Portuguese Phrase
Não dá pra passar nas estradas.
Meaning
The sentence means that it is not possible to travel on the roads, usually because of bad weather, construction, or other obstacles that make the roads impassable.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to explain why a trip by car or bus cannot happen – for example after heavy rain, landslides, floods, or roadworks that have closed the highways.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nãodáprapassarnasestradas.
Não dá pra
Colloquial contraction of "não dá para", meaning "it is not possible to"; used in informal spoken Portuguese.
Pra
Shortened form of "para"; common in everyday speech, especially before infinitives.
Nas estradas
Preposition "nas" = "em + as"; indicates location (on the roads).
Passar (infinitive)
Here means "to travel / to go through"; often used with "nas estradas" to talk about driving.
🗨In Conversation
Vamos de carro hoje à tarde?
Shall we drive today in the afternoon?
Não dá pra passar nas estradas, está tudo alagado.
We can’t go on the roads, everything is flooded.
✕Common Mistakes
Não dá passar nas estradas.
Missing the preposition "pra" (or "para"); the verb needs a complement to express possibility.
Não dá pra passar nos estradas.
"Nos" is incorrect because "estrada" is feminine; the correct article is "nas" (em + as).
Não dá pra passar nas estrada.
Plural "estradas" is required when speaking about roads in general; singular would refer to a specific road.
↔Alternatives
Não é possível usar as estradas.
It is not possible to use the roads.
Não dá para circular nas estradas.
You can’t drive on the roads.
As estradas estão intransitáveis.
The roads are impassable.
Cultural Tip
The construction "não dá pra" is informal and very common in everyday Brazilian Portuguese. In formal writing or official statements you would replace it with "não é possível" or "não há possibilidade de". The phrase is understood throughout Brazil, but in some southern states you might hear "não dá pra" pronounced with a slightly more open vowel, e.g., /da/ → /dɐ/. Also, Brazilians often add "lá" (there) after "nas estradas" to specify a region: "não dá pra passar nas estradas lá".