pois não
Portuguese
editEtymology
editFrom pois (“so, then”) + não (“not”). Probably originally intended as: "so ... not ...?", implying either "so, how could I not serve you?" or "so, how could I not do what you asked?", depending on the context.
Compare Spanish ¿cómo no? (“how not?”) and Hungarian hogyne (“sure, of course”, literally “how not”).
Phrase
editPhrase
edit- (Brazil, formal) yes; of course (used to confirm a request)
- “Eu gostaria de uma salada.” — “Pois não, senhor.”
- “I would like a salad.” — “Yes, sir.”
Usage notes
editNot to be confused with pois sim (used as a sarcastic agreement of something that is obviously to be disagreed: yeah, right!, yeah, sure!).