Portuguese Phrase
O som tá bom?
Meaning
Literally, “Is the sound good?” It is an informal way to ask whether the audio quality, music, or any other sound is satisfactory.
When to use
Use this phrase in casual conversations, when testing a microphone, checking a video’s audio, or asking a friend if the music sounds right. It’s typical among friends, classmates, or coworkers in a relaxed setting.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Osomtábom?
Definite article (O)
The masculine singular article 'o' agrees with the masculine noun 'som'.
Noun (som)
Som means 'sound' and is a masculine noun, so adjectives must match its gender.
Colloquial contraction (tá)
'Tá' is the informal spoken form of the verb 'estar' (to be) in the third‑person singular present.
Adjective agreement (bom)
The adjective 'bom' (good) must agree in gender and number with 'som' (masculine singular).
🗨In Conversation
O som tá bom?
Is the sound good?
Tá ótimo, tá bem claro.
It’s great, it’s very clear.
✕Common Mistakes
O som tá bem?
Use the adjective 'bom' for quality, not the adverb 'bem' which describes manner.
O som tá boa?
The noun 'som' is masculine, so the adjective must be masculine too.
O som está bom?
In informal speech 'tá' is preferred; using 'está' is not wrong but sounds overly formal for casual contexts.
↔Alternatives
O som está bom?
Is the sound good?
A qualidade do som está boa?
Is the sound quality good?
O áudio está bom?
Is the audio good?
Cultural Tip
The contraction 'tá' is ubiquitous in Brazilian Portuguese informal speech, especially among younger speakers. In formal contexts (e.g., a business presentation) you should use the full form 'está'. Also, remember that 'bom' matches the masculine noun 'som'; using 'boa' would be a gender error.