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Portuguese · Frustration & Despair

Tá foda

tah FOH-dah · /ta ˈfɔ.da/

It's rough / this is screwed / things are hard

3/5 Watch your audience

genuinely rude; friends only, never at work

Literally

"It's (a) fuck"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

The national sigh of resignation about anything genuinely hard — the economy, prices, a losing streak. "A vida tá foda" ("life is rough"). Weary more than angry. Coarse; keep it casual. Softer swap: "tá difícil / tá osso."

Heard in the wild

O aluguel subiu de novo, tá foda viver aqui.

Rent went up again, it's rough living here.

Where it lands

Brazil (universal).

Quick answers

What does "Tá foda" mean?
In Portuguese, "Tá foda" means "It's rough / this is screwed / things are hard". Literally it's "It's (a) fuck". The national sigh of resignation about anything genuinely hard — the economy, prices, a losing streak. "A vida tá foda" ("life is rough"). Weary more than angry. Coarse; keep it casual. Softer swap: "tá difícil / tá osso."
Is "Tá foda" offensive?
It's genuinely rude — a 3/5 (Watch your audience) on the Punch-o-Meter. Fine among friends, never at work or with people you've just met.
How do you pronounce "Tá foda"?
Say it "tah FOH-dah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ta ˈfɔ.da.

Related in Portuguese

Droga! DROH-gah Darn! / Damn it! Que sacanagem! sah-kah-NAH-zhang That's so unfair! / What a low blow! Pra caralho prah kah-RAH-lyoo As hell / a shitload / extremely Chato SHAH-too Annoying / boring / a pain Putz! POOTS Darn! / Ugh! / Oh no! Que foda! keh FOH-dah Badass! / Awesome! — OR 'that's rough' (context flips it)

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Tough luck".

how to say "Tough luck" →

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