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For those asking, "Eu estou alto" (estou not sou) does in fact mean "I am high" in the sense of you know the sense wink wink
But be careful about three things:
As far as I know, people only say that in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
You'd never hear "estou alto", too formal for someone high. "Eu tô alto" is what you will hear, the contraction of "estou" to "tô" makes it sound very informal.
In Rio people say they are "high" especifically when drinking alcohol, for other stuff refer below for idiomatic usage:
- Chapado(a) = Closest to "baked". Tho it can be used for any kind of drug, it's assumed to be weed if no context is provided.
"Ela tava chapada de crack" = "She was high on crack"
"Minha vovó tá chapada" = "My granny is baked"
- Fumado(a) = Literally means "to be smoked". When you're high from stuff you smoke. But, people usualy use it in a sarcastic or humorours sense.
"Ele tá fumado" = "He IS smoked". You will hear that when some dude is talking nonsense.
"Lol eu tô fumado" = "lol I AM smoked". You would say that when you went full retard and just realized it.
- Doidão/Doidona = Literally "Very crazy". You get the idea. Sounds childish/teenage-ish/ghetto-ish.
"Ela ficou doidona e ele já estava doidão" = "She got wasted and he was already wasted"
- Acabado(a) = literally "finished" It is the only one you'd use if you're out on a night drinking with polite people
"Ela ta acabada de tanto beber" = "She is wasted after so much drinking"
"Não aguento mais beber, tô acabado" = "I can't take drinking anymore, I am wasted"
I was with you and enjoying your comment all the way up to the insulting R-word, and so I will take this opportunity to ask you to stop spreading the use of such a mean-spirited word. Essentially every time that word is used it insults those with developmental disabilities or set-backs because it says that – in this case – when someone gets baked they become as stupid as someone who has autism or Down's syndrome, which hurts those who have it, and it hurts their families.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retard_(pejorative)#Organizations_and_campaigns
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/opinion/sunday/a-word-gone-wrong.html
Just because someone is not as mentally sharp as others, does not mean s/he does not understand the insult and that it is as directed to them – perhaps even more so as they are the comparative – as it is to the person who is being called that.
Fair enough. It's just the kind of word you use without thinking so much about it, after, you know, growing up hearing people throw the word around all the time. But I guess you're right about that.
Wow I wish I could save all that info. I don't want to just travel to Brazil and speak the language like a noob. XD But thanks for all the info.
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Out of curiosity, since I am a girl, for me to describe myself as tall, would I say "eu sou alta"? Would I get weird looks from people if I said "eu sou alto"?
Yes, you should say "eu sou alta". I don't think you would get weird looks, they would probably just label you as someone who doesn't know Portuguese very well :)
You need to say "alta" cause you're a woman, if you were a man, you'd say "alto". but, even that you speak it wrong we can understand you, it is not as strange as it sounds.
Does "Eu sou alto" not work as "I am loud" because that would be "Eu estou alto"? (i.e. sou = permanent quality versus estou = temporary quality)
A Brazilian in Rio described herself to me as "alta" after finishing a strong drink. I can't remember if she said "eu estou alta" or "eu sou alta," but it would make sense to me to use the verb "estar." Is this an accepted way to say "I'm buzzed?"
Here we say Eu estou alto (a) when you drink alcohol. You can use this expression in the south of Brazil too.
