Ficar de Boca Aberta: Say You Were Amazed in Portuguese — Practice

Use ficar de boca aberta for amazement

Ficar de boca aberta means to be amazed, astonished, or left speechless. It can describe a positive surprise, a shocking piece of news, or something impressive. The phrase focuses on the reaction, not necessarily whether the surprise is pleasant.

Conjugate ficar to match the subject and time: fiquei de boca aberta (I was amazed), ela ficou de boca aberta (she was), and ficamos de boca aberta (we were). The words de boca aberta stay the same.

Choose a phrase that matches the size of your reaction

Surpreso or surpresa is a neutral word for being surprised. Ficar de boca aberta is more vivid and conversational, so it may sound exaggerated if the event was minor. Impressionado or impressionada can highlight admiration without suggesting shock.

Use com to name what caused the reaction: ficar de boca aberta com alguma coisa. You can also name the event with quando: fiquei de boca aberta quando…

Remember: Use ficar de boca aberta for a vivid, informal reaction of amazement; choose surpreso or impressionado for a more neutral description.

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.

1. I was amazed by the view from the lookout.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Fiquei de boca aberta com a vista do mirante.

2. They were astonished when they saw the result.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Eles ficaram de boca aberta quando viram o resultado.

3. The news left everyone speechless.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   A notícia deixou todo mundo de boca aberta.

4. I was surprised by the unexpected visit.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Fiquei surpresa com a visita inesperada.

5. We were impressed by the presentation.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ficamos impressionados com a apresentação.

6. She was amazed when she saw the size of the aquarium.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ela ficou de boca aberta quando viu o tamanho do aquário.

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 ficar de boca aberta for a vivid, informal reaction of amazement; choose surpreso or impressionado for a more neutral description.

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 Ficar de Boca Aberta: Say You Were Amazed in Portuguese 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.