SpeeekDownload on the App Store
Back to Weather Talk

Portuguese Phrase

Você já viu um dezembro mais frio?

/voˈse ʒa ˈviw u dɛˈzẽbɾu majs ˈfɾiu/
Meaning"Have you ever seen a colder December?"
💡

Meaning

This phrase is a rhetorical question often used to express surprise or emphasize how unusually cold a particular December is. It literally asks if the listener has experienced a December that was colder than the current one, implying that the current December is exceptionally cold.

🎯

When to use

Use this phrase in casual conversations when discussing the weather, especially during the month of December. It's perfect for expressing a shared sentiment about unusually cold temperatures or for initiating a discussion about past weather experiences.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Vocêjáviuumdezembromaisfrio

1

Você

'Você' is the informal 'you' in Brazilian Portuguese and common in many parts of Portugal. It's used for singular, informal address.

2

Já

'Já' means 'already' or 'ever' in this context. When paired with a past tense verb, it often translates to 'have you ever...?'

3

Viu (Ver)

'Viu' is the past tense (pretérito perfeito simples) of the verb 'ver' (to see), conjugated for 'você' or 'ele/ela'.

4

Um dezembro

'Um' is the indefinite article 'a/an'. 'Dezembro' is the noun for 'December'. In Portuguese, months are not capitalized unless at the beginning of a sentence.

5

Mais frio

'Mais' means 'more', and 'frio' means 'cold'. Together, 'mais frio' forms the comparative adjective 'colder'.

🗨In Conversation

A

Nossa, que frio! Você já viu um dezembro mais frio?

Wow, it's so cold! Have you ever seen a colder December?

Não, acho que este é o mais frio que me lembro!

No, I think this is the coldest I remember!

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Você tem visto um dezembro mais frio?

    The verb 'ver' (to see) is used here, not 'ter' (to have). 'Tem visto' implies an ongoing action, whereas 'já viu' refers to a completed past experience.

  • Você já viu um mais frio dezembro?

    In Portuguese, adjectives usually come after the noun. 'Mais frio' (colder) modifies 'dezembro' (December), so it should follow it.

↔Alternatives

  • Este dezembro está muito frio, não acha?

    This December is very cold, don't you think?

  • Nunca vi um dezembro tão frio.

    I've never seen such a cold December.

pt

Cultural Tip

In many Portuguese-speaking countries, especially Brazil, December is typically a summer month, so a 'cold December' would be quite unusual and a common topic of conversation. In Portugal, December is winter, but the phrase still conveys a sense of exceptional coldness. Discussing the weather is a common way to start conversations or fill silences, making this a useful phrase for social interactions.