Saudade

sow-DAH-jee

“Missing someone or something; longing.”

Saudade is the everyday Brazilian Portuguese word for missing a person, place, time, food, habit, or experience. It can be sweet, sad, romantic, homesick, or nostalgic; Brazilians often say estou com saudade de você, literally “I’m with saudade of you.”

EverydayAll Brazilalso: saudades, sdd, sdds

How Brazilians use it

“Tô com saudade de você.”
“I miss you.”
Warm text to someone you have not seen lately.
“Que saudade da minha infância.”
“I really miss my childhood.”
Remembering an old time, photo, song, or place.
“Vou matar a saudade da comida da minha avó.”
“I’m going to satisfy how much I’ve missed my grandma’s food.”
Returning to something loved after a long time.
“Manda saudades para sua mãe.”
“Send my love to your mother.”
Passing affectionate regards to someone absent.

In a real book

“O Raimundo voltou a ser um bom maranhense, e agora está disposto a matar saudades da sua terra.”

— Na Exposição, Artur de Azevedo

Open this book

“Considerava-se feliz; só uma coisa o afligia: as saudades do pai, que deixara na aldeia.”

— Piedade Filial, Artur de Azevedo

Open this book

Similar expressions

Sentir faltaMore literal “to miss/lack”; usually less warm.
CafunéAn affectionate head-stroking gesture, not longing.
BeijosAn affectionate sign-off, not the feeling of missing.
LembrançasNeutral “regards,” especially when sending greetings.

Brazil vs Portugal

The feeling and the word exist in both Brazil and Portugal. In Brazil you will hear “estar com saudade de…” very often; in Portugal, “ter saudades de…” is especially common.

Common mistakes

Do not say “Eu saudade você.” Use “Estou com saudade de você,” “Tenho saudade de você,” or “Sinto saudade de você.”
Do not forget de after saudade: say “saudade de casa,” “saudade do Brasil,” and “saudade da minha mãe.”
Do not translate every saudade as “nostalgia.” With people, English usually says “I miss you,” “I miss him,” or “I miss them.”

Frequently asked questions

What does saudade mean in English?

Saudade usually means missing someone or something, longing, homesickness, or nostalgia. The best English translation depends on what is absent: a person, a place, a time, or an experience.

How do I say “I miss you” in Brazilian Portuguese?

Say “Estou com saudade de você” or, more casually, “Tô com saudade de você.” You can also say “Tenho saudade de você” or “Sinto saudade de você.”

What does “que saudade” mean?

“Que saudade” means “I miss it so much,” “I miss you so much,” or “I’m so nostalgic,” depending on context. For example, “Que saudade do Brasil” means “I miss Brazil so much.”

Is it saudade or saudades?

Both forms are used. “Saudade” is common for the feeling in general, while “saudades” is also very natural in phrases like “Estou com saudades de você” and in affectionate messages.