daquilo

Daquilo is a Portuguese expression formed by the preposition de and the demonstrative pronoun aquilo. It functions as a fused form meaning “from that” or “of that,” but it is often used more broadly as a pronoun meaning “that thing” or “that matter,” or as part of a relative clause meaning “that which.” It is common in Brazilian Portuguese and appears in European Portuguese mainly in informal or written contexts.

The morpheme is built from de plus aquilo, with aquilo serving as the referent that is being linked to, or contrasted with other information. In usage, daquilo can act as a standalone pronoun (Ela se lembrou daquilo) or as part of a larger expression such as daquilo que (that which) or daquilo tudo (that whole thing). When introducing a relative clause, it can equate to “that which” or “what” in English.

Usage notes and scope: daquilo is versatile and often replaces longer phrases like de aquilo que or de aquilo tudo in everyday speech. It signals reference to content already mentioned or to a specific matter under discussion. In formal writing, speakers may prefer more explicit constructions, such as daquilo que você disse, or simplesmente aquilo, depending on the context.

Examples:

- Ela se lembrou daquilo. (She remembered that.)

- Não acredito naquilo que você disse. (I don’t believe that which you said.)

- Daquilo tudo que aconteceu, aprendemos uma lição. (From that whole thing that happened, we learned a lesson.)

- Daquilo que você está dizendo, não vejo evidências. (From what you’re saying, I see no evidence.)