Introduction
Learning how to say I heard good things about it in Brazilian Portuguese helps you sound natural when recommending places, events, movies, or even people. This article teaches common phrases, subtle differences, pronunciation tips, and examples you can use in everyday conversations. You will see realistic dialogues and usage notes to help you choose the best phrase for each situation.
- Core phrases to say I heard good things about it
- Variants and colloquial options
- How to emphasize certainty or uncertainty
- Politeness and formality: choosing the right tone
- Sample dialogues to see these phrases in context
- Pronunciation and useful phonetic hints
- Grammar points and common constructions
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- More sample sentences for different contexts
- Quick reference cheat sheet
- Tips for practicing naturally
- Conclusion
Core phrases to say I heard good things about it
There are several ways to express I heard good things about it in Portuguese depending on formality and context. The simplest and most versatile option is Ouvi dizer, which literally means I heard to say and functions like I heard that. Other natural options include Ouvi falar and Disseram-me coisas boas. Below we explain each expression and show when to use it.
Ouvi dizer — neutral and very common
Ouvi dizer is the go-to phrase for many situations. It works for restaurants, films, jobs, and recommendations. You can follow it with que + a full clause or with a short phrase.
Examples:
Ouvi dizer que o restaurante é ótimo.
Ouvi dizer que o filme vale a pena.
Usage note: Use Ouvi dizer to introduce information you learned indirectly. It does not claim you experienced the thing yourself.
Ouvi falar — conversational and slightly informal
Ouvi falar literally means I heard speak and is slightly more conversational than Ouvi dizer. It is often used when referring to general reputation or chatter rather than a specific claim.
Examples:
Ouvi falar bem daquele restaurante.
Ouvi falar muito do lançamento do livro.
Usage note: Pair Ouvi falar with bem to emphasize good opinions, or muito to show it has been mentioned often.
Disseram-me coisas boas — more formal, personal
Disseram-me coisas boas translates to people told me good things. Use it when you want to imply direct reports from others and a slightly more formal tone.
Examples:
Disseram-me coisas boas sobre a nova academia.
Disseram-me coisas boas sobre o curso online.
Usage note: This phrase highlights that specific people communicated the positive information to you. Use it when reliability or personal testimony matters.
Variants and colloquial options
Brazilian Portuguese has many colloquial ways to say I heard good things about it. These alternatives help you sound natural in casual conversations.
Short and casual: Falam bem
Falam bem means they speak well or people speak highly of it. It is quick, informal, and common in spoken Portuguese.
Examples:
Falam bem daquele bar na praia.
Falam bem do atendimento daquela clínica.
Usage note: Good for chatting with friends; it assumes general public opinion.
Personal recommendation vibe: Me recomendaram
Me recomendaram means they recommended it to me. This expression implies a personal recommendation and slightly stronger endorsement than simply hearing about something.
Examples:
Me recomendaram esse restaurante.
Me recomendaram fazer esse curso para melhorar meu currículo.
Usage note: Use when friends, family, or colleagues explicitly suggested the item to you.
Informal: Ouvi coisas boas
Ouvi coisas boas is straightforward and slightly informal. It emphasizes that the things you heard were good.
Examples:
Ouvi coisas boas sobre a nova série.
Ouvi coisas boas sobre aquele médico.
How to emphasize certainty or uncertainty
Depending on how confident you are about the information, you can modify the basic phrases to express certainty or doubt.
More certain: adding certainty words
Add words like realmente, mesmo, or de verdade to show you trust the reports.
Examples:
Ouvi dizer que o carro é realmente econômico.
Disseram-me mesmo que a comida lá é deliciosa.
Less certain: adding doubt words
Use talvez, pelo que eu ouvi, or acho to soften the statement and show uncertainty.
Examples:
Pelo que eu ouvi, o serviço não é tão bom.
Talvez eu tenha ouvido errado, mas ouvi dizer que é caro.
Politeness and formality: choosing the right tone
Choose phrases based on who you are talking to. With friends, casual forms like Falam bem or Ouvi falar work well. With strangers, service staff, or formal situations, prefer Ouvi dizer or Disseram-me coisas boas.
Formal examples
Disseram-me coisas boas sobre o projeto, e gostaria de saber mais.
Ouvi dizer que a conferência terá palestrantes internacionais.
Informal examples
Falam bem daquele café novo.
Me recomendaram o filme, vamos assistir?
Sample dialogues to see these phrases in context
Dialogue 1: Friends planning a weekend
Persona A: Você já foi no restaurante novo?
Persona B: Não, ainda não. Ouvi dizer que a comida é ótima.
Persona A: Então vamos lá no sábado?
Dialogue 2: Asking for recommendations at work
Persona A: Preciso de um curso de marketing digital. Tem alguma sugestão?
Persona B: Disseram-me coisas boas sobre o curso da faculdade X. Dizem que é bem prático.
Persona A: Vou pesquisar então.
Dialogue 3: Casual chat about a movie
Persona A: Esse filme vale a pena?
Persona B: Ouvi falar bem. Falam bem da atuação do protagonista.
Persona A: Beleza, vou assistir hoje à noite.
Pronunciation and useful phonetic hints
Pronunciation matters for sounding natural. Here are short guides for the key phrases. Use stress on the bold word parts as shown below.
Ouvi dizer: oh-VEE jee-ZEHR (Brazilian Portuguese je often approximates the English zh sound)
Ouvi falar: oh-VEE fah-LAHR
Disseram-me coisas boas: dee-SEH-ram mee KOY-zas BO-as
Falam bem: FAH-lam BAYN
Me recomendaram: mee heh-koh-men-DAH-ram
Usage note: Brazilian Portuguese is syllable-timed with vowel prominence. Listening to native speakers and repeating will greatly improve rhythm and naturalness.
Grammar points and common constructions
Understanding a few grammar points helps you combine these phrases correctly.
Using que after Ouvi dizer
When you use Ouvi dizer followed by a clause, insert que before the clause to mean that. Example: Ouvi dizer que o serviço é bom.
Placement of bem and muito
Place bem after falar for they speak well: Ouvi falar bem. Place muito to mean often: Ouvi falar muito.
Passive and impersonal forms
Brazilian Portuguese often uses impersonal constructions to report hearsay. Examples: Dizem que… and Falam que… These are equivalent to people say that and work well in everyday speech.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Beginners often mix up direct experience with hearsay. Do not use these phrases when you actually experienced the thing. For example, avoid saying Ouvi dizer que o restaurante é ótimo if you ate there yourself and want to say you liked it; instead, say Eu gostei or A comida lá é ótima.
Another mistake is literal translation from English like Eu ouvi boas coisas. While understandable, it is less natural than Ouvi coisas boas or Ouvi dizer que é bom.
More sample sentences for different contexts
Travel: Ouvi dizer que a praia tem água cristalina.
Food: Ouvi falar bem do rodízio de pizza.
Work: Disseram-me coisas boas sobre o novo gerente.
Entertainment: Ouvi coisas boas sobre a série, vou começar a assistir.
Health and services: Falam bem daquele dentista perto do centro.
Quick reference cheat sheet
Use this short list to pick the right phrase fast:
Ouvi dizer + que + clause — neutral, versatile.
Ouvi falar + bem — conversational, emphasizes positive reputation.
Disseram-me coisas boas — formal or personal testimony.
Falam bem — informal, general public opinion.
Me recomendaram — personal recommendation.
Tips for practicing naturally
Listen to Brazilian podcasts, YouTube interviews, and TV shows to hear these phrases in context. Repeat short sentences aloud, focusing on rhythm and vowels. Try using the phrases in small talk with friends or language partners to build confidence.
Conclusion
Mastering ways to say I heard good things about it in Brazilian Portuguese gives you flexible language tools for recommendations, social conversations, and polite reporting. Use Ouvi dizer for a neutral tone, Ouvi falar for casual chat, and Disseram-me coisas boas when you want a more formal or personal touch. Practice the examples and listen to native speakers to make these phrases sound natural in your daily Portuguese.
