Brazilian Portuguese Phrases You Can Learn from Sertanejo Songs

Want to learn Portuguese with songs and actually understand what the singers are saying? Music is one of the most fun ways to hear Portuguese every single day, and in this post I'll show you how to pull real Brazilian Portuguese phrases straight out of three songs you'll hear all over Brazil.

I picked three sertanejo songs, hits from the most-played music genre in Brazil (think of sertanejo music as our version of Brazilian country music): "Ou Soma ou Some" by Jorge & Mateus, "Vida Mais ou Menos" by Henrique & Diego, and "Disputa" by Lucas Lucco with Gusttavo Lima. In the videos I break down the Portuguese expressions in songs like these, one by one: what they mean and how we use them in everyday life here in Brazil.

When you learn Portuguese with music, rhythm and repetition help you memorize vocabulary almost without noticing. It's also great listening practice, because you get used to how words blend together when we talk fast. Wherever you're learning from, try these phrases out with Brazilian friends as soon as you can so they stick.

Video: Songs in Portuguese

In this first video I show you how to spot the phrases and expressions that come up again and again in sertanejo, the most popular genre in Brazil. Pay attention to how each word is sung: that's how you train your ear and improve your Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation without it feeling like a class.

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Lyrics of the songs played in the video

Before you watch the explanation, open the lyrics of each song and follow along while you listen. Reading and listening at the same time helps you separate words that run together when they're sung, something very typical of the colloquial Portuguese we speak in Brazil.

• Jorge & Mateus - Ou Soma ou Some
• Henrique & Diego - Vida mais ou menos
• Lucas Lucco, Gusttavo Lima - Disputa

Brazilian Portuguese expressions explained

Learning Portuguese with songs works best when you know what each expression means and when to use it. Think of this video as Brazilian song lyrics explained: I go through the Portuguese song phrases and expressions from all three songs, one by one, so you can use them in your own conversations with Brazilians.

More Brazilian Portuguese songs with lyrics to practice

Brazilian expressions in the song titles

Two of these songs have Portuguese expressions right in the title, and like most Brazilian expressions in music, you'll hear them all the time in Brazil. They're short, easy to remember, and perfect for taking what you learn from music into your own conversations.

Ou soma ou some

"Ou soma ou some" means "either you add something or you disappear." We say it to tell someone to either help out or get out of the way, whether it's in a relationship, a group of friends, or at work. The fun part is the wordplay: "soma" comes from somar (to add, like "sum" in English), while "some" comes from sumir, which means "to disappear." Careful: "some" here has nothing to do with the English word "some."

• "Nesse projeto é assim: ou soma ou some." (On this project it's simple: either you pitch in or you're out.)

Mais ou menos

"Mais ou menos" means "more or less," and we use it to give a rough amount, just like in English. But in Brazil it also means that something is just okay, or not that great. That's why a "vida mais ou menos" is a so-so life. If you mix up "mas" and "mais" (they sound almost the same), here's the difference between mas and mais in Portuguese.

• "O filme foi mais ou menos, eu esperava mais." (The movie was just okay, I expected more.)

Benefits of learning Portuguese expressions and words with songs

Learning expressions from songs in Portuguese shows you the language the way we actually use it in Brazil every day, something textbooks don't always teach. On top of growing your vocabulary, it helps you get over your fear of speaking Portuguese, because you already have phrases ready to use.

• You'll be able to speak the same way you would in your native language.
• People will compliment you a lot for learning more than just the basics.
• You'll get the jokes and double meanings in Portuguese.
• Songs will finally make more sense.
• It's fun, because a lot of songs have funny expressions.

You can find the lyrics to thousands of songs at https://letras.mus.br

More Brazilian phrases and expressions to keep practicing

If you enjoyed learning Portuguese with music, don't stop here. Beyond these Brazilian songs to learn Portuguese, these are some of the phrases, expressions, and resources my students like most. How many do you already know?

• Brazilian songs with lyrics to practice
• Brazilian expressions you'll hear everywhere
• Portuguese phrases only Brazilians understand
• 36 Portuguese phrases to sound like a Brazilian
• Everyday Brazilian slang
• Brazilian sayings we all use
• Brazilian telenovelas to learn by listening
• Brazilian Portuguese podcasts by category