Brazilians cushion a strong view with a handful of tiny words. They don't change the opinion — they change how it lands.

Softener	Meaning	Example
meio	kind of, a bit	O filme é meio longo.
um pouco	a little	Achei um pouco caro.
né?	right? isn't it?	Está caro, né?
sei lá	I dunno	Sei lá, acho que não vale a pena.
olha…	look…	Olha, eu vejo de outro jeito.

• Meio meaning a bit doesn't change: ela está meio cansada. You will hear meia cansada in casual speech, but standard Portuguese counts it as a mistake. Meio only agrees when it means half: meia hora, meio filme.
• Né is não é worn smooth. Tagged onto a statement, it invites the other person in.
• Sei lá takes the weight off whatever follows — fine among friends, too vague for a meeting.