Bah / tchê
bah / CHEH
How to say itPart of: Regional
“Wow; well… (bah); mate, man (tchê).”
Bah and tchê are how gaúchos talk, in Rio Grande do Sul. Bah is an exclamation of surprise, emphasis or resignation, often with mas: mas bah! Tchê is “mate, man, buddy”, used to address anyone: e aí, tchê? Both come from the south’s border with Argentina and Uruguay, tchê from the Spanish che. The rest of Brazil hears them as instantly southern.
Looking for more Brazilian slang? Brazilian slang: the guide
InformalRio Grande do Sulalso: mas bah, bah tchê, barbaridadeReply: Tri!
How Brazilians use it
“Bah, que frio!”
“Wow, it’s cold!”
Surprise.
“Mas bah, tchê, não acredito.”
“Well, man, I don’t believe it.”
The two together.
“E aí, tchê, tudo tri?”
“Hey, mate, all good?”
Tri: the south’s “cool”.
“Bah, deixa pra lá.”
“Oh well, forget it.”
Resignation.
How to reply
- Tri!Cool: the gaúcho reply.
Similar expressions
Brazil vs Portugal
Not Portuguese at all: these are southern Brazilian, shaped by the border with Argentina and Uruguay.
Common mistakes
- Don’t confuse bah with the Spanish or English bah of contempt: in the south it is surprise or emphasis.
- Don’t say tchê like “chee”: it is CHEH, with the stress and an open e.
- Don’t put on the accent: like uai, it is affectionate from a gaúcho and mockery from anyone else.
Frequently asked questions
What does bah mean in Portuguese?
In Rio Grande do Sul, an exclamation of surprise, emphasis or resignation: bah, que frio! It is not the contemptuous “bah” of English; it is closer to “wow” or “well”.
What does tchê mean?
Mate, man, buddy: how gaúchos address anyone, from the Spanish che across the border. E aí, tchê? is hey, mate.
Where are bah and tchê from?
Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s southernmost state, with Argentina and Uruguay next door. The rest of Brazil hears them as instantly gaúcho.
What does tri mean in the south?
Cool, great: the gaúcho tri (from tri-legal, “triple cool”). Tudo tri? is all good?, and the answer is tri.