Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): As notícias são boas; vou lhe dizer tudo. - The news is good; I will tell you everything.

In Portuguese, notícia is a countable noun (“a piece of news”), so its plural is notícias (“news items”). Because the subject is plural, the verb and adjective agree in number: As notícias são boas (plural são, plural feminine boas).

Why do we use são and not estão?

Ser (here, são) is used for general or inherent descriptions/evaluations. As notícias são boas = “The news is good” (evaluation of content).
Estar (e.g., estão) expresses temporary states. With notícias, estão boas can be used in a contextual/temporary sense like “Today the news is good,” but the most usual evaluation of news content is with ser: As notícias são boas.

Why does boas end in -as?

Agreement. Notícias is feminine plural, so the predicate adjective must also be feminine plural: boa → boas. The pattern for bom/boa is:

masculine singular: bom
masculine plural: bons
feminine singular: boa
feminine plural: boas

What does lhe mean here?

Lhe is an unstressed indirect object pronoun meaning “to him,” “to her,” or “to you” (formal singular, often equivalent to você in writing). In vou lhe dizer tudo, the direct object is tudo (“everything”), and lhe marks the indirect object (“to X”). Without context, lhe is ambiguous as to who X is.

Is lhe common in Brazil?

In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, lhe sounds formal or regionally marked. More natural conversational alternatives are:

Vou te dizer tudo.
Vou dizer tudo para você.
Vou te contar tudo. You will still see lhe in writing and in some regions (e.g., parts of the South and Northeast).

Where can the pronoun go: vou lhe dizer or vou dizer-lhe?

Both are grammatically valid. In Brazil, vou lhe dizer (pronoun before the main verb) is by far the most common. Vou dizer-lhe (pronoun attached to the infinitive with a hyphen) is more formal and more common in Portugal. Lhe vou dizer is uncommon in Brazil.

Do I need to say eu? Is Eu vou lhe dizer tudo better?

Subject pronouns are usually dropped when context makes them clear. Vou lhe dizer tudo is the default. Use Eu vou lhe dizer tudo to add emphasis or contrast (e.g., “I will tell you everything [not someone else]”).

Why use vou dizer instead of direi?

Brazilian Portuguese prefers the periphrastic future (ir in the present + infinitive): vou dizer (“I’m going to tell”). The simple future direi is correct but sounds formal or written. Extremely formal/old-fashioned forms like dir-lhe-ei are rare in Brazil.

Can I use contar or falar instead of dizer?

Dizer = to say/tell (neutral, fits all contexts): Vou lhe dizer tudo.
Contar = to tell/narrate (often a story or fuller account): Vou te contar tudo.
Falar = to speak/tell (colloquial with an indirect object): Vou te falar tudo / Vou falar tudo para você. All are widely used in Brazil, with slight nuances of tone.

Is dizer a or dizer para correct?

Both occur. Traditional/European style prefers dizer a alguém; Brazilian everyday speech often uses dizer para alguém. So you’ll hear:

Vou dizer tudo a você. (formal/neutral)
Vou dizer tudo para você. (very common in Brazil)

How do I say it to multiple people?

Use plural lhes or a plural noun/pronoun:

Vou lhes dizer tudo. (to them / to you all, formal)
Vou dizer tudo para vocês. (to you all, very common in Brazil)

How do I pronounce lhe, são, and notícias?

lhe: the lh is like the “lli” in English “million.” Approx: “lyeh.”
são: nasal vowel; roughly like “sown” but nasalized (don’t fully pronounce the final “n”).
notícias: stress on tí; in Brazil, ti before i sounds like “chee.” Approx: “no-CHEE-see-ahs.”

Why is there a semicolon? Could I use a period or comma?

The semicolon links two closely related independent clauses. A period is also fine: As notícias são boas. Vou lhe dizer tudo. Don’t use just a comma between these clauses in standard writing.

Can I omit the article and say Notícias são boas?

Generally no. Portuguese uses articles more than English. Say As notícias são boas. You can omit the article in certain set expressions like exclamations (Boas notícias!) or after some verbs with a plural, indefinite sense (Tenho boas notícias).

Is lhe only an indirect object, or can it be a direct object?

Standard grammar: lhe is only indirect object. For direct objects, use o/a/os/as or a tonic pronoun: Vi-o, Vi-a, or Vi ele/ela (colloquial). Sentences like Lhe vi ontem are common in some regions but considered nonstandard.

Can I front tudo for emphasis?

Yes, but it sounds marked or literary: Tudo vou lhe dizer. The neutral order is Vou lhe dizer tudo. You can also emphasize with intonation or add tudo mesmo: Vou lhe dizer tudo mesmo.

What’s the difference between vou te dizer and vou lhe dizer if I’m addressing você?

Both are widely heard in Brazil:

vou te dizer: very common in speech across Brazil (even with você), informal.
vou lhe dizer: more formal/literary or regional. In careful writing with você, some teachers prefer lhe or a prepositional phrase (para você).