Breakdown of Com esse barulho, eu não consigo ouvir você direito.
Questions & Answers about Com esse barulho, eu não consigo ouvir você direito.
What does direito mean here? It usually means right or straight, doesn’t it?
Yes—literally, direito can mean right, straight, or upright. But in this sentence, ouvir você direito means to hear you properly / clearly / well.
So here, direito is being used in a very common colloquial way:
- Não entendi direito. = I didn’t understand properly.
- Não vi direito. = I didn’t see clearly.
- Não ouvi direito. = I didn’t hear properly.
It does not mean to hear you on the right side or anything literal like that.
Why is it não consigo ouvir instead of não posso ouvir?
Não consigo ouvir means I can’t manage to hear or, more naturally in English, I can’t hear.
The verb conseguir often means to be able to, especially because of circumstances or difficulty.
So:
- Não consigo ouvir você. = I can’t hear you.
- Não posso ouvir você. = I’m not allowed to hear you / I cannot hear you for some reason tied to permission or possibility
In many situations, não posso sounds less natural here, because the problem is the noise, not permission.
With com esse barulho, não consigo is exactly what you would expect:
- the noise is preventing me from hearing you.
Does ouvir mean hear or listen?
Usually, ouvir is closer to hear.
In this sentence:
Portuguese often uses:
- ouvir = to hear
- escutar = to listen
But in real Brazilian Portuguese, the distinction is not always strict. People often use ouvir in places where English might use either hear or listen.
For this sentence, though, hear is the best match.
Why does the sentence say ouvir você? Can I also say te ouvir?
Yes, te ouvir is very common and natural in Brazil.
So these are both possible:
Both mean the same thing.
A few notes:
- você is more explicit and can sound slightly clearer or more neutral.
- te is shorter and often more conversational.
In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, you will hear both a lot.
In fact, many Brazilians would probably say:
That sounds very natural.
Why is eu included? Can it be omitted?
Yes, it can be omitted.
Portuguese often allows the subject pronoun to be left out when the verb already makes the subject clear:
- Não consigo ouvir você direito.
This already means I can’t hear you properly.
Including eu adds emphasis, contrast, or clarity:
- Eu não consigo ouvir você direito. = I can’t hear you properly.
So both are correct.
The version with eu is perfectly natural, especially in speech.
Why is it esse barulho and not este barulho?
In Brazilian Portuguese, esse is much more common in everyday speech than este.
Very roughly:
- este = this
- esse = that / this near the listener / something already present in the situation
But in real Brazilian usage, esse often covers a lot of the territory that this and that cover in English.
So com esse barulho simply means:
- with this noise
- with all this noise
- because of this noise
A Brazilian speaker would very naturally say esse barulho here.
What exactly does barulho mean? Is it the same as ruído?
They are related, but not identical in tone.
- barulho = noise, racket, loud or disturbing sound
- ruído = noise, but often more technical, formal, or neutral
In everyday conversation, barulho is very common when something is noisy and bothering you.
Examples:
So in this sentence, barulho sounds natural and conversational.
Can the word order change?
Yes. Portuguese allows some flexibility.
The original sentence:
You could also say:
- Eu não consigo ouvir você direito com esse barulho.
- Não consigo ouvir você direito com esse barulho.
All of these are natural.
The version with Com esse barulho at the beginning puts the noisy situation first, almost like setting the scene:
- With this noise, I can’t hear you properly.
That fronted phrase sounds very natural in both Portuguese and English.
Is the comma after Com esse barulho necessary?
It is very normal and appropriate.
Com esse barulho is an introductory phrase. In writing, Portuguese often uses a comma after that kind of opening phrase, especially when it sets up the context.
So:
looks natural and well punctuated.
In less careful or more informal writing, some people might leave the comma out, but the comma is a good choice.
Could this sentence also mean I can’t understand you properly, not just I can’t hear you?
Yes, possibly, depending on context.
The most direct meaning is auditory:
- the noise is making it hard for me to hear your voice
But in real conversation, não consigo ouvir você direito can sometimes imply:
- I’m not catching what you’re saying clearly
- I can’t make out your words well
So it can overlap a little with I can’t understand you well, but the core meaning is still hearing, not general comprehension.
If you wanted to focus more on understanding, you might say:
- Não consigo entender você direito. = I can’t understand you properly.
How would a Brazilian naturally say this in a slightly more casual way?
A few very natural alternatives are:
- Com esse barulho, não consigo te ouvir direito.
- Tá muito barulho, não consigo te ouvir direito.
- Não tô conseguindo te ouvir direito com esse barulho.
That last one uses não tô conseguindo, which is very common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese and means:
- I’m not being able to hear you properly
- more naturally: I can’t hear you properly right now
So the original sentence is completely correct, but everyday speech may sound a little like those variants.
How is consigo working grammatically here?
Consigo is the first-person singular form of conseguir in the present tense:
Then it is followed by the infinitive ouvir:
- consigo ouvir = can hear
- não consigo ouvir = can’t hear
So the structure is:
- eu não consigo + infinitive
Examples:
- Não consigo dormir. = I can’t sleep.
- Não consigo entender. = I can’t understand.
- Não consigo falar agora. = I can’t talk right now.
This is a very common Portuguese pattern.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning PortugueseMaster Portuguese — from Com esse barulho, eu não consigo ouvir você direito to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions