Portuguese Phrase
Afrouxa a roupa que te aperta o pescoço.
Meaning
Literally, ‘Loosen the clothing that tightens your neck.’ It is a friendly piece of advice to stop wearing something that feels restrictive, whether it’s a literal shirt or a metaphorical situation that ‘chokes’ you.
When to use
Use this phrase when you notice someone’s outfit is too tight around the neck, or when you want to suggest they relax a stressful situation in a casual, informal setting.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Afrouxaaroupaqueteapertaopescoço
Imperative (Afrouxa)
‘Afrouxa’ is the affirmative imperative of the verb ‘afrouxar’ (to loosen). It is used for giving a direct command to ‘you’ (tu).
Definite article (a, o)
‘a’ and ‘o’ are the feminine and masculine singular definite articles, matching ‘roupa’ (feminine) and ‘pescoço’ (masculine).
Relative pronoun (que)
‘que’ introduces a relative clause that describes the noun ‘roupa’.
Clitic pronoun (te)
‘te’ is the second‑person singular object pronoun placed before the verb in European Portuguese (te aperta).
Present indicative (aperta)
‘aperta’ is the 3rd‑person singular present of ‘apertar’ (to tighten). It agrees with the implicit subject ‘a roupa’.
🗨In Conversation
Afrouxa a roupa que te aperta o pescoço.
Loosen the clothing that’s tightening your neck.
Boa ideia, estava a sentir-me meio sufocado.
Good idea, I was feeling a bit suffocated.
✕Common Mistakes
Afrouxa a roupa que te apertas o pescoço.
The verb should stay in the third‑person singular ‘aperta’ to agree with ‘roupa’, not ‘apertas’ or ‘apertas’.
Afrouxa a roupa que aperta-te o pescoço.
In Brazilian Portuguese the clitic usually follows the verb (te aperta → te aperta), but in European Portuguese it precedes; learners often mix the two orders.
Afrouxa a roupa que te aperta o pescoco.
Don’t forget the accent on ‘pescoço’; without it the word changes pronunciation and can be confused with ‘pescoco’ (non‑existent).
↔Alternatives
Solta a roupa que está apertando o teu pescoço.
Loosen the outfit that’s squeezing your neck.
Desamarra a roupa que te aperta o pescoço.
Undo the clothing that’s choking you.
Alarga a roupa que te aperta o pescoço.
Make the clothing that’s tightening your neck looser.
Cultural Tip
In Portugal the verb ‘afrouxar’ is common for ‘loosen’, while in Brazil people usually say ‘soltar’ or ‘desamarrar’. The phrase can be used both literally (tight shirt) and figuratively (a stressful job or relationship). Keep the tone informal – the imperative ‘Afrouxa’ is appropriate with friends, not with strangers or in formal contexts.