Kilo Lingo
Portuguese grammar Part of Chapter 3

CEFR A1

5 min read

Test yourself (24 questions)

Portuguese Filler Words: então, olha, tipo, né and more

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 21 October 2026

Spoken Portuguese is held together by small words that carry no facts: , , , . They start an answer, buy a second to think, soften a no and react to news. None of them is hard, and knowing them turns fast Brazilian speech from a blur into a conversation.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Which word fits the situation?

  1. A friend invites you out and you can't go: Olha, eu não posso hoje.

  2. Someone asks you the way and you begin: , eu não sei, não sou daqui.

  3. You put it right: Ele é meu primo, , primo da minha mulher.

  • , . - Look, I don't know.

The whole set on one screen

Each word does one of five jobs. Learn them by job, not as a list:

JobWordsExample
Starting, stalling, , , ?
Explaining, , .
Moving on, , , .
Reacting, , ! !
Checking in?, ?, ? , ?

Take any of them out and the facts of the sentence stay the same. What goes is the sound of a real person talking.

Starting and stalling: então, bom, olha

These open a reply or buy time while you think.

WordJobExample
so, well: picking up, ? So, what do you think?
right, well: moving on, . Right, let's go.
look: before a point, . Look, I don't know.
...um, er... . Um... I can't remember.

is the verb (to look), and with someone you call it becomes : , ., look, sir, you can't stay here. In , is the polite form with anyone you do not know well.

? on its own, with a rising voice, means well? or so?: someone is waiting for your answer.

Explaining: tipo, quer dizer, é que

WordJobExample
the thing is: an excuse . The thing is, I can't.
I mean: putting it right , , . He's my cousin, I mean, my wife's.
like , , . He's, like, really weird.

is a polite way to say no. A bare . sounds curt; . sounds like there is a reason, even before you give it.

also means about before a number, in casual Brazilian speech:

  • . - There were like ten people.

Moving on: enfim, aliás, aí

wraps up or moves on: anyway, in short. adds or corrects: by the way, or rather.

  • , ... , . - It rained, the car wouldn't start... anyway, it was a hard day.
  • , , . - She gets here tomorrow, or rather, tonight.

also means at last: !, we're here at last!

In a spoken story, Brazilians move from one event to the next with (then, so):

  • : , . - So he said: no, I can't.

Reacting: pois é, claro, nossa, ué

WordMeansExample
I know, exactly , ? . It's dear, isn't it? I know.
of course, sure ? . Can you help me? Sure.
wow, goodness (Brazil)! ! Wow! What a cake!
huh?, that's odd (Brazil), ? Huh, where's my car?
cool, OK (Brazil) ? . At eight? Cool.
OK, . OK, I'll go.
aw, what a shame (Brazil), . Aw, shame.
dunno, . Dunno, maybe.

is short for , Our Lady ( on its own is literally our). Nobody hears that any more: it is pure surprise, good or bad.

is with the front worn off. It is the everyday Brazilian OK, and is the fuller version.

Checking in: né?, sabe?, tá?

A word on the end checks the listener is with you:

  • , ? - You're coming tomorrow, right?
  • , ? - It was hard, you know?
  • , ? - I'll call later, OK?

is worn down; Portuguese tag questions has the full set.

Brazil or Portugal?

Most of these are shared. A few mark where the speaker is from:

WordWhereExample
Brazil, ? Huh, you here?
Brazil, ! Wow, it's hot!
Brazil, . Cool, see you tomorrow.
, . Right, fine.
. . It's cold. It certainly is.

EP: in a bare means yes, quite or I know; doubled, , is often ironic: yeah, right. closes a topic: right, that's that.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
um...... or ...an English um sounds foreign
. .a bare no sounds curt
? = no? = offerin Brazil it means how can I help?

The last one catches everyone: a Brazilian shop assistant who says ? is offering help, not refusing it.

What to do next

  1. Start three answers today with or .
  2. Turn down one invitation with .
  3. Then practise in the Portuguese course, or see and in discourse adverbs.

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

0/5

Which word fits the situation?

  1. A friend invites you out and you can't go: Olha, eu não posso hoje.

  2. Someone asks you the way and you begin: , eu não sei, não sou daqui.

  3. You put it right: Ele é meu primo, , primo da minha mulher.

  4. You wrap up a long story: , foi um dia difícil.

  5. Your friend shows you a huge cake: ! Que bolo!

Sort into groups

0/8

What job does each word do?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Complete the story

0/4

Choose the word for each gap.

Lia says no

Você vem hoje à noite? eu não posso, tenho que trabalhar. , que pena. , e amanhã? Amanhã eu posso, ?

Gap 1 of 4

Matching

0/5

Match each word to its English.

Translation drill

0/2

Translate into English.

  1. Olha, é que eu não tenho tempo.

  2. Ué, você não ia sair?

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common Portuguese filler words?
, , , , , , and cover most of what you will hear in Brazil. and open an answer, introduces a point, means like, and means anyway. shares most of them and adds (right, OK) and a bare meaning yes.
What does mean in Brazilian Portuguese?
As a noun it means type or kind. As a filler it means like, exactly as in casual English: , , ., he's, like, really weird. It also means about with a number: , like ten people. It is casual, so leave it out of formal writing.
What does mean?
Exactly, I know, that's right: a warm way to agree, heard in Brazil and . , ? ., it's expensive, isn't it? I know. It can also be a sigh that ends a topic, like English yeah, well.
What does mean in Portuguese?
A Brazilian sound of surprise or puzzlement: huh?, hang on, that's odd. , ?, huh, where's my car? It is informal and very Brazilian; in you would hear ? or ! instead.
What is the difference between and ?
wraps up or moves on: anyway, in short, or at last. adds or corrects: by the way, or rather. , ... , . ends a story; , , . corrects one.