No tocante à avaliação

You typically place this phrase at the very beginning of a sentence or immediately after a comma to introduce a new sub-topic. Think of it as a spotlight. You’re moving the light away from the team’s effort and shining it directly on the avaliação (the evaluation). It’s almost always followed by a noun, and because avaliação is feminine, you must use the à with the crase (the back-accent). If you’re writing a report, you might start a paragraph with it to keep things organized. In speech, it’s used to sound more authoritative. It’s like saying, 'Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: the grades.' It’s a very clean way to compartmentalize your thoughts so your audience doesn't get lost in a sea of casual chatter. Just remember to keep your posture straight when saying it!

This phrase lives in the 'Very Formal' neighborhood. You won’t hear teenagers saying this at a skate park unless they’re making a joke about their grades. It’s the bread and butter of lawyers, CEOs, and professors. Using it in a casual WhatsApp group with friends will make you look like you’ve been reading too many legal documents. However, on LinkedIn or in a professional email, it’s like a secret handshake. it shows you know how to navigate the 'bureaucratic' side of the language. It commands respect and sets a professional boundary. If you use it, people will assume you have a high level of education or at least a very good dictionary. It’s definitely not 'chill,' but sometimes in life, you don't want to be chill—you want to be heard.

Imagine you are reading a news article about the national education system. The journalist might write: No tocante à avaliação dos alunos, o governo propõe mudanças. (Regarding the evaluation of students, the government proposes changes). Or picture a LinkedIn post from an HR expert discussing performance reviews: No tocante à avaliação de desempenho, a transparência é fundamental. (Regarding performance evaluation, transparency is fundamental). You'll also see it in formal feedback forms. If a professor is writing notes on your thesis, they might start a sentence with this to focus on your grading criteria. It’s also common in official government statements or when a CEO is explaining why the quarterly bonuses are smaller than expected. It’s the 'serious business' flag of the Portuguese language.

Use this when the stakes are high. It’s perfect for a job interview when you want to ask about how they measure success: 'How do you handle things no tocante à avaliação of new hires?' It’s also great for academic writing, like a thesis or a formal essay, where using sobre too many times makes your writing look repetitive and basic. If you’re giving a presentation at work, using this phrase helps you transition between slides smoothly. It’s also useful when you need to be very precise and don't want your words to be misinterpreted. Essentially, use it whenever you need to sound like the most professional person in the room—or at least like someone who knows exactly where the à accent goes.

Please, for the love of all that is holy, do not use this when ordering a pizza. 'No tocante à avaliação da minha pizza, eu gostaria de mais queijo' will get you some very weird looks from the delivery guy. Avoid it in casual texts, during dates (unless your date is a dictionary editor), or when talking to kids. It’s too heavy for light conversations. If you use it while grabbing a beer with friends, they might ask if you’re planning to sue them. It’s like wearing a tuxedo to a backyard barbecue—you’ll look impressive, but everyone will be uncomfortable. Stick to sobre or em relação a for your everyday life. Save the big guns for the office or the classroom.

The most common crime committed with this phrase is forgetting the crase on the à. People often write No tocante a avaliação (wrong!) instead of No tocante à avaliação (right!). Remember: tocante requires the preposition a, and avaliação has the article a. When they meet, they fuse into à. Another mistake is using de instead of a. ✗ No tocante da avaliação is a big no-no. It sounds like you’re trying to be formal but missed the mark. Also, don't overstay its welcome. If you use it three times in one paragraph, you’ll sound like a broken robot. Variety is the spice of life, even in corporate emails. Lastly, make sure the noun following it is actually a noun—don't try to follow it with a verb directly.

If you want to sound slightly less like a 19th-century poet but still professional, you can use No que tange à avaliação. It means the exact same thing but uses the verb tanger (to touch/relate to). Another popular sibling is No que diz respeito à avaliação (In what concerns the evaluation). This one is very common in news broadcasts. If you need something a bit shorter, Quanto à avaliação (As for the evaluation) works wonders. It’s still formal but feels a bit more modern. If you want to go even more formal (yes, it’s possible), you could use Relativamente à avaliação. Choosing between these is like choosing between different shades of blue for a business suit—the vibe is the same, but the nuance is slightly different.

Is it too formal for an email to a colleague? If you've worked together for years, yes. Use sobre. If it's a new colleague or a boss, it's fine. Is No tocante a always used with feminine words? No, if the word is masculine, like projeto, it becomes No tocante ao projeto. Does it sound old-fashioned? A little bit, but in a 'respected professional' way, not a 'my grandfather wrote this' way. Can I use it in Brazil and Portugal? Absolutely, it’s a standard formal expression in both. Is it the same as 'about'? Yes, but specifically a 'formal about' that introduces a specific topic. Use it wisely, and you'll sound like a pro!