Portuguese Phrase
Não, vou de metrô.
Meaning
‘No, I’m going by subway.’ The speaker is refusing an offer or suggestion and immediately clarifies the chosen means of transportation.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to decline an invitation, a suggestion, or a question about your travel plans and state that you will take the metro instead. It’s common in everyday conversations about commuting in big Brazilian cities.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nãovoudemetrô
Negation (Não)
‘Não’ is an adverb of negation placed before the verb to deny or reject something.
Verb ‘ir’ (vou)
‘Vou’ is the first‑person singular present of the verb *ir* (to go) and is used to express a personal intention or future action.
Preposition ‘de’ for means of transport
When talking about the way you travel, Portuguese uses the preposition *de* + the mode of transport (e.g., *de carro, de ônibus, de metrô*).
Noun ‘metrô’
‘Metrô’ (subway/metro) is a masculine noun; it takes the article *o* in isolation (*o metrô*) but not after the preposition *de*.
🗨In Conversation
Você vai de carro?
Are you going by car?
Não, vou de metrô.
No, I'm going by subway.
✕Common Mistakes
Não vou de metrô.
Without the comma it changes the meaning to ‘I don’t go by subway’ instead of a direct refusal.
Vou de metro.
The word *metrô* requires an accent on the ‘o’; without it the spelling is incorrect.
Vou no metrô.
‘No’ (de + o) means ‘into the metro’; use *de metrô* when you’re talking about the means of transport.
↔Alternatives
Não, vou de trem.
No, I'm going by train.
Não, vou de ônibus.
No, I'm going by bus.
Não, vou a pé.
No, I'm going on foot.
Não, vou de táxi.
No, I'm going by taxi.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil the metro is the fastest way to move around megacities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, so ‘vou de metrô’ is a very common response when talking about daily commutes. Remember to keep the comma after ‘Não’; it signals a brief pause that mirrors natural speech. Also, avoid saying *vou no metrô* unless you mean ‘I’m going inside the metro station.’