Meaning
To acquire income through work, investment, or other means.
Cultural Background
The term 'grana' is the most common informal way to say money. Brazilians often talk about 'ganhar uma grana' for side jobs. In Portugal, 'guito' or 'massa' are common slang terms for money. The phrase 'ganhar a vida' is very common in traditional neighborhoods. In Luanda, you might hear 'mumbaca' or 'kwanza' (the currency) used in place of 'dinheiro'. There is a common proverb: 'Tempo é dinheiro' (Time is money), reflecting the universal value of productivity.
Use 'Ganhar a vida'
If someone asks what you do, you can say 'Eu ganho a vida como...' to sound very natural.
Avoid 'Fazer'
In Portugal, 'fazer dinheiro' can sound like you are literally manufacturing fake bills.
Meaning
To acquire income through work, investment, or other means.
Use 'Ganhar a vida'
If someone asks what you do, you can say 'Eu ganho a vida como...' to sound very natural.
Avoid 'Fazer'
In Portugal, 'fazer dinheiro' can sound like you are literally manufacturing fake bills.
Money Slang
In Brazil, 'grana' is your best friend for informal conversations.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'ganhar'.
Eu ______ muito dinheiro no meu novo emprego.
The subject is 'Eu' (I), so the verb must be in the first person singular present tense.
Which sentence means 'She won the lottery'?
Escolha a frase correta:
'Ganhou' is the past tense of 'ganhar', and 'na loteria' specifies the source of winning.
Match the Portuguese phrase with its English equivalent.
Combine os pares:
These are common variations of the main phrase.
Complete the dialogue.
A: O que você faz? B: Eu sou médico. A: Ah, então você deve ______ muito dinheiro.
Doctors are generally expected to 'earn' (ganhar) a lot of money.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Money Vocabulary
Verbs
- • Gastar
- • Economizar
- • Investir
Nouns
- • Moeda
- • Nota
- • Cartão
Practice Bank
4 exercisesEu ______ muito dinheiro no meu novo emprego.
The subject is 'Eu' (I), so the verb must be in the first person singular present tense.
Escolha a frase correta:
'Ganhou' is the past tense of 'ganhar', and 'na loteria' specifies the source of winning.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
These are common variations of the main phrase.
A: O que você faz? B: Eu sou médico. A: Ah, então você deve ______ muito dinheiro.
Doctors are generally expected to 'earn' (ganhar) a lot of money.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes! 'Ganhar o jogo' is perfectly correct.
Asking 'Quanto você ganha?' is considered very personal and often rude unless you are close friends.
'Receber' is more passive (to receive), while 'ganhar' implies the act of earning or winning.
You can say 'ganhar dinheiro' or more formally 'ter lucro'.
Yes, it follows the standard -ar verb conjugation rules.
Yes, it means 'to save time' or 'to stall'.
It's a noun meaning 'breadwinner' or 'livelihood'.
Yes, it's common in business and among younger people influenced by English.
You use 'render': 'O dinheiro está rendendo juros.'
Yes, it is 'o dinheiro'.
Related Phrases
ganhar a vida
idiomTo make a living
ganhar bem
variationTo earn a good salary
fazer dinheiro
similarTo make money
perder dinheiro
contrastTo lose money
economizar dinheiro
relatedTo save money
