In Brazil there is almost a total ignorance about the mother
nation. After a Portuguese rock
group performed in Rio,
a Brazilian commented: "It was OK, but I couldn’t understand
a word." A package
of Portuguese films sent to celebrate Brazil’s
500 years could only be shown to Brazilians with subtitles.
by:
Ray Vogensen
As an American married to a Brazilian, with two Brazilian children, and with 17 years experience with Brazilian
Portuguese (BP), coming to Portugal and trying to adapt to the Continental variety of Portuguese (CP) was not easy at first. I think
that if I had not known any other variety of the language, in effect coming with a clean slate, the period of linguistic
adaptation would have been smoother.
When we first arrived in Porto it was very difficult to understand the people. They could understand us but the
opposite was not true. Now that we have been here for nine years, going on ten, the language presents less of a problem, and
communication is not so labored. As in most language learning situations we tend to struggle with the less educated. This
of course is because as teachers we have most of our contact with middle-class people with some schooling, who speak a
standard form of the language.
Knowing Brazilian Portuguese was help and a hindrance when we arrived in Portugal. On the one hand, most of the
arduous process of learning the local language was facilitated and we could communicate from the first day on. On the other
hand, the knowledge of the other linguistic variety impeded the learning process in many ways. Prejudices about the
supposed attractiveness and even superiority of Brazilian Portuguese made it harder to accept Continental Portuguese. Many
Portuguese themselves say that the sounds of Brazilian Portuguese are more melodious and softer than Continental Portuguese.
Another problem is that the Brazilian Portuguese speaker has no, or almost no contact with Continental Portuguese.
Outside the restricted world of the Portuguese colony in Rio and São Paulo, with its clubs and codfish dinners, Brazilians have
no experience of what Continental Portuguese sounds like. Even the Portuguese who have lived in Brazil for a certain
period of time soon lose their accent and do their best to blend in with the local culture. This rarely occurs with the Brazilian in Portugal.
Perhaps this blending in Brazil was because the Portuguese immigrants were looked upon as ignorant and backward,
despite their economic success. The historical idea of what a Portuguese was like has never been a positive one in Brazil. In fact,
most of the jokes told are about the Portuguese. The prejudice and ignorance can be shocking at times, if one is Portuguese.
One student of mine was told he had such an interesting conversation that he didn’t even seem to be Portuguese.
In a situation in which no cultural input from Portugal enters Brazil, there is almost a total ignorance about the
mother nation. Portuguese singers have never even tried to penetrate the Brazilian market. Recently a Portuguese rock group
performed live at a rock concert in Rio. The Portuguese television reporter interviewed several young people and asked
them what they thought about the music. The first comment was that it sounded ok but they couldn’t understand a word.
Only with Subtitles
Portuguese television and films have likewise never been shown in Brazil, outside a few art cinemas in Rio or São
Paulo. A recent package of Portuguese films was sent to be shown during the celebrations commemorating the discovery of
Brazil. It was decided that the films could only be shown with subtitles.
The Continental Portuguese language is almost never heard in Brazil, especially in the interior. A student of mine,
when visiting a small town in Brazil, was asked if she was speaking Italian. Brazilian women who went to a women’s congress
in Moscow in the early sixties, before the revolution of 1964, said that when the delegates’ words were being translated
into Continental Portuguese on their headphones, they had to switch to a Spanish translation to understand. Surely the
same would not happen with Spanish from Spain and Mexican Spanish, or even with American and British English—although
dialects like Geordie or Scouse can be unintelligible for Americans. But they are dialects; here we are talking about standard varieties.
When the Brazilian arrives in Portugal he encounters two types of reactions to his Portuguese. There are those who
think he has a "nice" accent and enjoy listening to it. There are also those who seem to resent the fact that a different type of
Portuguese is being spoken, and more so in Brazil—a country that most people in the world today identify with the Portuguese language.
A Portuguese student of mine resented the fact that in Paris, on a sightseeing bus, the symbol for the Portuguese
language was the Brazilian flag and the narration of the tour was in Brazilian Portuguese. Ironically this is in a city with close to
half a million Portuguese immigrants. Obviously they don’t go on sightseeing tours.
Children, adolescents, and simple working people, be they villagers or city folk, are very accepting of Brazilian
Portuguese. They watch soap operas from Brazil, listen to Brazilian singers like Daniela Mercury, Gal Costa etc. and generally accept
the different accent and vocabulary. The problem arises with more educated older people, usually those who have gone to
university or are at university. We have seen that negative language attitudes towards Brazilian Portuguese come from the middle class.
Stop this Rebellion
The comments made about Brazilian Portuguese are always the same. The mother tongue is Continental Portuguese
and Brazilian Portuguese speakers should not persist in their linguistic rebellion. Centuries of separation from the mother
country are not taken into consideration. Brazilian children who enter the Portuguese school system see their writing covered
with red marks, with every Brazilian Portuguese word or spelling singled out for correction. They either learn the Portuguese
way or fail. There is no such thing as linguistic diversity or multicultural education in Portugal. All immigrants must adapt to
the standard or risk failure.
As most of the articles or books required for university studies are written in foreign languages—nine times out of
ten in English—and not in Continental Portuguese (the market is too small for translation) the students either have to read
in the foreign language, pay someone to translate it, or heaven forbid, read a translation made in Brazilian Portuguese. The
negative reaction to the reading of these academic articles and books in Brazilian Portuguese is almost pathological. "The
Brazilians don’t know how to translate." "The Portuguese is all wrong." "We prefer to struggle with English than have to read in a
Brazilian translation."
Ignorance? Yes, a lot of it does stem from total ignorance of linguistics. But there is also the possibility of
nationalistic pride and that same inferiority complex that makes the Portuguese so negative about Spain. "Spanish food is terrible," or
"the Spanish language is harsh and ugly." The fact that Brazilians have translated such articles and books, and the
Portuguese haven’t, wounds their nationalistic pride. They forget that the Brazilian market is so much larger—with hundreds of
universities compared to Portugal’s dozens—and it is logical that the publishers would have a translation in Brazilian Portuguese.
The solution for all of this is of course for Portugal to try to make Brazilians more aware of their modern culture,
including the language. I don’t think the two languages will come closer together in the near future though. Certainly it won’t
occur by way of government fiat. As long as Brazil remains so far away, with much more in common with its Latin American
neighbors, and with the United States, Portugal and Brazil will not be close linguistically or culturally.
The force of Brazilian culture is much stronger because it comes with economic clout and the reality of having over
one hundred and sixty million people versus ten million. In the future there will be much more infiltration of Brazilian
Portuguese because of music, television, and immigration.
Perhaps with a strong Portuguese presence in the Brazilian economy—supermarkets, electricity, banks, and
cellular telephones—there might be an accompanying cultural and linguistic input, but this is yet to be seen. The Portuguese
companies that have acquired a position in the Brazilian economy will most likely do everything they can to blend in and
appear to be Brazilian.
Ray Vogensen, the author of the article and the dictionary below, was born in the San Francisco Bay Area in
California. He lived in Brazil for 17 years and then moved to Portugal where he has been living for 10 years. You can visit his
Portuguese Culture Web site – http://www.portcult.com
– which includes several topics related to Portugal and the Portuguese
language. He welcomes comments at portcult@hotmail.com
A Portuguese Dictionary
A brief
list of words that are used in Portugal
and rarely used in Brazil. Sometimes the word
in Brazil has a completely different meaning.
Continental Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese
English
A
açorda
uma sopa grossa com
migalhas de pão e alho, as vezes com um ovo encima
a thick soup with bread
crumbs and garlic, often with an egg on top
adesivo
esparadrapo
bandage
adiante
em frente
straight ahead, over there
adeus
tchau
goodbye
agrafador
grampeador
stapler
agrafo
grampo
staple
água fresca
água gelada (para beber)
água fria (para banhos,etc.)
cold water
águas furtadas
sótão
garret, attic
albufeira
represa
dam, reservoir
alcatifa
carpete
fitted carpet
alcatrão
asfalto
tarmac, asphalt
alcunha
apelido
nickname (apelido
in Portugal is last name)
aldrabão
sacana, vigarista, safado
crook
aldrabar
sacanear, enganar
to trick, to fool
aleijar
machucar
to hurt (physically)
além
ali
over there
alfacinha
habitante de Lisboa
a person from Lisbon
alfaias
ferramentas de agricultor
agricultural tools
alforreca
agua-viva
medusa, jellyfish
algália
cateter
catheter
algures
em algum lugar
somewhere
aligeirar
aliviar
to relieve, to lighten
almeida
gari, varredor de rua
street sweeper
almofada
travesseiro
pillow—almofada
means cushion in Brazil.
alterne, casa de
boîte, bordel, prostíbulo
a type of nightclub where
prostitutes encourage men to buy drinks.
alterneira
mulher que trabalha numa
case de alterne
bargirl, woman who works
in a nightclub
aluguer
aluguel
rent or lease
anda ca!
vem ca!
come here!
andar
apartamento
apartment
anedota
piada
joke
ao pé de
perto de
near
aparcar
estacionar
to park
apelido
sobrenome
last name—apelido means
nickname in Brazil
apertar
amarrar
to tie
apitadela
telefonema
telephone call
apitar
buzinar
to sound the horn
aposentação
aposentadoria
retirement
arca congeladora
congelador, freezer
freezer
ardina
vendedor de jornais
newspaper seller
arrancar
começar
to begin
arranjar
consertar
to repair, to fix
arrecadação
lugar para guardar coisas,
dispensa
storage space
arrefecer
esfriar
to get cold
arrumador
lanterninha (no cinema)
usher in a movie theater
artista
eletricista ou encanador
professional: an
electrician or plumber
aselha
desajeitada
person who is clumsy
atacador
cadarço
shoe strings
atendedor automático
secretária electrônica
answering machine
aterrar
aterrissar
to land in a plane
atestar
encher o tanque do carro
to fill up the gasoline
tank
auscultadores
audiofones
headphones
autarca
funcionário da câmara
local
city government worker
autocarro
ônibus
bus or coach
autoclismo
descarga da privada
toilet flush
avançado
atacante
forward, striker
(football)
avariado
quebrado
broken
B
bagaceira
cachaça, pinga
brandy
bagaço
cachaça, pinga
brandy
baixa
centro da cidade
downtown
baliza
gol
goal or goalpost
balela
mentira
lie
balneário
vestiário
changing room, locker room
bancada
arquibancada
stands, bleachers
bandolete
tiara, arco
headband
banheiro
salva vidas
lifeguard (in Br. Port.
banheiro is "bathroom"
baril
legal, do caralho
cool, groovy
barriga da perna
batata da perna (também em
algumas regiões do Brasil se usa barriga da perna)
calf of the leg
batota
trapaça
trick
bazar
ir embora, dar com o pé
slang for to leave, to hit
the road, to skedaddle
BD: banda desenhada
gibi, revistinha
comic book
bem disposto?
como vai?
how are you?
beneficiação
melhoramento,
beneficiamento
improvement
berlinde
bola de gude
marble, as in the
children’s game
berma
acostamento (berma é um
termo técnico que quer dizer aba lateral de um aterro)
hard shoulder of the
highway
bestial
legal
cool, groovy
betão
concreto
concrete
Beto (calão)
Mauricinho, riquinho
rich kid
biberão
mamadeira
baby bottle
bica
cafezinho
expresso coffee (in
Lisbon)
bicha
fila
line, queue: bicha
in Brazil means queer
bifana
bife de porco
slice of fried pork
bicho carpinteiro
cupim
termite
bilheteira
bilheteria
box office
bocado, bocadinho
um pouco
a little bit
bófia
tira
cop
bola, ir a
ir ver o jogo de futebol
to go to a football game
boléia
carona
a ride, a lift
borbulhas
espinhas
pimples
borga
farra
high jinks, spree
borla, de
de graça
for free
borracha
garota
girl
borracheira
bebedeira
drunken state
bossa
corcunda
hump
bouça
mato
thicket
broche
sexo oral, uma chupada,
uma chupeta
fellatio, oral sex
Bucha e Estica
o Gordo e o Magro
Laurel and Hardy
bué
muito
very (slang) as in "bué de
caro"
bufar
soprar (bufar é expirar
violentamente como se estivesse cansado ou muito nervoso)
to blow
bute
"s’imbora", vamos embora
slang for "let’s hit the
road"
C
cabrão
filho da puta (em Portugal
cabrão pode significar "chifrudo")
son of a bitch (in
Portugal "cabrão" can mean "cuckold")
cacete
pão francês
baguette, French bread (in
Brazil cacete is slang for penis
caçoilo
caçarola pequena
small casserole dish
cachopa
garota, moça
girl
cachorro
cachorro quente, hot dog
hot dog
calção
shorts
shorts, bermudas
calcar
pisar (calcar é apertar)
step on
calhar, se
talvez
maybe
calhau
pedra, pedregulho
stone
colunas
altofalantes, caixas de
som
speakers (for a stereo)
camisa de dormir
camisola
night dress, night gown
canalha
criança
kid (in Brazil canalha
is bastard)
canalizador
bombeiro (mais comum no
Rio de Janeiro), encanador
plumber
cancro
câncer
cancer
candeeiro
abajur (de mesa), lustre
(de teto)
lamp
caneca
caneco
mug
capa
letra k (ká)
the letter k
capachinho
peruca
wig, toupee
Capuchinho Vermelho
Chapeuzinho Vermelho
Little Red Riding Hood
caraça!
caralho!
prick!
caril
curry
curry
carne picada
carne moída (carne moída é
aquela passada no moedor e picada é aquela cortada em pequenos pedaços com
uma faca)
ground meat
carne verde
carne fresca
fresh meat
carocha
fusca
Volkswagen Beetle, the Bug
carpete
tapete solto
loose rug (in Brazil, this
is called carpete)
carpir
chorar (no Brasil usa-se
mais no sentido de chorar os mortos)
to cry, to mourn
carregar
apertar um botão
to press a button
carrinha
utilitário fechado, tipo
Kombi
van
carruagem
vagão de trem
train car, carriage
carta de condução
carta de habilitação,
carta de motorista
driving license
carteira
bolsa de mulher
handbag
casa de banho
banheiro
bathroom
casa de pasto
boteco, restaurante
popular
inexpensive restaurant
cash and carry
atacadista
wholesaler
castanho
marrom (tambêm se usa
castanho, mais para cor dos olhos e cabelos)
brown
catita
elegante
dandy, elegant
cauteleiro
vendedor de bilhetes de
loteria
lottery ticket salesman
cave
porão
basement, cellar
cesto
cesta (tb se usa cesto
como de lixo)
basket in basketball
chanatos (calão)
chinelos
slang for slippers
charcutaria
espécie de mercearia fina
delicatessen
chaufagem
aquecimento
heating system
chavalo
garoto
young boy or girl
chávena
xícara
cup
cheio de frio, fome etc.
com frio, fome etc. (morto
de fome)
hungry, thirsty
chibar
reclamar
complain
chiça!
puxa! doeu!
wow! jeez!
chicha
carne (linguagem de
criança)
meat (baby talk)
chispa
rápido, vamos (tb se usa
com o sentido de sai, passa, fora, se manda!)
let’s go!
chispe
pé de porco (um prato
popular em Portugal)
pig’s trotter (a popular
dish)
chucha
chupeta (de criança)
pacifier for babies
chuço
guardachuva
umbrella
chui
tira
cop
chumbar
não passar de ano, levar
pau na escola
to fail at school
chumbar o dente
obturar
to fill a tooth
chunga (calão)
mau, chato
bad, the pits
chupa-chupa
doce num palito
candy, sucker
churrasqueira
churrascaria (a
churrasqueira normalmente só serve frango no churrasco)
steak house, restaurant
that serves barbecued meats
chuto
picada de heroína
heroin injection
cimeira
reunião de cúpula
summit meeting
códea
casca de pão
crust of bread
coima
multa
fine
colaboradora (eufemismo
para um anûncio no jornal)
prostituta em boîte
bargirl, prostitute
(euphemism)
colega
companheiro de trabalho (tb
se usa colega de trabalho ou só colega)
workmate
comboio
trem
train
cona
vagina
vagina
conductor
chofer, motorista
driver
conduzir
guiar, dirigir
to drive
conservatório
repartição pública
government office
cota (calão)
pais
slang for parents
contabilista
contador
accountant
continuação!
até logo!
see you later!
copos, ir aos
sair para beber, encher a
cara
have some drinks
corte
tapão, toco
a blocked shot in
basketball
coscuvilhar
fofocar
to gossip
coxia
cadeira de corredor
aisle seat, used for
planes, theater etc.
cu
bunda
ass, buttocks
cueca
calcinha ou cueca quando é
de homem
underpants
cunha
pistolão, QI (quem indicou?)
influence to get a job
cusco
bisbilhoteiro
ferret, busybody
D
dar explicações
dar aulas particulares
to teach private classes
dar uma vista de olhos
dar uma olhada
to take a look
defeso
temporada
season (football)
deitar fora
jogar fora
to throw away
desculpe lá!
com licença!
excuse me!
diospiro
caquí
persimmon
dobrar
dublar
to dub a film
doméstica
dona de casa
housewife (in Brazil doméstica
is a house worker, a cleaning lady)
dorido
dolorido
painful
drogaria
armarinho
store that sells brooms, cleaning
material
duche
chuveiro, banho de chuveiro
shower
durex
camisinha
condom—in Brazil durex is scotch tape
E
ecran
tela
television screen
eléctrico
bonde
tram or streetcar
em diferido
videoteipe
video tape
ementa
cardápio, menu
menu
ena pá!
caramba, putis grila
wow!
encarnado (semáforo
encarnado)
vermelho
red
encerrado
fechado (encerrado é
utilizado mais com o sentido de terminado como em expediente encerrado)
closed
enfrascarse (calão)
ficar bêbado
get drunk
engaço (o verbo é engaçar)
rastelo, ancinho
rake
engraçado
engraçado (cômico ou
bonito)
funny or pretty
entornar
derramar
to spill
escadote
escada
ladder
escanção
a arte de servir o vinho
the art of serving wine
escaparate
estante
bookshelf
escusado, ser
ser inútil, não ser
necessário
to need not, needless to
say
escuta
escuteiro
boy scout
esférico
bola de futebol
football
esferográfica
caneta (tb se usa
esferográfica)
ballpoint pen
esferovite
isopor
styrofoam
espalhar
esparramar
to spread
espalhar um exame
tomar bomba num exame
to fail a test, to flunk
esparregado
creme de legumes
vegetable sauce
espirituosa
bebida alcólica
spirits, alcoholic drink
espumante
champanha, campagne (tb se
usa espumante)
champagne
esquentamento
aquecimento
heating, warming up
estafetas, corrida de
revezamento
relay race
estalo
bofetada, tapa (forte)
slap
estendal
varal
a plastic clothes drier
used in apartments
estomatologista
dentista
a doctor who specialized
in dentistry
estore
persiana de madeira ou
plástico
wooden or plastic blind
explicador
professor particular
private teacher
F
facho
lanterninha, lanterna
portátil
flashlight, torch
factura
nota fiscal
invoice
falhanço
fracasso
failure
fato
terno
suit
fato de banho
maiô ou calção de banho
swimming suit
fato macaco
macacão, jardineira
overalls
faz favor!
por favor
excuse me!
fazer óó
fazer naná
baby talk for go to sleep
fazer o pino
plantar banana
stand on your head
febra
pedaço de carne de porco
slice of pork
feijão verde
vagem
green beans
feira da ladra
feira hipie
flea market
fiambre
presunto (no Brasil
fiambre é presuntado; presunto como em Portugal só importado)
processed ham
ficha
tomada
plug
ficheiro
fichário
file (cabinet)
filete
bife
beef steak
fino
chope pequeno
small glass of draft beer
fisga
estilingue, bodoque
slingshot
fita-cola
durex (em Portugal Durex é
uma marca conhecida de camisinha)
scotch tape
fixe
genial, legal
cool, groovy
fogo
apartamento
apartment
força
passa! Xô! Se manda! Sai!
go ahead!
forreta
pão duro
stingy, cheapskate
fotocópia
xerox (tb se usa fotocópia
ou xerocópia)
photocopy
frigorífico
geladeira
fridge, icebox
fufa
sapatão
lesbian, dyke
fumado
defumado
smoked
fumador
vagão de trem para
fumantes
smoking car on a train
fumo
fumaça
smoke
fundir
queimar (Fundir é derreter
o motor)
to burn out—used for light
bulbs
furo
pneu furado
flat tire
fusca
gíria para pistola ou
revólver
revolver
G
gabardina
capa de chuva
raincoat
gadanha
foice
scythe, sickle
galão
café com leite
coffee with milk served in
a glass
gamba
camarão gigante
prawns
ganga, calça de
jeans
jeans
ganza
baseado
a joint of marijuana
garina
garota
girl
garrafeira
loja de bebidas alcólicas
wine shop, bottle shop
gasóleo
óleo diesel
diesel
gasolineira
posto de abastecimento ou
de gasolina
gas station
gasolineiro
frentista
gas station worker
gelado
sorvete
ice cream
gestor
gerente
manager
ginja
cereja preta
black cherry
giradiscos
tocadiscos
record player
girafa
caneca grande de cerveja
large mug of beer
giro
legal, bacana
great, cool
golo
gol
goal
grelha
programação de televisão
ou grade de programação
list of programs on TV
grilar
bater pino
to ping-said of a motor
grossista
atacadista
wholesaler
grosso
atacado
wholesale
guardafatos
armário, guarda-roupa
wardrobe, closet
guarda-lama
pára-lamas
mudguard (on the car)
guarnecida
com batatas
food with potatoes
guiador
guidão
handlebar
guião
roteiro
screenplay
gulosema
balinha
sweet, candy
H
habilitações literárias
grau de instrução,
formação acadêmica
educational background
Hansel e Gretel
João e Maria
Hansel and Gretel
hemiciclo
Senado, Câmara dos
Deputados
Chamber of Deputies
hipótese (não há hipótese)
chance (não há chance)
hipótese é uma suposição
chance
hora de ponta
hora do pique, hora do
rush
rush hour
hospedeira
aeromoça, comissária de
bordo
air hostess, stewardess
I
imperial
chope
draft beer
indicador de combustível
ponteiro
fuel gauge
intriga
fofoca (intriga é uma
discórdia)
gossip
invisual
cego
blind person-politically
correct word
L
ladrar
latir
to bark
lameiro
brejo, terreno húmido
swamp, wet pasture
lanço
trecho de estrada ou de
pontes
part of a highway
larilas
chorão
wimp
leitor de cassetes
toca-fitas
tape recorder
liceu
ginásio
high school
ligeiro
carro de passageiros
passenger car
lombo
filé mignon
filet mignon
lume
fogo, um fósforo
a light, a match
M
maçante
chato
a bore
maçar
chatear
to bother
macaco (calão)
titica
snot, bugger
magoar
machucar
to hurt, to harm—in Brazil
machucar is physical and magoar is psychological.
mais pequeno
menor
smaller—mais pequeno
is considered incorrect in Brazil
mala
bolsa de mulher
handbag
malga
tigela para sopa
soup bowl
malta
turma
group of friends
mamas
peito
tits, breasts
mandrião
preguiçoso
lazy
manguito
dar uma banana
to give the finger, to
flip the bird
maple
sofá, poltrona
sofa
marcação
reserva
reservation
marcar
discar
dial (a telephone)
marco
caixa de correio
post box, letter box
marialva
metido a gostoso,
conquistador
Don Juan
marosca
batota
deception, trick
marrão (calão)
C.D.F. (Cu de Ferro),
estudioso
hard studier
matrícula
placa de carro
license plate, number
plate
maxilar
mandíbula (tb se usa
maxilar)
jaw
médios
faróis baixos
low beams in a car
meia de leite
café com leite
coffee with milk
melga
mosquito, perilongo (tb
chato)
mosquito, a pain in the
ass
meloa
melão
small melon
menina
garota (tb se usa menina
para uma criança e garota para uma adolescente)
girl, Miss—used as a title
merugem
garoa, chuvisco
drizzle
meruja
garoa
drizzle
merujar
cair merugem, cair garoa
to drizzle
mingar/minguar
emagrecer,diminuir (tb se
usa raramente minguar)
decrease, get thin
miúdos
crianças (miúdos são os
órgãos internos e vísceras comestíveis das aves)
children
moço
garoto, jovem (tb se usa
moço)
young man
mola
prendedor de roupa
clothes pin
monstros
entulhos
trash left on the street
montar
subir (montar é cavalgar
ou subir na fêmea na hora da relação sexual o mesm que cobrir – gíria com o
mesmo sentido de trepar)
to climb
monte (Monte dos Vendavais)
morro (Morro dos Ventos
Uivantes)
hill, heights (Wuthering
Heights)
montra
vitrine
shop window
mossa
estrago, amolgadura
damage (used for a car)
mota
moto
motorcycle
motorizada
lambreta
motorbike, scooter
muinha
dor constante
constant pain
muita
muito
a lot—in Portugal the word
can be feminine before a feminine noun
mulher a dias
faxineira
cleaning woman
N
nado de bruços
nado de peito
breast stroke in swimming
nado de mariposa
nado de golfinho
butterfly stroke in swimming
naifa
canivete
jack-knife, pocketknife
néria
nada, necas
nothing
nojice
nojeira
rotten, sickening
nomeadamente
principalmente
mainly
notário
tabelião
notary public
O
oh, pa!
pô!
damn!
ora bem!
veja bem!
let’s see!
P
pacóvio
lerdo, burro
silly, foolish
Pai Natal
Papai Noel
Santa Claus
palmarés
currículo, resumo da obra
background, experience
panado
à milanesa
breaded meat
paneleiro
bicha
queer, gay
pantomineira (calão)
mulher barulhenta, cheia
de gestos
a loud, vociferous woman
pantuflas
chinelos (tb se usa em
Portugal)
slippers
papeira
caxumba
mumps
paralítico
imagem parada (paralítico
é aquele que não pode andar)
stopped image on TV or
video
parangona
manchete
headline
parque
estacionamento
car park, parking lot
particular (jogo)
amistoso
friendly match
partir
quebrar
to break
parvo
idiota, tolo, bobo
fool
parvoices
besteiras, idiotices,
bobagens, tolices
stupidities
passadeira
passagem de pedestres,
passarela
zebra crossing, crosswalk
pastilhado
drogado (em pastilhas)
drugged on pills
pastilhas elásticas
chiclete, goma de mascar
chewing gum
patilhas
costeletas
sideburns
peão
pedestre
pedestrian
pêga
puta
whore
peixeira
pessoa barulhenta (vem das
vendedoras de peixe)
loud person (comes from a
woman fishmonger)
pelas
às (tb se usa pelas: lá
pelas tantas horas)
around such and such a
time
peleiro
peleteiro
furrier
pelouro
cada um dos ramos da
administração pública
public administration
penso
curativo
bandage
penso higiênico
absorvente íntimo, modes
kotex, sanitary napkins
penso rápido
band-aid
Band-aid
pequena
garota
girl
pequeno almoço
café da manhã
breakfast
pêra
barbicha, cavanhaque
goatee
perceber
entender (perceber é mais
próximo de sentir: ele não percebeu ela chegando)
to understand
percebes
tipo de marisco
barnacle
perdidos e achados
achados e perdidos (essa é
ótima pq primeiro se perde para depois se achar)
lost and found
pessoa colectiva
pessoa jurídica
a company
pestanas
cílios
eyelashes
peúgas
meias
short socks
piada (não tem piada)
graça
funny (in Brazil piada
is a joke)
pica
injeção
an injection (in Brazil
pica is slang for penis)
picas
cobrador de ônibus
the ticket puncher on the
train
pila
pinto, pau (pila tb é uma
gíria no Sul para dinheiro)
prick, cock
pildra, ir para
ira para cama ou ir para a
prisão
to go to bed or to go to
prison
pionês
tachinha
thumbtack, drawing pin
pipi (fazer)
xixi
children’s slang for urine
pirilampo
vagalume
firefly
piri-piri
pimenta malagueta
hot sauce, chile pepper
piropo
galanteio, cantada
words of praise said by men
to women
piroso
cafona
corny
piso
andar do prédio (também se
usa piso para designar andar de prédio ou o acabamento que se põe no chão
das edificações)
floor of a building
planear
planejar
to plan
pois!
então!
so! OK
porreiro
legal
great, cool
portagem
pedágio
toll on a road
portanto (pronunciado "purtanto"
portanto (uma das palavras
mais usadas em Portugal; usa-se como "filler" numa frase)
so
pouco profundo
raso (tb pode se dizer
pouco profundo mas o mais comum é raso)
shallow
póvoa
povoado
village, town
prego
churrasquinho de carne de
vaca
a beefsteak usually served
on bread
prenda
presente (no interior se
usa prenda com esse mesmo sentido)
present, gift
preservativo
camisinha
condom
pressão, cerveja de
chope
draft beer
pronto! (or prontos!)
e daí, pois, OK
Ok, uh huh!
pronto a vestir
roupa feita, pret-a-porter
ready to wear
propina
mensalidade (propina é o
dinheiro de suborno que se paga para obter alguma vantagem ou encobrir um
ilícito)
tuition
putos
crianças (puto é uma
pessoa desprezível, um filho-da-puta)
kids
Q
queca
trepada, metida, transa
a fuck
quinta
sítio ou chácara
small farm
quiosque
banca de jornal (quiosque é uma
construção rústica sem paredes e com telhado de palha)
newsstand
quispo (kispo)
blusão, casaco
parka, anorak
R
rabiosque
nádegas, bunda
buttocks, ass
rabo
bunda, bumbum (também se usa bastante rabo
com o mesmo sentido, só que mais forte)
behind, ass
ralhar
brigar (ralhar está em desuso mas
também é
entendido)
to fight, to argue
ranha
titica
snot, nasal mucous
rapariga
garota
girl
rasca
ordinário, reles
vulgar, common
rata
vagina (rata é a fêmea do rato)
pussy
realizador
diretor
film director
rebaixas
liquidações
sales
rebuçado
doce de caramelo, pirulito
candy
reformado
aposentado (se usa reformado nas
Forças Armadas)
retired
registar
registrar
register
rego
vagina (no Brasil rego é o mesmo que
bunda)
vagina
reinar
gozar, zoar, brincar
to joke
relato
narração (tb se usa relato como uma
narração mais formal, um depoimento)
narration
relvado
gramado
lawn
remate
chute a gol
goal kick
renda
aluguel (renda é o dinheiro ganho ou
um trabalho feito com linha num tecido)
rent
reparação
conserto
repair
rés-do-chão
térreo
ground floor
residencial
tipo de hotel
inexpensive hotel
ressalto
rebote (ressalto é uma saliência)
rebound in basketball
ressonar
roncar (ressonar é dormir leve; roncar
is used in Portugal for animals)
to snore
retalhista
varejista
retailer
retrete
privada, vaso sanitário
bathroom
S
sacho
enxada
weeding hoe
saco
bolsa a tiracolo de mulher
handbag
safar
apagar ("apagar" com borracha
to erase ("safar" in Brazil means "to
escape")
saloio
caipira
hillbilly
sandes
sanduíche
sandwich
sanita
privada, vaso sanitário
toilet
santinho!
Deus te ajude! Deus te crie!
God bless you!—said when someone
sneezes
sapateira
tipo de caranguejo (sapateira é o
lugar onde se põe os sapatos)
type of crab
sarilho
confusão (sarilho é um modo de se
colocar os fuzis em pé apoiados uns nos outros)
problems, mess
sebenta
apostila
notes to help you to study
se calhar
talvez
perhaps
secretária
escrivaninha (secretária é a
funcionária que organiza a agenda de um empresário)
desk
selecionador
treinador
coach, manage
seropositivo
aidético
sufferer of Aids, HIV positive
serrano
pessoa rural, do interior
hillbilly
Setor/a
Professor/a (usado para se dirigir ao
professor)
Teacher, Mr, Miss (used when
addressing a teacher)
sim, senhora!
sim, senhor ou senhora (se usa mais
Sim, senhor!)
yes, sir or madam
sítio
lugar (sítio é uma propriedade rural
pequena)
place
snack bar
café, lanchonete
snack bar
soalheiro
ensolarado
sunny
solarengo
ensolarado
sunny
solicitador
despachante
solicitor—someone who helps you to get
documents
sujidade
sujeira
dirt, filth
sumo
suco (tb se usa menos sumo)
juice
T
tabaco
cigarro
tobacco or cigarettes
tacão
salto
heel of a shoe
tachista
marajá
government worker who
lives like a king
talá?
quem fala? alô?
who is speaking?
talho
açouge
butcher’s
tampão
calota do carro
hubcap
tanga
mentira
lie
tanso
palerma, otário
fool, jerk
taralhoco
maluco
crazy
tareia
surra
a beating
tasca
boteco
simple bar
tejadilho de abrir
teto solar
sunroof
telefonia
rádio do carro
car radio
ter a lata
ter a ousadia
to have the guts, the
balls
ter pena
sentir muito
to be sorry
tigre
camarão gigante
tiger prawns
tintas, estou-me nas
estou pouco ligando para
isso
I don’t give a damn
tira-cápsulas
abridor de garrafa
bottle opener
tira uma bufa
soltar um pum, um peido
to pass gas, to fart
tomates
ovos, saco
balls, testículos
tossim!
alô!
Hello!!—used when
answering the phone
tosta
torrada
toast
trânsito condicionado
trânsito impedido
interrupted traffic
traque
pum
fart
travão
freio
brake
trepador
escalador
climber in cycling
tresandar
feder
to stink
treta
besteira, conversa fiada
prattle, verbosity
trincar
morder (trincar é quando o
vidro quebra mas não despedaça)
to bite
tripeiro
habitante de Porto
inhabitant of Oporto
troço
trecho de estrada
stretch of road
trolha
ajudante de pedreiro
laborer, construction
worker
trucidado
atropelado (usa-se sempre
com o trem)
run over by a train
tubo de escape
escapamento
exhaust pipe
U
utente
usuário
user of a public service
V
vai-e-vem
ônibus espacial
space shuttle
varicela
catapora
chicken pox
vazio
filet mignon
filet mignon
velharia
antiguidade
antique
verbena
arraial, festa ao ar livre
night festival in the open
air
verniz
esmalte (verniz é um
protetor de madeira)
nail polish (in Brazil
they use esmalte on fingernails and verniz on wood)
vir abaixo
apagar, morrer—refere-se ao carro
to "die"—said of a car’s
engine
vivenda
casa, mansão
house, detached house
vulgar
comum (mas não vulgar)
ordinary, common
