What does "tá-se bem" mean? Portuguese slang for "all good"

If there's one phrase that sums up a relaxed afternoon in Portugal, it might be this one.

Tá-se bem.

Say it tah-s' BAYNG

All good. Relax. Life's fine.

What it means

Tá-se bem is short for está-se bem, literally "one is fine". In practice it means all good, no worries, life's fine. It's the answer to almost anything.

Someone runs in late:

— Desculpa o atraso! — Tá-se bem.

"Sorry I'm late!" "It's all good."

Where (not) to use it

It's casual, friendly and very spoken. Use it with friends, flatmates and colleagues you're relaxed with.

It's not for the bank, the Finanças or a formal email. There, stick to está bem ("OK") or não faz mal ("no harm done").

In short

Tá-se bem = all good, no worries.
Short for está-se bem.
Casual only: friends yes, the Finanças no.

The European Portuguese Cheat Sheets have the casual and the polite version of the phrases you'll use every day.