percebe

Percebe is a word commonly used in informal Portuguese, particularly in Brazil. It originates from the verb "perceber," which means to perceive, to understand, or to notice. In its colloquial usage, "percebe" functions as a tag question, similar to "you know," "understand?", "right?", or "get it?" in English. It is typically placed at the end of a sentence to check for comprehension or to seek agreement from the listener.

For instance, a speaker might say, "Eu vou sair mais tarde, percebe?" which translates to "I'm going out later, you know?". The purpose is to ensure the listener is following the conversation or has grasped the information being conveyed. It can also be used to add a conversational, familiar tone to speech. While its literal meaning is "perceives," in this context, it acts as a discourse marker.

The usage of "percebe" is largely confined to spoken language and informal written communication among Portuguese speakers. It is not typically found in formal writing or academic contexts. Its prevalence in everyday conversation makes it a distinctive feature of Brazilian Portuguese colloquialisms.