informalmente discutido

You use this phrase when you want to mention an idea that has been brought up but isn't "official" yet. Since discutido is a past participle, it functions like an adjective here. This means it has to agree with the noun it describes. If you are talking about a "proposal" (proposta), which is feminine, it becomes informalmente discutida. If you're talking about "plans" (planos), which are masculine and plural, it becomes informalmente discutidos. Don't let the long words intimidate you. Just remember that informalmente is the "how" (the adverb) and discutido is the "what" (the state of the topic). It's a very common way to sound professional but flexible in a Portuguese-speaking workplace.

Imagine you’re on a WhatsApp group with your team. Someone asks, "Is the new schedule ready?" You might reply, "O cronograma foi informalmente discutido, mas nada está decidido." This tells them that people have talked about it, but nothing is set in stone. Or picture a travel vlogger in Lisbon. They might tell their followers, "Este roteiro foi informalmente discutido com guias locais." This adds a layer of insider knowledge without claiming it's an official government tour. Even in family settings, if you’re planning a big Sunday dinner, you might say the menu was informalmente discutido between the cousins. It keeps things light and avoids the drama of someone saying, "I never agreed to that!"

This phrase is your best friend in the "pre-decision" phase. Use it during job interviews on Zoom when you want to mention a project you helped brainstorm. Use it in Instagram captions when you’re showing a "behind the scenes" look at a project. It’s perfect for LinkedIn posts where you want to sound smart but not overly stiff. It’s also great for those awkward moments when someone asks about a rumor. You can say, "Isso foi informalmente discutido," which basically means "People are talking, but don't quote me on it." It's the ultimate linguistic shield for ideas that are still in the "draft" phase of life.

Avoid this phrase if you are in a courtroom or signing a mortgage. If something is legally binding, informalmente is the last word you want to use. You also wouldn't use it for very personal, emotional heart-to-hearts. You don't "informally discuss" your love for someone; you just talk about it. It’s a bit too "office-coded" for a romantic dinner. Also, don't use it if the conversation was a heated argument. Discutir can mean "to argue" in Portuguese, but adding informalmente usually smooths it over into "talked about." If you had a huge fight, informalmente discutido makes it sound like you were politely debating the merits of the argument over tea, which might not be true!

Learners often forget the gender agreement, which is a classic rookie move.

Another mistake is using falado (spoken) when you want to sound a bit more professional. While informalmente falado isn't "wrong," it sounds a bit childish compared to the more sophisticated discutido.

Portuguese speakers love the passive voice for these types of phrases. It sounds more natural to say the *subject* was discussed rather than *we* discussed it. It’s like blaming the conversation on the topic itself—very handy for avoiding responsibility!

If you want to mix it up, you can use conversado por alto. This literally means "talked about from high up," but it functions as "brushed over" or "casually mentioned." It’s the ultimate "chill" version. Another one is batendo um papo, which is very common in Brazil for "having a chat." If you want to sound a bit more "detective-like," you could say sondado, which means "probed" or "scouted out." For example, "O terreno foi sondado." It implies you were checking things out before making a move. Using these variations will make you sound less like a textbook and more like a local who knows where the best *pão de queijo* is hidden.

You might hear people flip the order: discutido informalmente. Both are perfectly fine, though putting the adverb first (informalmente discutido) feels slightly more polished and intentional. In emails, you might see previamente discutido (previously discussed), which is the more formal cousin. If you're in a tech startup, you might hear alinhado informalmente (informally aligned). This is peak "corporate Portuguese." It means you haven't had a meeting, but you've sent enough Slack messages to know you're on the same page. It's the digital version of a secret handshake.

Is it always about work? Not at all! You can use it for planning a birthday party or deciding which Netflix series to binge next. Does it sound too fancy? It’s "Goldilocks" fancy—just right. It sounds educated but not like you're wearing a tuxedo. Can I use it in Portugal and Brazil? Yes, it’s a universal phrase across the Lusophone world. Is discutir always an argument? In this specific collocation, no. It almost always means a constructive, even if casual, exchange of ideas. So, don't worry about starting a fight when you use it; you're just being a great communicator!