What is Saudade? What does it actually mean? You may have seen this word before and heard that it has no direct translation in any language in the world. This is true. In short, Saudade is an emotion.
What is Saudade?
It’s the emotion to describe a sad state of intense longing for someone or something that is absent. Saudade is deep-rooted in Portuguese culture, and you will often come across it in its literature and music.
Saudade is something you feel. You feel it when you miss someone. You feel it when you miss your home. You feel it when you reminisce about happier times that you can no longer go back to or wish you could. It’s a strong nostalgic or melancholy yearning. It can evoke a sense of incompleteness and loneliness.
The closest translation in English is the word “desiderium.” Desiderium is an ardent desire or longing, especially a feeling of loss or grief for something lost.
How is Saudade used in everyday speech?
“Ter Saudades”(to have saudades). This means to miss someone or something. For example:
“Tenho saudades tuas.” (I miss you)
“Tenho saudades das nossas idas ao mercado.” (I miss our trips to the market)
“Dar Saudades” (to give Saudades). This means that you want someone to let someone know that you miss them. For example:
“dê-lhe saudades minhas” (Tell her I miss her)
“Deixar Saudades” (to leave saudades behind). This one means that someone’s absence causes saudade/they are now greatly missed. For example:
She left saudades/She is greatly missed = “Ela deixou saudades”
“Matar Saudades” (to kill saudades). This is something you do to eliminate the feeling of Saudades, such as to finally see or do something again after a long absence./for old times’ sake. For example:
“O António vem passar férias cá para matar saudades.” (António is coming here for a holiday to kill saudades)
“Vamos beber um copo para matar saudades” (Let’s have a drink for old times’ sake)
“Morrer de saudades” (to die of saudades). This means to deeply and painfully miss someone or something. For example:
My mother died 5 years ago. I miss her terribly every day. = “A minha mãe morreu há 5 anos. Morro de saudades dela todos os dias.”
I haven’t seen my child in a long time. I am missing him terribly = “Não vejo o meu filho há muito tempo. Estou a morrer de saudades.”
“Quando a saudade aperta” (when the saudade squeezes/pinches). This means when the longing/yearning/the sadness from missing someone or something becomes overwhelming.
