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Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): Eu vou embora agora. - I am leaving now.

Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil)
/Lesson 22
/Eu vou embora agora.

Eu vou embora agora.

Eu vou embora agora.

I am leaving now.

Breakdown of Eu vou embora agora.

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Questions & Answers about Eu vou embora agora.

Why is eu included here? Can I just say Vou embora agora?

Yes. In Brazilian Portuguese, the subject pronoun is often optional because the verb already shows the person.

Eu vou embora agora = I’m leaving now
Vou embora agora = same meaning

Including eu can add emphasis, clarity, or contrast, for example:

Eu vou embora agora, mas ele fica.
I’m leaving now, but he’s staying.

In everyday speech, Vou embora agora is very common.

What exactly is vou here?

Vou is the 1st person singular present tense of ir (to go).

So:

eu vou = I go / I am going

In this sentence, it works naturally as I’m leaving or I’m going now. Portuguese often uses the simple present for something happening right now or in the near future.

Why does Portuguese use ir + embora instead of just a single verb for leave?

Because ir embora is a very common fixed expression meaning to go away / to leave.

So:

ir = to go
embora = part of the expression
ir embora = to leave

Portuguese does also have sair, which can mean to leave / to go out, but ir embora is extremely common when you mean leaving a place and going away.

For example:

Vou embora. = I’m leaving.
Vou sair. = I’m going out / I’m leaving
depending on context

Does embora mean anything by itself?

Yes, but it depends on context.

In vou embora, embora is part of the expression ir embora = to leave.

But embora can also appear as a conjunction meaning something like although / even though in more formal Portuguese:

Embora esteja cansado, vou trabalhar.
Although I’m tired, I’m going to work.

So learners often get confused because embora has more than one use. In your sentence, it is definitely the leaving expression.

Why is agora at the end? Can it go somewhere else?

Yes, agora means now, and its position is flexible.

All of these are possible:

Eu vou embora agora.
Agora eu vou embora.
Eu agora vou embora.

The most natural version in everyday speech is often:

Eu vou embora agora.

Putting agora first can give it a little more emphasis:

Agora eu vou embora.
= Now I’m leaving.

Is Eu vou embora agora the same as Estou indo embora agora?

They are very close, but there is a slight difference in feel.

Eu vou embora agora = I’m leaving now
Estou indo embora agora = I’m on my way out now / I’m in the process of leaving now

Vou embora is very common and natural. Estou indo embora emphasizes the action as ongoing.

In many situations, either one works.

How is this different from Eu saio agora or Eu vou sair agora?

These are related, but not identical.

Eu vou embora agora = I’m leaving now
Focus: going away from where you are
Eu saio agora = I leave now / I’m heading out now
This can sound a little more literal or situational
Eu vou sair agora = I’m going to go out now / I’m about to leave now
This can suggest going out, stepping out, or leaving soon

In many daily situations, vou embora agora is the most idiomatic way to say I’m leaving now.

Can this sentence be used when ending a conversation, a visit, or a phone call?

Yes. It can be used in many situations where you are announcing that you are leaving.

For example:

leaving someone’s house
leaving work
ending a visit
ending an in-person conversation

For a phone call or online conversation, people may also use other expressions depending on the situation, such as:

Tenho que ir agora. = I have to go now.
Vou desligar. = I’m going to hang up.
Vou sair. = I’m heading out.

But vou embora agora is absolutely normal when you are physically leaving a place.

Is Eu vou embora agora formal or informal?

It is neutral and very natural. It works well in everyday Brazilian Portuguese.

It is not especially formal, but it is not rude either. Tone and context matter more than the words themselves.

You can make it softer or more polite by adding something like:

Eu vou embora agora, tá?
Acho que vou embora agora.
Vou indo, pessoal.

These can sound friendlier depending on the situation.

Can I say Eu me vou embora agora?

In standard Brazilian Portuguese, no. The normal expression is simply:

Eu vou embora agora

You may occasionally see older or more literary forms like vou-me embora, especially in European Portuguese or in songs, poetry, or fixed expressions, but that is not the normal everyday Brazilian pattern.

So for modern Brazilian Portuguese, stick with:

vou embora

What is the literal word-by-word structure of this sentence?

A rough breakdown is:

Eu = I
vou = go / am going
embora = part of go away / leave
agora = now

So literally it is something like:

I go away now

But in natural English, that becomes:

I’m leaving now

How would a Brazilian normally pronounce Eu vou embora agora?

In careful speech, roughly:

eu sounds something like eh-oo said quickly together
vou sounds roughly like voh with a glide at the end
embora sounds like em-BO-ra
agora sounds like a-GO-ra

In natural Brazilian speech, words connect smoothly, so it may sound more like one flowing phrase than four separate words.

A few useful pronunciation notes:

vou and embora may connect smoothly
the r in agora depends on accent, but in most Brazilian accents this internal r is a light tapped sound
stress falls on:
- vou
- bo in embora
- go in agora

Would Brazilians always say eu, or is dropping it more natural?

Dropping it is often more natural.

Vou embora agora. sounds very normal.
Eu vou embora agora. also sounds normal, but with a bit more explicitness or emphasis.

Brazilian Portuguese uses subject pronouns more often than European Portuguese, but they are still frequently omitted when the meaning is clear.

How would I turn this into a question or a negative sentence?

Very simply:

Você vai embora agora? = Are you leaving now?
Você vai embora agora mesmo? = Are you leaving right now?

Eu não vou embora agora. = I’m not leaving now.
Eu não vou embora ainda. = I’m not leaving yet.

The negative marker não goes before the verb:

não vou

Is this sentence specifically Brazilian Portuguese, or is it also used in Portugal?

It is used in both, and the basic meaning is the same.

Eu vou embora agora is understandable everywhere Portuguese is spoken.

The biggest differences would be pronunciation and some style preferences, not the grammar of this sentence itself.

In Brazil, ir embora is extremely common in everyday speech.

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