Ora bem, pois, fixe: five little words that make you sound Portuguese

Textbooks teach you sentences. People in Portugal fill their conversations with small words that no textbook explains. Learn these five and you'll understand much more of what you hear.

1. Ora bem

Ora bem is what you say when it's time to get going, or to come back to the point: a teacher starting a class, a waiter about to take your order, a friend who has finished joking and wants to talk seriously. Think of it as “right then” or “well now”. That's exactly why it's the name of this site.

2. Pois

Pois is one of the most frequent little words in European Portuguese. On its own it means “yes, right, exactly”, the sound of someone agreeing or following what you say. Pois é means “that's how it is”. Be careful with tone: a slow, doubtful pois, pois… can mean “yeah, sure…”, that the listener doesn't quite believe you.

3. Fixe

Fixe means “cool” or “great”, and it's typical of Portugal. In Brazil people say legal. You'll hear it constantly among young people and friends.

4. Então?

Então means “so” or “then”, but on its own, with a rising tone, it's a greeting: “So? How's it going?”. Friends often say Então, tudo bem? when they meet.

5. Está bem (tá bem)

Está bem means “OK, fine”. In fast speech it often becomes tá bem, or even tá. If someone asks you a favour, tá bem is a very natural answer.