Meaning
For the benefit or welfare of the country.
Cultural Background
The phrase is inextricably linked to the 'Estado Novo' dictatorship. It was the mandatory closing for all official state documents, making it a symbol of bureaucratic authority and censorship. In Brazil, the phrase is used in high-level legal and political discourse, often appearing in discussions about the Constitution or major national crises, without the specific 'Salazarist' baggage. Used in post-independence rhetoric to emphasize national unity and the collective effort needed to rebuild the country after the civil war. Similar to Angola, it appears in formal political speeches to invoke a sense of shared destiny and patriotic duty.
Historical Sensitivity
Be aware that in Portugal, this phrase can sound like an echo of the dictatorship. Use it with historical awareness.
Essay Writing
Use this phrase in the conclusion of a formal essay to give it a solemn, authoritative finish.
Meaning
For the benefit or welfare of the country.
Historical Sensitivity
Be aware that in Portugal, this phrase can sound like an echo of the dictatorship. Use it with historical awareness.
Essay Writing
Use this phrase in the conclusion of a formal essay to give it a solemn, authoritative finish.
Brazilian Usage
In Brazil, you can use this more freely in formal civic contexts without people thinking of Salazar.
Test Yourself
Complete the sentence with the correct formal expression.
O diplomata assinou o acordo ________ da nação.
The standard idiomatic expression is 'a bem da nação'.
In which context is 'A bem da nação' most appropriate?
Context selection:
The phrase is highly formal and has significant historical weight.
Complete the dialogue between a historian and a student.
Historian: 'O regime usava a censura como uma ferramenta...' Student: '...e justificava-a dizendo que era ________.'
This was the specific historical justification used during the Estado Novo.
Match the phrase to the most likely speaker.
Who would say 'A bem da nação'?
It is a hallmark of formal political and civic rhetoric.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Formality Levels
Practice Bank
4 exercisesO diplomata assinou o acordo ________ da nação.
The standard idiomatic expression is 'a bem da nação'.
Context selection:
The phrase is highly formal and has significant historical weight.
Historian: 'O regime usava a censura como uma ferramenta...' Student: '...e justificava-a dizendo que era ________.'
This was the specific historical justification used during the Estado Novo.
Who would say 'A bem da nação'?
It is a hallmark of formal political and civic rhetoric.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, but rarely. It appears in very formal preambles or high-level judicial justifications regarding national interest.
Only if you are being sarcastic. It's like saying 'For the glory of the Empire' in English while doing something mundane.
'A bem da' is the traditional, 'frozen' idiomatic form. 'Pelo bem da' is more modern and slightly less formal, though still high-register.
Almost always. It relates to the state, the country, or the collective national interest.
It is common in formal political and legal speech, but it doesn't have the same 'mandatory stamp' history as in Portugal.
Focus on the nasal 'ão'. It's similar to the 'oun' in 'round' but produced entirely through the nose.
It's grammatically possible but sounds very strange. You would usually say 'pelo bem da minha família'.
It's an archaic prepositional structure that survived in this specific idiom.
Yes, especially in historical novels or books by authors like José Saramago who critique Portuguese history.
There isn't a direct opposite idiom, but one might say 'em detrimento da nação' (to the detriment of the nation).
Related Phrases
Em prol de
synonymIn favor of / for the benefit of
Pelo bem comum
similarFor the common good
A bem dizer
contrastSo to speak / truth be told
Razão de estado
builds onReason of state
