16 Comments
Couldn't this be translated correctly as "He (or She) doesn't have salt" ? I was marked wrong, but tem means have/has.
No, "não tem sal" means specifically "there's no salt", at least without context. We would put ela or ele in the sentence in order for that to mean "she/he doesn't have salt". PS.: entering the world of idiomatic expressions, "ela/ele não tem sal" or "ela/ele é sem sal" means that a person is not interesting or hot.
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Both "não há sal" or "não tem sal" mean the same thing here. If you want to say "you don't have salt" you have to say "você não tem sal" or "tu não tens sal". "Há não sal" is wrong because the negative always come before the verb.
I understiood "There is" no salt to be "ha nao sal" I translate this phrase as "You don't have salt" welcome comments
Couldn't this be translated as "It doesn't have any taste"? My wife's family from Sao Paulo says things don't have salt if they are tasteless. Anyone from Brazil care to comment? Perhaps I'm remembering the expression incorrectly.
Hi RobHendelm! Well, if a food - or anything - are tasteless, so it has no salt, no sugar, and probably no spice at all. I guess this is what your wife's family wanted to say. If they are tasteless, they probably have no salt, but if they have no salt, it doesn't mean they are tasteless. For instance, an icecream has no salt, but it's far to be tasteless! Do you see?
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Não tem sal one expression to learn.in port-pt we use Não há and never ever não tem. Living and learning!
Odd. I tried to use the English vernacular of "Do not have salt" and it was rejected. This is similar in its sense as "There is no salt" which is an acceptable response.
For everyone who asking about how to translate is simply use infinite verb, like has no salt or have no salt means equal also in spanish portuguese and english you can avoid the person now the phrase não tem sal the verb tem is have, no there is or there are is different but you can perfomance as that well...
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Jonathan i think it is the Brazilian's way to say "there is". If i'm thinking wrong please natives...can you help me?
So what if you want to say 'It doesn't have salt'? In the sense of it (the sandwich I just made you, the food I bought, etc, something previously mentioned) doesn't have/contain salt as an ingredient. Wouldn't that also be 'não tem sal'?
