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What does “ficar de babá” mean in Portuguese?

A babá is a nanny, so ficar de babá means to babysit — or, said with a sigh, to “play nanny” to someone who shouldn’t need watching. It uses a handy Brazilian pattern, ficar de + a role, meaning to take on that job for a while. The payoff is the contrast: não precisa ficar de babá, só ficar de olho — you don’t have to babysit him, just keep an eye on him.

That one line packs two everyday expressions. Ficar de babá (de alguém) is “to babysit / nanny someone,” often with a teasing edge when the someone is a grown adult who’s acting like a handful. Ficar de olho (em alguém) is the lighter “keep an eye on,” literally “stay of eye.” The ficar de + role pattern is productive: ficar de plantão (be on call), ficar de guarda (stand guard). Here a woman hands off her mischievous grandfather — não precisa ficar de babá dele, só ficar de olho — drawing exactly the line between full-time minding and a casual watch.