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Phrase · 🫂 Feelings & empathy

Nossa, deve ter sido um susto e tanto!

Wow, that must have been a real scare!

C1expressing feelingsinformalAudio · coming soon
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Why every word is where it is

Nossa1interjectionwow,deve2verbmustdever · present · 3rd sing.ter2verbhaveinfinitivesido2verbbeenser · participleum3determineramasc. · sing. · indefinitesusto3nounscaremasc. · sing.e3conjunctionandtanto3pronoun(so much)!
  • deve → sido: dever + ter + participle
  • um → tanto: um … e tanto

Why it's built this way

The notes match the numbers above.

  1. 1
    Nossa! = "wow, gosh": the most common Brazilian reaction to news. Discourse markers in conversation →
  2. 2
    deve ter sido = "it must have been": an inference about the past.
  3. 3
    um … e tanto = "quite a…, a real…".