Como digo em inglês: Foi sem querer!

By Ana | Podcast Inglês Online

Apr 25
Como digo em inglês Foi sem querer!

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O podcast de hoje é sobre como dizer coisas como Foi sem querer, Ele não fez de propósito e Eu não quis dizer isso em inglês.

Transcrição

Hi, what’s up? This is Ana Luiza with a new episode of the inglesonline podcast. To download or just listen to other episodes and download transcripts, go to inglesonline.com.br and click Podcast Inglesonline.

So today we have another episode suggested by a reader: Guilherme wrote in and asked for examples of how to say things like Foi sem querer or Foi de propósito in English. So let’s take a look at a very popular way to express Não tive intenção or Não foi de propósito. Picture this: you are euphoric because you have been accepted into a great college. You want to celebrate, and you start planning a party for June 16th. The thing is, you completely forget that June 16th is also the birthday of one of your closest friends. Let’s say her name is Valerie. So when Valerie finds out that you’re planning your party for the sixteenth of June, she’s hurt! I mean, why would you do that? You know it’s her birthday!

So she calls you on it, and you are, like, mortified! Why? Because when you set the date for your celebration, it didn’t even cross your mind that it was the same date as your friend’s birthday! So you tell her, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean for that to happen! I didn’t do it on purpose!

I didn’t mean for that to happen. What is “that”? “That” is, setting your date on the same day as her birthday. You didn’t mean for that to happen. You had no intention of having your party on her birthday. It wasn’t on purpose! You didn’t do it on purpose. You didn’t mean for that to happen.

Or, you know when in a movie one spouse cheats on the other one, and then when the other one finds out, the cheating spouse says “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean for it to happen! It was an accident. I didn’t do it on purpose!”. What else… Think of an example yourself: something you planned, something you worked on, and then, all of a sudden, someone lets you know that whatever you are doing is hurting or just annoying them in some way. And you say…  I’m really sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose! I’m not doing it on purpose. I didn’t mean for that to happen! I didn’t mean to harm you. I didn’t mean to annoy you. I didn’t mean for that to happen.

Now, here’s another one that happens a lot: when you say something, and people don’t really get what you’re saying… they misinterpret it. And then, someone gets offended, or someone gets upset because of what you said… and, you didn’t mean it that way! The way they understood it, you didn’t mean it ‘that’ way! You meant something else. They misunderstood you. They thought you meant one thing, but you really meant something else.

Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever been misunderstood? It’s happened to me before, yes. And it has also happened that I misunderstood the other person. I thought they meant one thing, and in reality they meant something else entirely, or they were just joking… So when you say something, when you joke with someone, and they look hurt, or they say something like “Ouch! That hurt”… and you realize they have misinterpreted what you said, you can say I didn’t mean it that way. Here’s what I meant. And then you can explain what you really meant.

So, when was the last time you said something, and then the other person didn’t like it, and then you said something like “I didn’t mean it that way”? I didn’t mean it that way. Mine was… a few weeks ago, with my sister. I said “I didn’t mean it that way”. So, when was yours?

OK, that’s it for today. Talk to you next time!

 

Key expressions

  • I didn’t do it on purpose/I’m not doing it on purpose
  • He didn’t mean for that to happen
  • They didn’t mean to hurt you
  • She didn’t mean it that way

 

Glossary

college = faculdade

one of your closest friends = uma de suas amigas mais chegadas

she calls you on it = ela confronta você a respeito disso

it didn’t even cross your mind = nem passou pela sua cabeça

spouse = um dos membros do casal (o marido ou a esposa)

cheats = trai (aqui, com sentido de cometer adultério)

people don’t get what you’re saying = as pessoas não entendem o que você está dizendo

Ana
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Xavier 26/01/2012

Ana i have no many things to say for me it’s first time reading your tips and i loved too tank you so much.

Mauricio 03/05/2011

Hello Ana luiza.

I would like to congratulate you for your very clear explanations, besides I have been used your suggestions to improve my conversation and vocabulary skills.

Josimar Machado. 02/05/2011

Ana, you know why everybody likes so much your podcasts? Because you just don’t explain the tittle, we learn and at the same time you tell us a story haha that’s amazing, keep on it.

Rafael Pereira de Sousa 02/05/2011

Hello Ana Luiza!

This is the first time I’m writing a commentaire here. I’ve been pretty much busy, so I never find time to write, but this time I just had to say that I always read all your posts and liten to all the podcasts, and I can say that you’re really good in what you do.
I’m an English Teacher, and I’m always trying to improve my language skills and in your website, I can find ecxactaly what I’m looking for. Thanks a lot!

Claudia 29/04/2011

Ohhh You really help all of us with your posts, after I started listening to them I improved a lot my English
Hugs friend

Fernanda 29/04/2011

i liked!!!
it’s very good!
thanks!

vanildo silva 28/04/2011

Hello Ana, God bless you for all the things you have been teaching us. You are incredible.

ivan alves 27/04/2011

owww.. i like that accent, you’re really good!! i’m trying to improove my english, wish you could help me..!! Thank you.

Ana Luiza 27/04/2011

Julio – I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about!! Sometimes I’m such a goofball and say something that no one else gets or thinks is funny and I’m the only one harharharhar smile

Juliana – yep, you can

Ana – the first thing that comes to mind is “If it’s OK with you”. If I think of something else, I’ll let you know

Julio D. 27/04/2011

Hi!!!
That’s funny, because always when I try to joke with people, they always think I’m talking serious.
Even when I say absurd things, like:

Me: You gonna install this machine to locate the ETs against us?
My boss: No, it’s to trace the cellphones of the company.(serious)
Me:OK.(hsuahsuahsuahsa)

Thanks for the nice poadcast!
Bye!!!

Se falei alguma besteira em inglês me corrija por favor! Obrigado,até mais!!!

Guilherme Faria 26/04/2011

Thank you very much for doing this post,i was really interested about this kind of expression.

Ana 26/04/2011

Hi,
Nice podcast! I love those “como digo em ingles” ,they are simple and helpful.

And I would like to know if you can help me,the other day I was talking to a friend that I would stop by his house to get some papers from work,anyway I sent him a e-mail and I was trying to tell him “Se nao for encomodo passo ai antes do almoco” and I realized that I have no idea how to say “se nao for encomodo” , all that I could think at the time was “If its okay with you” but I wasn’t happy with this translation, I wanted something a little more formal.
So could you please help me??
Do you know a better way to say it??
A way that can sound more professional? 

Thank you! =)

Juliana 26/04/2011

Hi Ana,

Thank you so much for your nice podcasts! smile
They are helping me by after day…

I would like to know if in the other topic about It can only be,I could use: It could only be? or It could only have been Valerie (e.g).

Thanks a lot!

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