Portuguese Phrase
No geral é mais lento.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘Overall, it is slower.’ It is used to give a general assessment, often after comparing several aspects of a product, service, or situation.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to summarise a comparison and state that, taken as a whole, something operates at a slower pace than expected or than another reference point.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nogeralémaislento.
No (em + o)
‘No’ is a contraction of the preposition ‘em’ (in/on) and the masculine singular article ‘o’, forming ‘in the’.
geral (adverbial phrase)
When used after ‘no’, ‘geral’ functions as an adverb meaning ‘overall’ or ‘in general’.
é (ser)
Third‑person singular present of ‘ser’, used for permanent or general statements.
mais + adjective (comparative)
‘mais’ + adjective creates the comparative ‘more …’, here ‘mais lento’ = ‘slower’.
Adjective agreement
‘lento’ must agree with the implied subject’s gender and number (masculine singular here).
🗨In Conversation
Como está o novo processador?
How is the new processor?
No geral é mais lento.
Overall, it is slower.
✕Common Mistakes
Na geral é mais lento.
‘Na’ is the feminine contraction; use ‘no geral’ because ‘geral’ is masculine when it means ‘overall’.
No geral é mais lenta.
The adjective must agree with the implied subject; if the subject is masculine, use ‘lento’. Use ‘lenta’ only for a feminine subject.
No geral é mais lento que.
When you compare directly, you need a second term (e.g., ‘mais lento que o anterior’). Without it, the sentence feels incomplete.
↔Alternatives
De modo geral, é mais lento.
In general, it is slower.
Em geral, é mais lento.
Generally, it is slower.
No total, é mais lento.
All in all, it is slower.
Cultural Tip
‘No geral’ is a very common colloquial expression in Brazil and Portugal for summarising an overall impression. It is informal but perfectly acceptable in both spoken and written contexts. Remember that the article must match the gender of the noun that follows – you’ll hear ‘na geral’ only when ‘geral’ is used as a feminine noun (e.g., ‘na geral das notícias’).