Portuguese Phrase
Como a gente escala isso?
Meaning
A direct way to ask how a team or group should increase the size, reach, or capacity of a particular project, product, or process. It carries a pragmatic, solution‑focused tone often heard in tech startups and business meetings.
When to use
Use this question during brainstorming sessions, sprint planning, or any discussion where a group needs to decide on a growth strategy. It works well in informal or semi‑formal settings where ‘a gente’ feels natural.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Comoagenteescalaisso?
Como (question word)
‘Como’ introduces a question about manner or method, equivalent to ‘how’ in English.
a gente (informal ‘we’)
‘a gente’ is a colloquial way to say ‘we’; it takes third‑person singular verb forms.
escala (present indicative)
The verb ‘escalar’ (to scale) is conjugated here as ‘escala’, matching the third‑person singular subject ‘a gente’.
isso (demonstrative pronoun)
‘isso’ points to a specific thing, project, or problem previously mentioned.
🗨In Conversation
Nossa base de usuários está crescendo rápido, mas a infraestrutura ainda não aguenta.
Our user base is growing fast, but the infrastructure can’t keep up.
Como a gente escala isso?
How do we scale this?
✕Common Mistakes
Como a gente escalamos isso?
When using ‘a gente’, keep the verb in third‑person singular; ‘escalamos’ is first‑person plural and sounds unnatural.
Como nos escala isso?
‘Nos’ is a clitic pronoun and cannot replace ‘a gente’ in this construction.
Como nós escalamos isso?
If you switch to the formal ‘nós’, you must also change the verb to first‑person plural.
↔Alternatives
Como podemos escalar isso?
How can we scale this?
De que forma escalamos isso?
In what way do we scale this?
Qual a melhor maneira de escalar isso?
What’s the best way to scale this?
Cultural Tip
‘A gente’ is extremely common in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, but in formal business documents or presentations you’ll often see ‘nós’. Also, the verb ‘escalar’ is a tech‑savvy term; in more traditional contexts you might hear ‘ampliar’, ‘aumentar’ or ‘expandir’ instead.