Então?

Então is one of those words that seems to fit almost anywhere in a Portuguese conversation. It can help you greet someone, keep a story moving, fill a pause, wrap things up, or even tell someone off!

Então as “then/ at that time”

It started out much simpler, coming from the Latin in tunc (“at that time”). That original meaning is still around today, mostly in fixed phrases like:

• desde entãosince thenCommunity Slow audio Play audio | Mudei-me para Lisboa em 2019 e desde então nunca mais conduziI moved to Lisbon in 2019 and I haven’t driven since thenCommunity Slow audio Play audio
• até entãountil thenCommunity Slow audio Play audio | Até então, ninguém sabia de nadaUntil then, nobody knew anythingCommunity Slow audio Play audio
• de entãoof that time, back thenCommunity Slow audio Play audio
  

Placed before a noun (a word for a person, place or thing), então means “at the time”, like the English “then-” in “the then-president”. You’ll see this a lot in the news, and it works with any role, not just job titles.
O então ministro negou tudoThe minister at the time denied everythingCommunity Slow audio Play audio
For other time-related uses of “then”, depoislater, then, afterCommunity Slow audio Play audio Adverb  is usually the default instead, as in Fomos ao cinema e depois jantámosWe went to the cinema and then had dinnerCommunity Slow audio Play audio . With então, it would sound more like the next step in a story (“and so then…”), which brings us to the next section…

Então as “so / in that case”

Over time, the “then” of time grew to include the “then” of logic. Here então links a consequence or conclusion to what came before, like “so” or “in that case”:
Não tens fome? Então comemos mais tardeYou’re not hungry? Then we’ll eat laterCommunity Slow audio Play audio
Está a chover, então levo o guarda-chuvaIt’s raining, so I’ll take the umbrellaCommunity Slow audio Play audio
Perdi o autocarro e então tive de ir a péI missed the bus, so I had to walkCommunity Slow audio Play audio
O restaurante fecha ao domingo, então vamos almoçar em casaThe restaurant closes on Sunday, so we’ll have lunch at homeCommunity Slow audio Play audio
Like “then” in English, it can also go at the end:
Eu volto mais tarde entãoI'll come back later thenCommunity Slow audio Play audio
In formal writing, we tend to use portanto or por isso for this purpose instead.

Então in conversation

Here’s where então really comes to life. Most of the time, it works as a discourse marker: a word that organizes the conversation (opening it, moving it along, closing it), rather than adding much meaning. English uses “so”, “well”, and “right” in a similar way.

Opening a conversation or a question

Então, tudo bem?So, how are things?Community Slow audio Play audio
Então? Como foi o fim de semana?Well? How was the weekend?Community Slow audio Play audio
Então, como é que tens andado?So, how have you been?Community Slow audio Play audio
Então e tu? Vens connosco?What about you? Are you coming with us?Community Slow audio Play audio
Então e o jantar? Ninguém fez nada?So what about dinner? Nobody’s made anything?Community Slow audio Play audio

Moving a story along

E então, como eu estava a dizer...So anyway, as I was saying...Community Slow audio Play audio
Pois, pois… Enfim, diga lá então do que se trata.Sure, sure... Anyway, go on then, tell me what this is about.Community
By itself, E então?Community Slow audio Play audio depends entirely on your tone. With a curious, rising tone it invites the speaker to continue: “Well then?, So…?, And? What happened next?”. But with a flat, dismissive tone, it sounds more like “So what?”

Buying time

Então… also works as a filler, which is a word you say to fill a pause while you think, like “so…” or “well…”
Então... deixa-me verSo... let me seeCommunity Slow audio Play audio
Então... não sei bem como dizer istoWell... I’m not sure how to say thisCommunity Slow audio Play audio

Offering an alternative

Ou então means “or else” or “or instead”. It puts more weight on the either/or choice than a plain ouorCommunity Slow audio Play audio Conjunction would:
Podemos jantar fora, ou então peço uma pizzaWe could eat out, or I could order a pizza insteadCommunity Slow audio Play audio
Liga-me amanhã, ou então manda-me uma mensagemCall me tomorrow, or else send me a messageCommunity Slow audio Play audio

Wrapping up

Então pronto closes a topic. Depending on context, it can sound upbeat or resigned:
Então pronto, vemo-nos amanhãRight then, see you tomorrowCommunity Slow audio Play audio
Não queres vir? Então prontoYou don’t want to come? Fine thenCommunity Slow audio Play audio
Então vá is one of the most common ways to end a conversation in Portugal, in person or on the phone:
Então vá, até logoOkay then, see you laterCommunity Slow audio Play audio

Então não!

Oddly enough, Então não!Of course!Community Slow audio Play audio  is an enthusiastic yes. The não adds a sense of “how could I not?”

• Are you going to the party? – 😀 Então não! (Of course!)

Watch your tone, though. It can also be sarcastic:

• Do you like doing the dishes? – 🙄 Então não! É o meu passatempo preferido! (Of course! It’s my favourite hobby)
• Do you think he’ll pay you back? – 🙄 Então não… (Oh, sure…)

Então não é que…

This expresses surprise, usually at something annoying or unexpected:
Então não é que ele se esqueceu outra vez?Wouldn’t you know it, he forgot again!Community Slow audio Play audio
Então não é que choveu o dia todo?Can you believe it rained all day?Community Slow audio Play audio

Telling someone off

Said short and sharp, Então?! works like “Hey!” or “Come on!”. Parents use it constantly with children.
Então?! Estás doido?!Hey! Are you crazy?Community Slow audio Play audio
Então?! Deixa o teu irmão em paz!Hey! Leave your brother alone!Community Slow audio Play audio