pouco manter contato
to keep in touch
字面意思: little to keep contact
Use this to honestly describe a relationship where you talk occasionally but aren't closely involved daily.
15秒了解
- Used to describe infrequent communication between two people.
- Combines 'pouco' (little) with 'manter contato' (to keep touch).
- Perfect for describing distant friends or former colleagues.
意思
This phrase is used to describe the act of staying in communication with someone over time. It is the Portuguese equivalent of saying you want to keep the connection alive after meeting or moving away.
关键例句
3 / 6Talking about an old school friend
Eu e o Pedro mantemos pouco contato hoje em dia.
Pedro and I keep in touch very little these days.
Explaining a professional relationship
Apesar de termos trabalhado juntos, mantemos pouco contato.
Despite having worked together, we keep in touch very little.
Texting someone you haven't seen in a while
Sinto que mantemos pouco contato, vamos marcar um café?
I feel like we don't keep in touch much, shall we grab a coffee?
文化背景
In Lusophone cultures, social ties are incredibly important, but there is a recognized 'social fatigue' in modern urban life. The phrase acknowledges that while we value people, we don't always have the energy for constant interaction. It is often used as a soft social buffer to manage expectations in friendships.
The 'Verb' Trap
The verb `manter` is irregular. In the present tense, 'we keep' is `mantemos`, but 'he/she keeps' is `mantém` (with an accent). Watch those accents!
Don't be too blunt
Saying `quero manter pouco contato` to someone's face is quite cold. Use it to describe a situation, not as a command to someone you dislike.
15秒了解
- Used to describe infrequent communication between two people.
- Combines 'pouco' (little) with 'manter contato' (to keep touch).
- Perfect for describing distant friends or former colleagues.
What It Means
Manter contato is the core action of staying in touch with someone. When you add pouco to the front, you are describing a situation where communication is sparse or infrequent. It is about those friendships that exist in the 'low battery' mode. You aren't strangers, but you aren't texting every day either. It captures that middle ground of social connection.
How To Use It
You will usually use this within a larger sentence structure. For example, nós mantemos pouco contato means 'we don't keep in touch much.' You can use it to explain why you don't know the latest news about a former coworker. It functions as a description of a relationship's current frequency. Just remember to conjugate the verb manter to match who you are talking about.
When To Use It
Use this when someone asks about an old friend or a distant relative. It is perfect for professional networking follow-ups where you want to be honest about the distance. It works well in casual coffee chats when catching up on life. It is the polite way to say 'we drifted apart' without making it sound like a dramatic breakup. It’s the ultimate 'it's complicated' for platonic friendships.
When NOT To Use It
Don't use this if you actually talk to the person every week. That would be confusing! Avoid using it in a romantic context if you are trying to sound interested. Saying eu quero manter pouco contato to a date is a very polite way of saying 'please leave me alone.' Also, avoid it in high-stakes emergency situations where clarity about communication is vital. Stick to simpler terms if you are angry.
Cultural Background
Brazilians and Portuguese people are generally very social and warm. However, life gets busy in big cities like São Paulo or Lisbon. Manter contato is a social promise often made but sometimes broken. Adding pouco is a very honest, slightly melancholic admission of modern life's busyness. It reflects a culture that values connection but struggles with the clock. It’s the honest version of the 'let's grab coffee sometime' lie.
Common Variations
You might hear perder o contato which means you've completely lost touch. Another one is retomar o contato, which means you are trying to start talking again. If you want to say you stay in touch a lot, just swap pouco for muito. Some people also use dar um alô for a quick check-in. These variations help you navigate the full spectrum of social closeness.
使用说明
The phrase is highly versatile and fits almost any social setting. The main 'gotcha' is the irregular conjugation of the verb `manter`, which follows the pattern of the verb `ter`.
The 'Verb' Trap
The verb `manter` is irregular. In the present tense, 'we keep' is `mantemos`, but 'he/she keeps' is `mantém` (with an accent). Watch those accents!
Don't be too blunt
Saying `quero manter pouco contato` to someone's face is quite cold. Use it to describe a situation, not as a command to someone you dislike.
The Brazilian 'Vamo marcar'
Brazilians often say 'Vamos marcar' (Let's schedule something) to avoid saying they `mantêm pouco contato`. If they say the phrase in this JSON, they are being unusually honest!
例句
6Eu e o Pedro mantemos pouco contato hoje em dia.
Pedro and I keep in touch very little these days.
Uses the present tense to describe a current state of a friendship.
Apesar de termos trabalhado juntos, mantemos pouco contato.
Despite having worked together, we keep in touch very little.
Professional yet honest about the distance.
Sinto que mantemos pouco contato, vamos marcar um café?
I feel like we don't keep in touch much, shall we grab a coffee?
Uses the phrase to bridge the gap and suggest a meeting.
Com essa correria, mantenho pouco contato até com a minha sombra!
With this rush, I barely keep in touch with my own shadow!
Hyperbole used for comedic effect regarding a busy schedule.
É triste que a gente mantenha tão pouco contato.
It's sad that we keep so little touch.
Uses the subjunctive 'mantenha' to express an emotion about the fact.
A empresa mantém pouco contato com os antigos fornecedores.
The company maintains little contact with the former suppliers.
Formal business observation.
自我测试
Choose the correct verb form to complete the sentence about you and a friend.
Eu e minha prima ___ pouco contato desde que ela mudou.
Since the subject is 'Eu e minha prima' (We), the verb 'manter' must be in the first-person plural.
Select the word that indicates the communication is infrequent.
Infelizmente, nós mantemos ___ contato.
'Pouco' is the word that specifies the contact is minimal or infrequent.
🎉 得分： /2
视觉学习工具
Formality of 'Manter Contato'
Talking to friends about old buddies.
A gente mantém pouco contato.
Standard way to describe any relationship.
Mantemos pouco contato ultimamente.
Business reports or formal letters.
A instituição mantém pouco contato com os sócios.
Where to use 'Pouco Manter Contato'
Old Coworkers
Professional networking updates.
Distant Family
Explaining family dynamics.
School Friends
Catching up at a reunion.
Ex-partners
Setting boundaries after a breakup.
常见问题
10 个问题Not usually. It is a factual description of a situation. However, if you say it with a cold tone, it might imply you don't care about the person.
Yes, it is perfectly acceptable. For example: Mantemos pouco contato com esse fornecedor is a professional way to state the current relationship status.
Pouco means a little, while nenhum means zero. Use pouco if you still exchange a 'Happy Birthday' message once a year.
It is eu mantenho. So you would say: Eu mantenho pouco contato com ele.
Not exactly a slang version, but people might say estamos meio sumidos (we are a bit disappeared/missing) to mean the same thing informally.
Yes, you can say mantemos pouco contato por aqui to explain why you don't interact with someone's posts often.
Absolutely. It is standard Portuguese used across all Lusophone countries with the same meaning.
No, that sounds unnatural. The word pouco usually comes before contato as an adjective or the phrase is structured as mantemos pouco contato.
You would say vamos manter contato or vamos trocar figurinhas (informal).
Both are correct. Adding the 'o' makes it slightly more specific, but in daily speech, people often drop the article.
相关表达
Perder o contato
To lose touch completely
Ficar em cima
To stay on top of someone (too much contact)
Dar um sinal de vida
To give a sign of life (to reach out after a long time)
Sumir do mapa
To disappear from the map (to stop all contact)
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