Bolo in Portuguese

9 de November de 2015

Uses of the word Bolo in Portuguese

Do you know the meaning of bolo? Now, do youΒ reallyΒ know the meaning of bolo? If learning a language was supposed to be easy, Rio & Learn wouldn’t be so dead set on suggesting immersion. So without further ado, let’s take a look at all the different ways we can useΒ bolo in Portuguese.

The “True”Β Bolo in Portuguese

Bolo, in the traditional sense, is nothing other than “cake.” And Brazilians love getting creative with it β€” from the basicΒ bolo de laranja andΒ bolo de chocolateΒ to all sorts of savory cakes you can think of. Yes! Savory! Don’t judge it before trying.

Examples of Bolo as “Cake”

– Deixe-os comer bolo!
– Let them eat cake!

– Minha mΓ£e faz um bolo de milho incrΓ­vel.
– My mother makes an incredible corn cake.

The Kind of Bolo You Don’t Want!

IfΒ bolo sounds like just everything you want right now, it’s time to reconsider. Say you invited someone out for dinner. You wait in front of the restaurant for forty minutes and nothing. VocΓͺ levou bolo, cara. In other words, you were stood up!Β Levar bolo (or “to get cake”) means “to be stood up.” And if you’re the one doing it? Then you’re “giving cake!”Β Dar bolo!

Examples of Levar and Dar Bolo

– Eu jΓ‘ estou aqui por uma hora e nada dela. Levei bolo.
– I’ve been here for an hour and I haven’t heard from her. I’ve been stood up.

– Como foi o encontro com o Mateus ontem?
– Eu fiquei muito nervosa e acabei dando bolo nele.
– How was your date with Mateus yesterday?
– I got very anxious and ended up standing him up.

Way Too Much Bolo

Now if you hadn’t been stood up by a date but rather by your friend on pizza night, that’s better, isn’t it? More pizza for you!Β Um bolo de pizza! No, not a pizza cake β€” that’s not what we mean by savory cakes. Just a lot of pizza! SoΒ bolo is another word for ” a bunch of” or “lots of” something.

Examples of Bolo as “Lots of”

– Eu tenho um bolo de dever de casa pra fazer.
– I have lots of homework to do.

– VocΓͺ fez um bolo de quadros, nΓ©?
– You did a bunch of paintings, didn’t you?

There’s Always More Bolo

So far we’ve seen the three most common uses of the word bolo β€” but that’s not all! Check out this video to review the uses of the wordΒ bolo in Portuguese and discover a new one. Hint: it has to do with a popular Brazilian hand game.

Now let’s practice a little!

Exercises for the Different Uses of Bolo in Portuguese

1. Marquei um encontro com a Mara, mas ela nΓ£o apareceu. Eu _______.
2. Tem _______ de roupa suja para lavar.
3. Tirei as mΓ£os antes dele me bater. Ele _______.
4. Ana nΓ£o foi no cinema com o Thiago. Ela _______ nele.
5. Amanda nΓ£o pode comer _______ porque ela Γ© vegana.
6. No primeiro encontro dos meus pais, meu pai _______.
7. Minha namorada Γ© muito ocupada. Ela tem sempre _______ de coisa para fazer.
8. NΓ³s sempre temos _______ nas festas de aniversΓ‘rio.
9. Ele nunca mais respondeu minhas mensagens depois que ele me _______.
10. Que tipo de _______ vocΓͺ mais gosta?

That’s all folks. Now you know the different uses of the word Bolo in Portuguese.
Hugs from Rio de Janeiro.
Tchau tchau.

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Click on the links below to see more related Dicas:
Doces Brasileiros
Portuguese Expressions
Popular Portuguese expressions
Idiomatic expressions

 

Answers

1. Marquei um encontro com a Mara, mas ela nΓ£o apareceu. Eu levei bolo.
2. TemΒ um bolo de roupa suja para lavar.
3. Tirei as mΓ£os antes dele me bater. Ele levou bolo.
4. Ana nΓ£o foi no cinema com o Thiago. ElaΒ deu bolo nele.
5. Amanda nΓ£o pode comerΒ bolo porque ela Γ© vegana.
6. No primeiro encontro dos meus pais, meu paiΒ levou bolo.
7. Minha namorada Γ© muito ocupada. Ela tem sempre um boloΒ de coisa para fazer.
8. NΓ³s sempre temosΒ bolo nas festas de aniversΓ‘rio.
9. Ele nunca mais respondeu minhas mensagens depois que ele me deu bolo.
10. Que tipo deΒ bolo vocΓͺ mais gosta?