por sinal

By the Way

Level 5

The expression por sinal is a versatile connector used to introduce additional information or a side comment related to the current topic. It translates most often as 'by the way,' 'incidentally,' or 'as it happens.'

How It Works

In Portuguese, por sinal serves as a parenthetical adjunct. This means it functions as an 'aside' that adds flavor or extra detail without changing the core grammatical structure of the sentence.

Key Functions:

  • Reinforcement: It often adds a detail that confirms or strengthens a previous description (e.g., 'He is very smart, and very polite, by the way').
  • Incidental Information: It introduces a fact that the speaker just remembered or thinks is worth noting in the moment.
  • Placement: It is highly flexible. It can appear at the end of a sentence, in the middle (intercalated), or at the beginning of a new sentence to link it to the previous one.

Register: It is used across all levels of speech, from casual conversations to formal writing. In speech, it is usually marked by a lower pitch or a slight pause, which is represented by commas in writing.

Examples (4)

  1. O filme é muito bom, por sinal.

    The movie is very good, by the way.

    Word by Word: The movie is very good, by sign.

    Here, 'por sinal' is used at the end of the sentence to add an extra positive comment about the movie.

  2. Conheci sua irmã ontem; uma pessoa muito simpática, por sinal.

    I met your sister yesterday; a very nice person, incidentally.

    Word by Word: I met your sister yesterday; a person very nice, by sign.

    In this context, it reinforces the description of the person just mentioned.

  3. Ele comprou um carro novo — por sinal, o mesmo modelo que o meu.

    He bought a new car — by the way, the same model as mine.

    Word by Word: He bought a car new — by sign, the same model that the mine.

    Used here to introduce a specific, related detail about the object (the car).

  4. Por sinal, você já terminou aquele relatório?

    By the way, have you finished that report yet?

    Word by Word: By sign, you already finished that report?

    When used at the beginning, it links the new question to a previous (implied) context or conversation.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'pelo sinal' instead of the fixed expression 'por sinal'.

    Ele é muito inteligente, pelo sinal.
    Ele é muito inteligente, por sinal.

    Even though 'por' + 'o' usually becomes pelo, this is a fixed idiomatic expression and the article is never used.

  • Confusing 'por sinal' with 'por acaso' (by chance).

    Eu encontrei ele na rua por sinal.
    Eu encontrei ele na rua por acaso.

    If you mean you met someone 'by accident' or 'by chance,' use 'por acaso.' Use 'por sinal' only to add a comment or aside.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

por sinalLevel 5By the Way

Learn This First

The expression 'por sinal' is a fixed idiomatic phrase used as a discourse marker. To understand it, a learner should be familiar with the basic preposition 'por' and how Portuguese uses fixed adverbial phrases to add parenthetical information or asides to a conversation.

Words in This Pattern

por sinal