Portuguese Phrase
Que tal a gente tentar um jeito diferente?
Meaning
The sentence is a friendly suggestion meaning “How about we try a different way?” It invites the listener to consider an alternative approach and is commonly used in informal conversation.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to propose a new method, strategy, or plan in a casual setting—among friends, coworkers, or classmates. It works well in brainstorming sessions, group projects, or any situation where a collaborative decision is being made.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quetalagentetentarumjeitodiferente
Que tal
A fixed expression used to propose an idea, equivalent to “how about”. It is followed by a verb in infinitive or a clause.
a gente
Colloquial first‑person plural pronoun meaning “we”. It conjugates verbs in the third‑person singular.
tentar + infinitive
The verb “tentar” (to try) is followed by another verb in the infinitive, just like English “try to…”.
um jeito
Literally “a way”, used here as a noun phrase meaning “a method” or “a way of doing something”.
diferente
Adjective meaning “different”. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (here masculine singular “jeito”).
🗨In Conversation
Que tal a gente tentar um jeito diferente?
How about we try a different way?
Boa ideia! Podemos dividir as tarefas de outra forma.
Good idea! We can split the tasks in another way.
✕Common Mistakes
Que tal você tentar um jeito diferente?
Using "você" changes the tone to formal and requires verb conjugation in third‑person singular, which doesn’t match the casual vibe of the sentence.
Que tal a gente tente um jeito diferente?
"tente" is the subjunctive form; after "Que tal" you need the infinitive "tentar".
Que tal a gente tentar um jeito diferentes?
"diferentes" is plural; the noun "jeito" is singular, so the adjective must agree in gender and number.
↔Alternatives
Que tal tentarmos de outra forma?
How about we try it in another way?
E se a gente mudar o método?
What if we change the method?
Vamos experimentar um caminho diferente?
Shall we experiment with a different path?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, "a gente" is the go‑to informal way to say “we”. It sounds more relaxed than the formal "nós" and is preferred in everyday speech, especially among younger speakers. The expression "Que tal" is also very colloquial; in a formal meeting you might replace it with "O que acha de" or "Poderíamos".