Fazer Vista Grossa: What This Portuguese Expression Means — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Use fazer vista grossa for deliberate inaction
Fazer vista grossa means to turn a blind eye or deliberately overlook something. The expression suggests that a person could see or address the issue but chooses not to. It often carries a critical tone.
The pattern is fazer vista grossa para something. In many everyday situations, you can also use a instead of para. Choose the wording that feels natural in your sentence and keep the object clear.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| O gerente fez vista grossa para os atrasos repetidos. | The manager turned a blind eye to the repeated lateness. |
| Não podemos fazer vista grossa a esse problema. | We can’t ignore that problem. |
| A professora percebeu o erro e decidiu conversar com a turma. | The teacher noticed the mistake and decided to talk with the class. |
Distinguish ignoring something from missing it by accident
Fazer vista grossa implies awareness and a choice not to respond. Passar despercebido means something was not noticed; the person may not have seen it at all. The distinction matters when you describe responsibility.
Because the idiom can accuse someone of neglect, use it with care in a sensitive conversation. A neutral report can state what the person knew and what action was or was not taken.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| O detalhe passou despercebido na primeira leitura. | The detail went unnoticed on the first read. |
| A equipe não deve fazer vista grossa para os sinais de alerta. | The team should not turn a blind eye to warning signs. |
| Não vi a mensagem até esta manhã. | I didn’t see the message until this morning. |
Remember: Use fazer vista grossa when someone knowingly overlooks an issue; use passar despercebido when it simply was not noticed.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
The manager turned a blind eye to the repeated lateness.
Show a Portuguese answer
O gerente fez vista grossa para os atrasos repetidos.
We can’t ignore that problem.
Show a Portuguese answer
Não podemos fazer vista grossa a esse problema.
The teacher noticed the mistake and decided to talk with the class.
Show a Portuguese answer
A professora percebeu o erro e decidiu conversar com a turma.
The detail went unnoticed on the first read.
Show a Portuguese answer
O detalhe passou despercebido na primeira leitura.
The team should not turn a blind eye to warning signs.
Show a Portuguese answer
A equipe não deve fazer vista grossa para os sinais de alerta.
I didn’t see the message until this morning.
Show a Portuguese answer
Não vi a mensagem até esta manhã.
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Use fazer vista grossa when someone knowingly overlooks an issue; use passar despercebido when it simply was not noticed.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Fazer Vista Grossa: What This Portuguese Expression Means lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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