What Does Dar Ruim Mean in Brazilian Portuguese?
Dar ruim is an informal warning or description for a plan or situation that goes wrong.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Dar ruim is informal Brazilian Portuguese for something going wrong, turning out badly, or creating a problem. It can describe a past outcome (deu ruim) or warn that a situation might go badly (pode dar ruim). The expression is casual and often used in everyday conversation.
Use dar ruim when an outcome goes badly
It does not explain the specific problem by itself. Add what happened so the listener understands whether the issue was a delay, a mistake, a cost, or a safety concern.
A gente saiu sem olhar a previsão e deu ruim.
We left without checking the forecast, and it went badly.
Se não confirmar a reserva, pode dar ruim.
If we don’t confirm the reservation, it could go wrong.
Deu ruim com a entrega; o pacote chegou no endereço errado.
There was a problem with the delivery; the package arrived at the wrong address.
Compare it with não dar certo
Não dar certo is a more neutral way to say that a plan did not work out. Dar ruim can sound more vivid or dramatic and may suggest an unpleasant consequence. Choose the phrase that matches the seriousness of what happened.
In a work report, explain the event directly: houve um problema com a entrega (there was a delivery problem). Casual idioms are useful for conversation, but clear details matter in a formal account.
O primeiro horário não deu certo, então marcamos outro.
The first time did not work, so we scheduled another one.
O plano deu ruim quando começou a chover.
The plan went wrong when it started raining.
A instalação não foi concluída porque faltou uma peça.
The installation was not completed because a part was missing.
Put it into practice
Use dar ruim in casual speech when an outcome goes wrong. Não dar certo is more neutral; explain the actual problem when precision matters.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “We left without checking the forecast, and it went badly”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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