Fazer Sentido: Ask ‘Does That Make Sense?’ in Portuguese — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Use fazer sentido for an idea that is logical or clear
Fazer sentido means to make sense. The expression works for plans, explanations, choices, and information that seems logical or understandable. In a question, faz sentido? can check the idea; isso faz sentido para você? asks whether it makes sense to the other person.
The noun sentido stays in the singular in this expression. Learn the whole chunk faz sentido rather than translating the English word make separately.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Esse plano faz sentido para você? | Does this plan make sense to you? |
| Agora faz sentido. | Now it makes sense. |
| A explicação não fez muito sentido para mim. | The explanation didn’t make much sense to me. |
Check understanding without sounding like a test
When you have explained something, faz sentido? invites the listener to say whether the idea is clear. If you want to ask directly whether the person understood, use você entendeu? The first checks the explanation; the second focuses on the listener’s understanding.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Vou explicar com um exemplo. Faz sentido? | I’ll explain with an example. Does that make sense? |
| Você entendeu a última parte? | Did you understand the last part? |
Remember: Use faz sentido? to check an idea or explanation and você entendeu? to ask whether someone understood. The difference keeps a clarification friendly and specific.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
Does this plan make sense to you?
Show a Portuguese answer
Esse plano faz sentido para você?
Now it makes sense.
Show a Portuguese answer
Agora faz sentido.
The explanation didn’t make much sense to me.
Show a Portuguese answer
A explicação não fez muito sentido para mim.
I’ll explain with an example. Does that make sense?
Show a Portuguese answer
Vou explicar com um exemplo. Faz sentido?
Did you understand the last part?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você entendeu a última parte?
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Use faz sentido? to check an idea or explanation and você entendeu? to ask whether someone understood. The difference keeps a clarification friendly and specific.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Fazer Sentido: Ask ‘Does That Make Sense?’ in Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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