Reading another blog today I came across the question Is it to do with..?

We have the same expression in Portuguese, but the verb used isn’t the equivalent of to do: it’s ver (to see).

‘Ter a ver’ (to have something to do with)

- Sobre o quê é o curso?  [What’s the course about?]

- Não sei direito, mas tem a ver com política. [I don’t know very well, but it has something to do with politics]

Take a look at the variation ‘não tem nada a ver com’ (it has nothing to do with)

O relatório dele não tem nada a ver com o que eu pedi.

[His report has nothing to do with what I asked]

‘Tem tudo a ver com’  literally means ‘it has everything to do with’, but it’s generally used in a slightly different context:

Você está linda. Esse vestido tem tudo a ver com você!

You look beautiful. This dress is so you / is so perfect for you!

English speakers say It's getting warmer… when someone is close to guessing something or finding where it is - in Portuguese we say just about the same thing:

tá quente (tá = está) or tá frio [literally, it's warm and it's cold]

Another one: the verb esquentar has two "regular" meanings-

to get warm / hot:

Esquenta muito no Rio em janeiro.   [It gets very hot in Rio in january]

to heat something up:

Você pode esquentar a sopa?   [Can you heat the soup?]

In informal language, esquentar also means to worry:

Não esquenta a cabeça com isso.  [Don't worry about this. Literally, don't heat your head about this]

or just

Não esquenta com isso.

You can use esfriar (to get cold, to cool) for the opposite meaning:

Você precisa esfriar a cabeça.  [You need to cool your head]

Today’s expressions have to do with expressing an opinion that something “will do” or is ok enough, though probably not the best possible option:  

dá pro gasto

Dá is the 3rd person (singular) of dar (literally, to give) in the Present Simple. We can use the expression in any verb tense, of course, depending on what we’re talking about. 

pro = para + o (approximately for + the)

pro is what Brazilians say most of the time in conversation (shorter and faster…) In the same way, para + a becomes pra.

gasto = expense

serve

Serve is the verb servir in the 3rd person, singular (here in the Present.) Servir means literally to fit (A camisa não serviu / The shirt didn’t fit) and also to serve (As refeições são servidas… / Meals are served…)

So here’s an example using both of the above expressions:

- Eu preciso de uma caneta.   [I need a pen]

- Eu tenho um lápis, serve?     [I’ve got a pencil, is that good enough/will it work?]

- Dá pro gasto.                        [It’ll do]

quebra o galho

Quebrar o galho literally means to break the branch (of a tree.)  It’s the same as dá pro gasto and could replace it in the example above.

Falou is the simple past form (3rd person of the singular) of the verb falar (to speak, to say.) It can be used as "bye" or "got it" / agreed. Take a look:

- Falou, pessoal. Tô (Estou) indo.  [See you, guys. I'm taking off]

 

- A gente vai sair às 11. Te vejo lá.  [We're leaving at 11. See you there]

- Falou.  [Got it / Ok]

Valeu is the simple past form (also 3rd person singular) of the verb valer (to be worth) and here it means simply thank you. And cara = dude (cara is optional here, though frequent.) See the example:

- Te mando o relatório hoje à tarde. [I'll send you the report this afternoon]

- Valeu, cara. Vou dar uma olhada.  [Thanks, man. I'll take a look]

Remember that these are very informal and friendly words.

Puxar literally means to pull - the x in puxar is pronounced as the sh in show. Take a look at these expressions:

Puxar o tapete de alguém = to pull the rug from under someone's feet / to stab someone in the back

O Carlos puxou o tapete do Paulo. Ele deu a promoção para o Marcos.

Carlos pulled the rug from under Paulo's feet. He gave the promotion to Marcos.

puxar o carro = to leave

Olha, (eu) vou puxar o carro. Tenho que acordar cedo amanhã.

Hey, I'm leaving. I have to get up early tomorrow.

puxar o saco de alguém = to kiss up to someone. Noun or adjective: puxa-saco

Pára de puxar o saco do chefe! Não pega bem.

Stop kissing up to the boss! It doesn't make you look good.

Pegar bem is also an idiom (pegar = to grab, to catch). It's mostly used in the third person of the singular (non-existent subject) as in the example above. The opposite of pegar bem is pegar mal (instead of Não pega bem, we could have used Pega mal in the sentence above.)

puxar briga = to start a fight

Não quero sair com o Claudio. Ele puxa briga toda vez que a gente sai.

I don't want to go out with Claudio. He starts a fight everywhere we go.

Languageguide.org has a very nice collection of basic Portuguese vocabulary - but the nicest thing is that when you go to your chosen topic you'll see the pictures and, as you hover the mouse over them, hear and see the words (Apple Quicktime required.) Lots of stuff, and the pronunciation is Brazilian. Highly recommended..

ué?!?! = a puzzled look on the speaker's face - (I don't know the exact translation in English, but see the example)

Ué?! Eu achei que a festa era nessa rua?!?! Só tem loja aqui…

[??? I thought the party was on this street?!? There are only shops here…]

puxa or pôxa… can be used to express some surprise and/or disappointment:

Puxa! Você sabe mesmo cozinhar! Isso está ótimo.

[Wow! You really can cook! This is great]

Pôxa… Desculpe, achei que você ia gostar da festa surpresa.

[Wow… I'm sorry, I thought you'd like the surprise party]

Note: the x in puxa and pôxa is pronounced like sh.

isso or isso mesmo are used to point out that someone "got" something, did it exactly right and so on:

- Vamos ver se eu entendi: eu vou fazer a primeira parte, e vou revisar a terceira e a quinta também?

- Isso.

[- Let's see if I got this right: I'm gonna do the first part, and I'll revise the third one and the fifth one too?

- That's right.]

Ó is used to get someone's attention or focus their eyes on something. It comes from Olha (Look)

Ó. O seu livro está aqui. [Hey / Look. Your book is here]

encher linguiça = literally, to "stuff a sausage." It means to ramble (in writing)

Tive prova ontem mas eu não sabia nada. Só enchi linguiça. (Past Tense)

[I had a test yesterday but I didn't know anything. I just (rambled / wrote silly stuff)]

vadiar  = to waste time instead of studying / working / etc.

Você foi mal na prova porque vadiou o ano inteiro. (Past Tense)

[You didn't do well on the test because (you've been a slacker) this entire year]

iiiii… (pronounced as the ee in need ) or ishh… for when something goes wrong:

iii… esqueci que hoje eu tenho prova.

[I forgot I have a test today]

ai! (=ouch! To express pain. Pronounced like the y in my)

Ai! Você pisou no meu pé! [Ouch! You stepped on my foot!]

ôba or êba! (=yay! To express joy when one hears good news)

- A gente vai para a praia no fim de semana.

[We're going to the beach this weekend]

- Ôba!

[Yay!]

ei! (pronounced like hey! without the h-) and psiu! (to get someone's attention)

Ei, você aí! Pára de gritar!

[Hey, you right there! Stop yelling!]

Note: p- before a consonant isn't silent in Portuguese. 

shhhh (same as in English - to ask for silence)

Shhh. A gente tá estudando. [Shh. We're studying]

dar uma força: to help someone out, to support someone in a difficult situation

A Silvia está muito triste. Vou lá dar uma força para ela.

[Silvia is very upset. I'm going there (to where she is) to give her some support]

Eu acho biologia impossível de entender, mas o meu amigo me deu uma força no semestre passado, e eu passei.

[I find biology impossible to understand, but my friend helped me out last semester, and I passed]

Not to confuse with dar uma mão: literally, to give a hand

Renata, me dá uma mão com esses livros por favor. Preciso levar todos eles para o carro.

[Renata, give me a hand with these books, please. I need to take all of them to the car]