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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
John: Idioms that Express Quality
John: Hi everyone, and welcome back to PortuguesePod101.com. I'm John.
Ana Clara: And I'm Ana Clara!
John: This is Must-Know Portuguese Slang Words and Phrases, Season 1, Lesson 24. In this lesson, you'll learn idioms that express quality.
John: These idioms are used in different situations, often to declare how you feel or what you think about something.
SLANG EXPRESSIONS
John: The expressions you will be learning in this lesson are:
Ana Clara: sem graça
Ana Clara: nada a ver
Ana Clara: top
Ana Clara: sem sal
John: Ana Clara, what's our first expression?
Ana Clara: sem graça
John: literally meaning "without grace." But when it's used as a slang expression, it means that something is "boring, plain."
Ana Clara: [SLOW] sem graça [NORMAL] sem graça
John: Listeners, please repeat.
Ana Clara: sem graça
[pause - 5 sec.]
John: Use this slang expression when something is plain or boring. It can be for food, art, people, everything.
John: Now let's hear an example sentence.
Ana Clara: [NORMAL] Ele não é feio, mas é sem graça. [SLOW] Ele não é feio, mas é sem graça.
John: "He is not ugly, but he's plain."
Ana Clara: [NORMAL] Ele não é feio, mas é sem graça.
John: Okay, what's the next expression?
Ana Clara: nada a ver
John: literally meaning "nothing to see." But when it's used as a slang expression, it means "something is stupid, unmatched, nonsensical, clueless."
Ana Clara: [SLOW] nada a ver [NORMAL] nada a ver
John: Listeners, please repeat.
Ana Clara: nada a ver
[pause - 5 sec.]
John: Use this slang expression when you want to say that something is not good, like a bad outfit choice. It can mean bad choices or nonsensical things, or denoting stupid, naive, or clueless things, actions, and even people. Be careful when you say this, as it can come off as offensive and hostile. It is used as an adjective.
John: Now let's hear an example sentence.
Ana Clara: [NORMAL] Que saia nada a ver ela usou! [SLOW] Que saia nada a ver ela usou!
John: "What a terrible skirt she wore!"
Ana Clara: [NORMAL] Que saia nada a ver ela usou!
John: Okay, what's our next expression?
Ana Clara: top
John: literally meaning "top." It's an English loanword. When it's used as a slang expression, it means "something really good, really nice."
Ana Clara: [SLOW] top [NORMAL] top
John: Listeners, please repeat.
Ana Clara: top
[pause - 5 sec.]
John: Use this slang expression when something's really good — be it food, a situation, a person, anything. It expresses great satisfaction and it hints that the object is of superior quality.
John: Now let's hear an example sentence.
Ana Clara: [NORMAL] Esse restaurante é top! [SLOW] Esse restaurante é top!
John: "This restaurant is great!"
Ana Clara: [NORMAL] Esse restaurante é top!
John: Okay, what's the last expression?
Ana Clara: sem sal
John: literally meaning "without salt." But when it's used as a slang expression, it means "something plain, boring, dull."
Ana Clara: [SLOW] sem sal [NORMAL] sem sal
John: Listeners, please repeat.
Ana Clara: sem sal
[pause - 5 sec.]
John: Use this slang expression when you want to say something is very plain, dull, or boring. It can refer to anything, from a situation to an object or a person.
John: Now let's hear an example sentence.
Ana Clara: [NORMAL] Achei o namorado dela bem sem sal. [SLOW] Achei o namorado dela bem sem sal.
John: "I found her boyfriend really plain."
Ana Clara: [NORMAL] Achei o namorado dela bem sem sal.
QUIZ
John: Okay listeners, are you ready to be quizzed on the expressions you just learned? I will describe four situations, and you will choose the right expression to use in your reply. Are you ready?
John: The movie wasn’t as good as it was rated.
[pause - 5 sec.]
Ana Clara: nada a ver
John: "something is stupid, unmatched, nonsensical, clueless"
John: You cooked a lot of the same food and now you’re eating it for days.
[pause - 5 sec.]
Ana Clara: sem graça
John: "something boring, plain"
John: You need some accessories to make this dress better looking. Otherwise it’s...
[pause - 5 sec.]
Ana Clara: sem sal
John: "something plain, boring, dull"
John: You want to express that something is more than the best.
[pause - 5 sec.]
Ana Clara: top
John: "something really good, really nice"

Outro

John: There you have it; you have mastered four Portuguese Slang Expressions! We have more vocab lists available at PortuguesePod101.com so be sure to check them out. Thanks everyone, and see you next time!
Ana Clara: Tchau.

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