saudade

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longing, yearning, nostalgia, regards, remembrances
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/sɐwˈdadɨ/
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Bittersweet longing for someone or something absent, lost, distant, or past, plus affectionate plural remembrances and a separate botanical name for scabious flowers.

Examples

  • A mensagem terminava com saudades e um abraço.
    The message ended with warm regards and a hug.
  • Ela colheu saudades para o arranjo da mesa.
    She picked scabious flowers for the table arrangement.
  • No viveiro havia saudades de várias cores.
    The nursery had scabious flowers in several colors.
  • A saudade roxa atraiu abelhas ao jardim.
    The purple scabious attracted bees to the garden.
  • Ela deixou saudades para todos no fim da visita.
    She left warm regards for everyone at the end of the visit.

Similar words

desejo
recordações
nostalgia
flor-do-campo
dipsacácea
carinho
lembrança
melancolia
suspiro
afeto

Meanings

Longing for what is absent

noun
emotion
neutral
A deep, often bittersweet feeling of missing a person, place, time, or experience that is absent or lost.

Examples

  • Sinto saudade da minha cidade todos os dias.
    I miss my city every day.
  • A música trouxe uma saudade boa da infância.
    The song brought back a sweet longing for childhood.
  • Ele falava da avó com muita saudade.
    He spoke about his grandmother with deep longing.
  • Depois da viagem, ficou a saudade dos amigos.
    After the trip, the longing for friends remained.
  • A carta estava cheia de saudade e carinho.
    The letter was full of longing and affection.

Similar words

Affectionate remembrances or greetings

noun
communication
neutral
A plural use, usually saudades, for affectionate greetings, warm remembrances, or the message that someone is missed.

Examples

  • Mande saudades minhas à sua família.
    Send my regards to your family.
  • Ela deixou saudades para todos no fim da visita.
    She left warm regards for everyone at the end of the visit.
  • Recebi suas saudades no bilhete.
    I received your affectionate greetings in the note.
  • saudades ao seu irmão quando falar com ele.
    Give my regards to your brother when you speak with him.
  • A mensagem terminava com saudades e um abraço.
    The message ended with warm regards and a hug.

Similar words

Flowering plant called saudade

noun
botany
technical
A common plant name, often used in the plural, for scabious and some related ornamental flowers.

Examples

  • As saudades deram cor ao canteiro na primavera.
    The scabious flowers added color to the flower bed in spring.
  • O jardineiro plantou saudades perto da entrada.
    The gardener planted scabious near the entrance.
  • A saudade roxa atraiu abelhas ao jardim.
    The purple scabious attracted bees to the garden.
  • Ela colheu saudades para o arranjo da mesa.
    She picked scabious flowers for the table arrangement.
  • No viveiro havia saudades de várias cores.
    The nursery had scabious flowers in several colors.

Similar words

Etymology

From Latin solitas, meaning solitude, through older Portuguese forms such as soidade. Some accounts connect the modern spelling with association to words such as saudar.

FAQ

What does saudade mean?

Saudade means a deep, affectionate longing for someone or something absent, lost, distant, or past.

Is saudade just nostalgia?

No. Nostalgia is close, but saudade often adds affection, absence, loss, and a wish for return.

How is saudade used in Portuguese?

Common patterns include ter saudade de and sentir saudade de, as in Tenho saudade da minha avó.

What does saudades mean in a message?

Saudades can mean warm regards or affectionate remembrances, as in Mande saudades à sua família.

Where does saudade come from?

It comes from Latin solitas, meaning solitude, through older Portuguese forms such as soidade.

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