Portuguese Phrase
Meu compromisso agora não vai dar.
Meaning
Literally, “My commitment now won’t give,” but idiomatically it means “I can’t keep my appointment right now” or “My plan right now won’t work out.” The phrase is informal and often used when you have to cancel or reschedule something at short notice.
When to use
Use this sentence when you realize you won’t be able to attend a meeting, appointment, or any previously agreed‑upon engagement that is supposed to happen soon. It’s common in casual conversation with friends, coworkers, or family.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Meucompromissoagoranãovaidar
Meu (possessive adjective)
Indicates ownership; agrees in gender and number with the noun that follows.
Compromisso (noun)
Means ‘appointment’, ‘engagement’, or ‘commitment’; masculine singular.
Agora (adverb of time)
Places the action in the present moment; can be moved for emphasis.
Não (negation)
Negates the verb phrase that follows; always placed before the verb.
Vai (future of ir)
Third‑person singular of the verb ‘ir’ used as a periphrastic future (ir + infinitive).
Dar (colloquial ‘to work out’)
In informal Brazilian Portuguese, ‘dar’ means ‘to be possible / to work out’. It does not mean ‘to give’ here.
🗨In Conversation
Oi, você vai ao almoço às 13h?
Hey, are you going to lunch at 1 p.m.?
Meu compromisso agora não vai dar, preciso atender um cliente.
My appointment now won’t work out; I have to see a client.
✕Common Mistakes
Meu compromisso agora não vai ser.
‘Ser’ means ‘to be’; the idiomatic expression uses ‘dar’ to mean ‘to work out’. Using ‘ser’ sounds unnatural.
Agora não vai dar meu compromisso.
Word order is awkward; keep the noun close to its possessive and place ‘agora’ after the noun for clarity.
Não vai dar meu compromisso agora.
While understandable, the preferred order is ‘Meu compromisso agora não vai dar’ to avoid ambiguity.
↔Alternatives
Não vou conseguir cumprir meu compromisso agora.
I won’t be able to keep my appointment now.
Meu compromisso agora não será possível.
My appointment now won’t be possible.
Não vou poder comparecer ao meu compromisso agora.
I won’t be able to attend my appointment now.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, the verb ‘dar’ is frequently used in informal speech to express that something is feasible or will happen (e.g., ‘Vai dar certo’ – ‘It’ll work out’). Using ‘dar’ in this way is casual; in formal contexts you would prefer ‘não será possível’ or ‘não poderei comparecer’. Also, placing ‘agora’ after the noun emphasizes the immediacy of the problem.