# ser uma bomba



## Encolpius

Olá, does *ele/ela é uma bomba* mean *he/she is hot/sexy*? 
Thank you.


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## Carfer

Right (usually ela)


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## MisterBondPT

Encolpius said:


> Olá, does *ele/ela é uma bomba* mean *he/she is hot/sexy*?
> Thank you.



You can usually hear "pão" (for men) or "avião" (for her) for similar meaning.
This is completely out of the dictionaries, and is used in very specific situations 

Hope that was also useful.
Greetings from The Netherlands!


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## white_ray

Hello,
I’ve heard ‘bomba’ for ‘him’ too. => ‘Ele é uma bomba!’
I agree with ‘pão’ as well. 
In the ‘Estremadura’ region (Lisbon, suburbs and cities nearby) the expression ‘Ele é um grosso! / Ela é uma (grande) grossa!’ is often used.
It’s a very colloquial ('cool') register used mainly by youngsters.
Careful though, as in other regions ‘grosso’ sticks to its main meaning ‘large/big’ leading to ‘fat’ (physically) thus it would not sound as a compliment at all and might get you in trouble if you use it like that! 
On the other hand, in Brazil the word often means ‘impolite’.
wr


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## Carfer

white_ray said:


> In the ‘Extremadura’ region (Lisbon, suburbs and cities nearby) the expression ‘Ele é um grosso! / Ela é uma (grande) grossa!’ is often used.


 
Gosh, I'm getting old. The last time I heard the word '_gross_o' (reckon it was a few decades ago!) it still meant '_drunk_' or _'rude, impolite'._ The world is moving too fast!


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## zelis

Hello!
I'm old too. I know «grosso» as drunk, yes. As synonym of «impolite», I know mostly «grosseiro».


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## white_ray

You are all right in fact. ‘grosso’ does mean all that.
Grosso: “entroncado; corpulento; grave (o som); grosseiro; bêbedo (col.); grosseiro; mal-educado (Brasil).”

I just wanted to share this translation with you because I believe it might not be so well known among people who dont come from / live in the Estremadura region.
I don’t think people from other regions would perceive that meaning unless they’ve heard it on TV or heard someone saying it. I've heard it countless times though. 
My Brazilian friends aways laugh when they imagine that ‘grosso’ can actually be a compliment! 
I assume it’s just fashionable regional slang.
Here's an example found on the Internet:
“Uma prenda (ahhhh ganda grosso!!!) Vê-lá se ainda te lembras dele...” (Commenting a photo of somebody)

 By the way, what would be the English equivalent?

I would add also “Ele/a é uma brasa!” to the list. I think we’re all familiar with this one? 

wr


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## pedrohenrique

Good morning, Guys

Reading the messages in this thread I couldn't help laughing as I read that "grosso" can be a good thing to be said of someone! In Brazil "grosso" means impolite, rude, aggressive! "Uma grossura", is a rude, aggressive behavior!
And still "uma bomba" indicates a very bad thing. If you say that a movie picture is "uma bomba", no one will go to the theatre for it... "Uma bomba" can be a stunning new that falls like a bomb upon people.
To say that someone was "um pão", was a term girls employed to refer to a man who was very handsome. But that was when I was young, and for many many years I had never heard anyone saying that a man is "um pão"... I asked my 25 years old daughter whether anybody still says that, and she looked at me as if I were saying anything she never heard...
"Um avião" is a very beautiful woman, very sexy, with a beautiful body. You'll never say it of a man...


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## anjinho

By the way, what would be the English equivalent?

"She's a fox" - somewhat dated, but still used. Or "She's a babe."


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## white_ray

anjinho said:


> "She's a fox" - somewhat dated, but still used. Or "She's a babe."


"She's a fox" Interesting.
Does it perfectly convey the idea of ’handsome’, not ‘cunning’, or both ?
Thanks anjinho.
wr


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## anjinho

Fox = good-looking + sexy, I'd say. Think Jimi Hendrix: Foxy Lady. Though "foxy" has an older connotation of cunning, but that's different.


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## white_ray

anjinho said:


> Fox = good-looking + sexy, I'd say. Think Jimi Hendrix: Foxy Lady. Though "foxy" has an older connotation of cunning, but that's different.


 
I see. Would this work for a guy too?
'He's a fox'?
Thanks,
wr


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## Vanda

I don't think so, Raiozinho. As far as I remember I haven't seen that used related to men. Just give me some time to remember which one is used...


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## olivinha

anjinho said:


> Fox = good-looking + sexy, I'd say. Think Jimi Hendrix: Foxy Lady. Though "foxy" has an older connotation of cunning, but that's different.


 It was probably a popular term in the 60s. The Doors had also song with a pretty good description of a fox.
Well, she's fashionably lean, and she's fashionably late
She'll never wreck a scene, she'll never break a date
But she's no drag, just watch the way she walks
She's a twentieth century fox, shes a twentieth century fox


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## anjinho

Would this work for a guy too?

Yes, though it's less common. Related is the notion of the "silver fox," an attractive, well-dressed older man.


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## white_ray

Thank you Vanda, Olivinha and anjinho for your suggestions.
I also found on the bilingual French/English WR “She’s a peach”? Not sure that would work for a guy either. 
That leaves us “He’s hot/a fox”.
One of my Brazilian friends says “Esse cara é presença.” thought I find that word more elegant.
wr


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## Ricardoreis

anjinho said:


> Would this work for a guy too?
> 
> Yes, though it's less common. Related is the notion of the "silver fox," an attractive, well-dressed older man.



But he has to have grey/greying hair, hence the silver!

I'd still call a woman 'a fox' to be different, but it definitely suggests a certain type of woman, sexy, leggy, good body, nice way of walking...

Otherwise 'she's hot', 'she's cute' (she's seriously cute), all work for me here on the smaller side of the Atlantic. You'll also here in certain parts of Britain and amongst a younger age group 'she's fit' (hehe, or the even worse 'she's well fit!').


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## Dom Casmurro

6029ph said:


> And still "uma bomba" indicates a very bad thing. If you say that a movie picture is "uma bomba", no one will go to the theatre for it...


That's correct. In Brazil, _bomba_ is associated with bad quality (a movie or an apple pie will equally be scorned as "uma bomba" if they prove to be bad). Conversely, a Brazilian lady should never be called "uma bomba" if you want to make a point that she is beautiful and sexy.


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## Tagarela

Olá,

Concordo com o Dom Casmurro. Nunca ouvi "_ser uma bomba_" no sentido de pessoa atraente. Conheço "ser uma bomba" como "ser um problema".

"_Bomba_" no sentido de atração física me lembra *bombado*. 

*Bomba* é gíria para anabolizante, logo, quem toma bomba é bombado.
Normalmente, a gíria se refere a homens, por exemplo "Ele está ficando bombado". Não necessariamente o sujeito faz uso de anabolizantes, mas talvez esteja malhando muito e, conseqüentemente, ficando cada vez mais forte. 

Até.:


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## anjinho

"peach" is very old-fashioned slang, maybe close to "bacana" - someone who's nice and cute, not really sexy.


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## andre luis

Encolpius said:


> Olá, does *ele/ela é uma bomba* mean *he/she is hot/sexy*?
> Thank you.


*Post a Picture,please (context).*


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## white_ray

Of course, you most likely noticed that any of these examples belong to a quite relaxed register:
“Ela é uma bomba, ela é uma brasa, ela é uma ‘ganda’ grossa” are nearly considered as slang and if you want to be sure of making a good impression on a lady you might want to choose more elegant words that would suggest that she’s pretty rather than hot? 
At any rate I’ve always heard his kind of comment since secondary school… (and worse, he he) and I also noticed that many take it as a compliment (in Portugal)! 
Cheers everyone!
wr


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