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10 Brazilian Slang Words Posted by on Apr 25, 2014 in Culture, Vocabulary

Slang is everywhere! We all use slang from time to time so I chose ten slang words that you can use with no problem (they’re not swear words), ok?

Here we go! (Oh, I love this!)

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01. É o cão chupando manga. Literally it means “it’s the dog (or the devil) sucking on a mango”. This is not a very pretty picture so this expressions means that someone is really, trust me, really ugly.

Cara, como você conseguiu ficar com aquela mina? Ela é o cão chupando manga.
Dude, how could you hook up with that chick? She’s “fugly”!

02. Não tô nem aí! This means that you don’t give a damn about what someone things or what’s going to happen.

Olha, não tô nem aí com o que ela pensa de mim.
Look, I couldn’t care less what she thinks of me.

Ela tá acima do peso, mas não tá nem aí e vai pra praia de biquini.
She’s overweight, but she doesn’t care and goes to the beach in a bikini.

03. Busão. Yes, people use “busão” to say “ônibus” (bus).

Pega o busão, pára na São Francisco e você já tá do lado da balada. Não tem erro!
Take the bus, stop on São Francisco and you’re right next to the club. You can’t miss it!

04. Dar uma geral. This means to clean up a place, to tidy it up, organize it.

Ó, vou dar uma geral no meu quarto e já desço, beleza?
Hey, I’m going to clean up my room and I’ll be right down, ok?

05. Demorou! Of course! Hell yeah!

‘Vai ter um churrasco aqui em casa hoje à noite. Cola aí!’ ‘Demorou!’
‘I’m having a barbecue at home tonight. Come on over!’ ‘Hell yeah!’

06. Treta. A treta is a fight or an unpleasant situation in general. There is also the verb “tretar”.

Teve uma treta na classe e a professora saiu chorando.
Something nasty happened in the classroom and the teacher left crying.

Eles tretaram por causa de 50 reais.
They got into a fight because of 50 reals.

07. Foi mal! Sorry! My bad!

Putz, pisei no seu pé. Foi mal!
Damn, I stepped on your foot. My bad!

08. Molhar a mão. Literally it means to wet somebody’s hand – to bribe.

Se você quiser mais informações você vai ter que molhar a mão dele.
If you want more information you will have to bribe him.

09. Pisar na bola. In English we have the expression “to drop the ball”, in Portuguese we say “to step on the ball”. It can mean to screw something up or let someone down.

Se você pisar na bola de novo, você tá fora do projeto.
If you drop the ball again, you’re out of the project.

Ele pisou na bola feio com ela.
He let her down completely.

10. Chapado. If you’re chapado you’re either very drunk or very high!

Ele tava chapado na festa ontem. O que será que ele bebeu?
He was so drunk at the party yesterday. I wonder what he drank.

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About the Author: Adir

English / Spanish teacher and translator for over 20 years. I have been blogging since 2007 and I am also a professional singer in my spare time.


Comments:

  1. Martijn:

    gostei, tnx
    btw 1) Mina é giria por menina ou um typing error?

  2. Adir Ferreira:

    “Mina” is slang for “menina”, not a typo. =)

  3. Paulina:

    Brigada! What does “pirei” mean?

    Bom dia!

    • Demetri:

      @Paulina Pirei means I went crazy.

    • rafael:

      @Paulina pirei means go crazy!
      Eu pirei ontem na festa
      I went crazy yesterday in the party

  4. Ruth:

    What does “Lago Al” mean?

    • jose:

      @Ruth Lago Al is written erred. It’s ”legal”and means: Good, so good, awesome, perfect, sounds good,etc.

    • Mreaggle:

      @Ruth Ruth, “Lago ai” is a slang created by a brazilian League of Legends streamer, and it’s a “brazilian-way” for the word “lag” in english which means the delay people get while playing online bcs of internet issues, so “lago aí?” literally means “Did u get lag there?” it’s said in an offensive way to harass the enemies saying that they made such mistake because of lagging, I hope it helps you.

  5. Andre:

    Paulina,

    “Pirei” means literally I got crazy. You use when you really like something or someone. It’s a cool way to say you like something. Nowadays guys use to talk about girls.

    Pirei naquela mina
    I really like/appreciate that girl.

  6. pedro:

    mina é uma gíria usada só em São Paulo. o resto do Brasil diz menina

  7. mayson:

    do you know the popular phrase Brazilians use to ask for favors that are usually out of the question; the translation is close to “give a little”. one would say this if they were asking a favor that you know you are not supposed to do but they are asking anyways, it is kind of a charming way to beg for something. example would be if you are trying to enter a store when they are just closing, or on a waiting list for something and ask the person that works there if they can expedite the process just for you. thanks

  8. Caroline:

    My Brazilian boyfriend calls me chapadinha when I get typsy. He thinks it’s hilarious…

    • Pvan:

      @Caroline You mean “chupadinha…”
      😉

  9. gabrielle:

    Hi! I am Brazilian and it’s all right!

  10. Thaysa:

    What does ‘sarra’ mean I listen to a lot Brazilian funk music and they often say ‘sarra’ I was wondering if you knew.

  11. Fábio Cosentino:

    It’s fine – Tá suave
    What’s up Dude – E aí Cara
    Hey homie – qual é mano

  12. Vince:

    What does sufraducio mean ?

  13. William:

    Does “vai para cima do cara” mean the same as “keep looking up?”

  14. Matheus Freire:

    Hey, I’m a Brazilian man.
    I’ve never heard about “Lago Al”.
    That isn’t a slang.
    Can be a river, I don’t know.
    River = Lago

  15. Matheus Freire:

    Hello, everybody.
    I’m a Brazilian man.
    I’ve never heard about “Lago Al”.
    That isn’t a slang.
    May be a river, I don’t know.
    River = Lago.

    Xoxo

  16. Anne:

    Could you give me the meaning of “quebrar um galho” in English. Thanks. Anne

  17. jose:

    Oi gurizada tudo bom? Lago Al is written erred. It’s ”legal”and means: Good, so good, awesome, perfect, sounds good,etc.

  18. Abel:

    Eu sou angolano o que significa: balada, perona, perei, na linguagem brasileira.

  19. BiunBaek:

    Ya, we haves “Bora”, means come on.
    Mina, it’s a girl.
    Beleza it’s okay, fine but the translation would be beauty
    Falou means cya, the translation it’s talked
    Valeu it’s tks, but means earn or hold good

    So, dunno my english is good but um trying, I hope have helped you or something.

    See ya

  20. Dom D:

    What does “ppk” mean?

  21. April:

    What does fitinha mean in Brazilian Portuguese slang. I was told it is regional. I think in the state of São Paulo? The context it was used was “guerrilheira esquerdista fitinha”.
    I understand fitinha is little bow, but that’s not how it’s being used.