dar conta
to manage
Wörtlich: to give account
Use 'dar conta de' whenever you want to say you can handle a responsibility or situation successfully.
In 15 Sekunden
- Used to say you can handle or manage a specific task.
- Always pair it with 'de' to indicate what you are handling.
- Commonly used when feeling overwhelmed or proving your competence.
Bedeutung
It describes the act of successfully handling a task or managing a situation. It is that feeling of being capable enough to finish what you started without falling apart.
Wichtige Beispiele
3 von 7At the office with a heavy workload
Eu não sei se vou dar conta de tudo hoje.
I don't know if I'll handle everything today.
At a buffet with too much food
Você vai dar conta de comer esse bolo inteiro?
Are you going to manage to eat that whole cake?
Talking about a difficult child
A babá não deu conta das crianças.
The nanny couldn't handle the kids.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The phrase reflects the 'jeitinho' culture of finding a way to make things work. It emphasizes personal capability over formal processes. In Brazil, being someone who 'dá conta' is a highly respected trait in both friendships and labor.
The 'Realize' Trap
Adding 'se' (se dar conta) changes the meaning to 'to realize.' If you say 'Eu me dei conta,' you mean 'I realized,' not 'I handled it.'
The 'Recado' Variation
If you want to sound like a local pro, say 'dar conta do recado.' It implies you are reliable and can be trusted with any mission.
In 15 Sekunden
- Used to say you can handle or manage a specific task.
- Always pair it with 'de' to indicate what you are handling.
- Commonly used when feeling overwhelmed or proving your competence.
What It Means
Think of dar conta as your go-to phrase for 'I’ve got this.' It is about capacity and competence. When you use it, you are saying you can handle the weight of a responsibility. It is less about 'managing' a business and more about 'handling' a workload or a tricky situation. It implies you have enough energy or skill to reach the finish line.
How To Use It
You will almost always use it with the preposition de. So, it becomes dar conta de something. If you are talking about a task, say dar conta do trabalho. If you are talking about a person, it might mean you can't handle their personality! It is very flexible. You can use it in the past, present, or future. It works perfectly when you are overwhelmed or, conversely, when you are feeling like a superhero.
When To Use It
Use it at work when your boss asks if you can finish a report. Use it with friends when you are trying to finish a giant pizza. It is perfect for those 'adulting' moments. You can use it when talking about physical strength or mental stamina. It is a great way to express that you are surviving a busy week. It sounds natural and very native.
When NOT To Use It
Don't use it for 'managing' in a corporate title sense. A manager is a gerente, they don't just dar conta. Also, avoid it if you are talking about literal accounting or math. While it sounds like 'account,' it is not about numbers. Don't use it if you just 'tried' to do something. This phrase is about the result—actually getting it done. If you failed, you não deu conta.
Cultural Background
Portuguese speakers value the effort of 'handling' life's chaos. Life in Brazil or Portugal can be unpredictable. Dar conta reflects a certain resilience. It is a badge of honor to say you handled a difficult day. It shows you are reliable and sturdy. It is a very grounded, everyday expression that skips the corporate jargon for something more human.
Common Variations
You might hear dar conta do recado. This is a more idiomatic way to say 'to get the job done.' It literally means 'to handle the message.' Another one is se dar conta, which actually means 'to realize' something. Be careful with that extra se! It changes the meaning from 'handling a task' to 'having an epiphany.' Stick to the simple version first.
Nutzungshinweise
The phrase is highly versatile and sits in the 'neutral' register. The most important thing to remember is the mandatory use of the preposition 'de' when followed by an object.
The 'Realize' Trap
Adding 'se' (se dar conta) changes the meaning to 'to realize.' If you say 'Eu me dei conta,' you mean 'I realized,' not 'I handled it.'
The 'Recado' Variation
If you want to sound like a local pro, say 'dar conta do recado.' It implies you are reliable and can be trusted with any mission.
Negative Power
This phrase is actually more common in the negative! Brazilians often use 'não dar conta' to express being overwhelmed in a relatable way.
Beispiele
7Eu não sei se vou dar conta de tudo hoje.
I don't know if I'll handle everything today.
Expressing a feeling of being overwhelmed by tasks.
Você vai dar conta de comer esse bolo inteiro?
Are you going to manage to eat that whole cake?
A playful challenge about physical capacity.
A babá não deu conta das crianças.
The nanny couldn't handle the kids.
Used here for managing people or behavior.
O treino foi pesado, mas dei conta!
The workout was heavy, but I handled it!
Short, punchy way to show success.
Eu dou conta de aprender sistemas novos rapidamente.
I can manage to learn new systems quickly.
Shows confidence and capability.
Às vezes é difícil dar conta de casa e trabalho.
Sometimes it's hard to manage home and work.
Reflects the emotional weight of responsibilities.
Fica tranquilo, você dá conta!
Don't worry, you can handle it!
A very common way to offer support.
Teste dich selbst
Choose the correct preposition to complete the phrase.
Eu não dou conta ___ tanto barulho!
In Portuguese, 'dar conta' always requires the preposition 'de' (or its contractions like 'do/da') to link to the object.
Which verb form fits the context of a past success?
O trabalho era difícil, mas eu ___ conta.
'Dei' is the first-person singular past tense of 'dar,' indicating you already handled the task.
🎉 Ergebnis: /2
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Formality of 'Dar Conta'
Used with friends/family for daily chores.
Não dou conta dessa louça!
Standard use in offices and stores.
Você dá conta do relatório?
Slightly less common; 'conseguir' or 'gerir' might be used.
A empresa deu conta da demanda.
When to say 'Dar Conta'
Workload
Too many emails
Physical
Heavy lifting
Emotional
Stressful days
Social
Loud parties
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNot exactly. Gerenciar is formal and used for managing a business or project, while dar conta is about your personal ability to handle a task.
Yes! If you say Eu não dou conta dele, it means you can't handle his behavior or personality.
Absolutely. It is a neutral phrase. Saying Nós damos conta do projeto sounds confident and professional.
Conseguir means 'to manage/succeed' in a general sense, while dar conta implies dealing with a burden or a volume of work.
You must add the reflexive pronoun: Eu me dei conta de que esqueci a chave means 'I realized I forgot the key.'
Yes, if you are carrying something heavy, you can ask Você dá conta? to see if the person can handle the weight.
It is very common in both, though Brazilians might use the variation dar conta do recado more frequently in casual speech.
Always use de. For example: dar conta de fazer algo or dar conta do (de + o) trabalho.
No, it is a standard collocation. It is informal enough for friends but correct enough for a news report.
Yes, it is perfect for that. Não dou conta de tantos compromissos means you can't handle so many appointments.
Verwandte Redewendungen
dar conta do recado
to get the job done / to deliver
se dar conta
to realize / to notice
aguentar o tranco
to handle the pressure / to endure
dar um jeito
to find a way / to fix it
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