vaivém
Portuguese
Etymology
From vai (“goes”) + vem (“comes”), third-person singular of the present indicative of ir and vir respectively.
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˌvajˈvẽj̃/ [ˌvaɪ̯ˈvẽɪ̯̃]
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /vaj.iˈvɐ̃j̃/
- Hyphenation: vai‧vém
Noun
vaivém m (plural vaivéns)
- to-and-fro motion; swaying motion
- coming and going (bustle of activity)
- (figurative) ups and downs (periods of positive and negative events, moods, or interactions)
- (figurative, uncountable) inconstancy; the state of being constantly changing
- Synonym: inconstância
- space shuttle
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:vaivém.