसका अर्थ है 'जब तक कि' या 'सिवाय इसके कि' ।
a partir de
A2से; शुरू करते हुए। 'कल से मैं पढ़ाई शुरू करूँगा।' 'कीमतें दस यूरो से शुरू होती हैं।'
a prazo
A2For a period of time; on credit or payment terms.
a tempo inteiro
B1Full-time; working the full number of hours considered normal for a job.
a tempo parcial
B1अंशकालिक काम उन लोगों के लिए अच्छा है जो पढ़ाई कर रहे हैं।
abdicar
A2To give up, to abdicate; to renounce or relinquish a throne, right, power, or claim.
acessível
B1सुलभ, किफायती। जिस तक पहुंचना, समझना या भुगतान करना आसान हो।