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Phrase · 🕊️ Diplomacy & delicate topics

Não era bem isso que eu queria dizer.

That's not quite what I meant.

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Why every word is where it is

Nãoadverbnot, noera1verbit wasser · imperfect · 3rd sing.bem2adverbquiteissopronounthatmasc. · sing.quepronounthat, whicheupronounI1st sing. · subjectqueria1verbwantedquerer · imperfect · 1st sing.dizerverbsayinfinitive.
  • era → isso: cleft: era isso que
  • queria → dizer: querer dizer = to mean

Why it's built this way

The notes match the numbers above.

  1. 1
    The imperfect (era, queria) softens the correction compared with «não foi isso que eu quis dizer».
  2. 2
    «bem» = quite: a gentler denial. Pragmatics of Brazilian indirectness & politeness →