Ficar de Boca Aberta: Say You Were Amazed in Portuguese
Ficar de boca aberta means to be amazed or astonished. Use it for a strong reaction, not as a literal description in most conversations.
Real Life Portuguese · 4 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Ficar de boca aberta means to be amazed, astonished, or left speechless. It can describe a positive surprise, a shocking piece of news, or something impressive. The phrase focuses on the reaction, not necessarily whether the surprise is pleasant.
Use ficar de boca aberta for amazement
Conjugate ficar to match the subject and time: fiquei de boca aberta (I was amazed), ela ficou de boca aberta (she was), and ficamos de boca aberta (we were). The words de boca aberta stay the same.
Fiquei de boca aberta com a vista do mirante.
I was amazed by the view from the lookout.
Eles ficaram de boca aberta quando viram o resultado.
They were astonished when they saw the result.
A notícia deixou todo mundo de boca aberta.
The news left everyone speechless.
Choose a phrase that matches the size of your reaction
Surpreso or surpresa is a neutral word for being surprised. Ficar de boca aberta is more vivid and conversational, so it may sound exaggerated if the event was minor. Impressionado or impressionada can highlight admiration without suggesting shock.
Use com to name what caused the reaction: ficar de boca aberta com alguma coisa. You can also name the event with quando: fiquei de boca aberta quando…
Fiquei surpresa com a visita inesperada.
I was surprised by the unexpected visit.
Ficamos impressionados com a apresentação.
We were impressed by the presentation.
Ela ficou de boca aberta quando viu o tamanho do aquário.
She was amazed when she saw the size of the aquarium.
Put it into practice
Use ficar de boca aberta for a vivid, informal reaction of amazement; choose surpreso or impressionado for a more neutral description.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I was surprised by the unexpected visit”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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