bom
masculine, neutral
In Brazilian Portuguese "good" is bom for masculine nouns and boa for feminine ones. In casual speech Brazilians also say legal for "nice" or "cool".
Meaning: positive, of high quality (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | Note |
|---|---|
| bom | masculine, neutral |
| boa | feminine, neutral |
| legal | casual, Brazil |
Which one should you use?
Legal is very common in Brazil for things you like, as in Que legal! (How cool!). Another everyday word is ótimo, which means "great".
How does it change in a sentence?
Bom changes with the noun: um bom livro (a good book), uma boa ideia (a good idea), bons amigos and boas notícias in the plural.
How do you pronounce it?
In Brazil bom is nasal, so the m colors the vowel and you hear something like "bõ" rather than a clear "m".
Did you know?
- The greetings bom dia, boa tarde and boa noite all come from this word, which is why you hear it dozens of times a day in Brazil.
Examples in context
- O filme é muito bom.The movie is very good.
- Ela é uma boa amiga.She is a good friend.
- Que legal essa ideia!How cool, this idea!
Example conversation
Rafael and Camila talk about a new restaurant in Belo Horizonte.
- RafaelA comida lá é boa?Is the food good there?
- CamilaÉ ótima, e o preço é bom.It is great, and the price is good.
- RafaelLegal, vamos amanhã.Cool, let us go tomorrow.
