Welcome to the colorful and occasionally rambunctious world of European Portuguese slang and those words your Portuguese grandma might gasp at! Let’s forget about the standard Portuguese courses (and other great resources) for a second and take a look at the fun side of European Portuguese.
In this article, we’ll dive into the expressions that make Portuguese locals chuckle, the idioms that are as Portuguese as pastel de nata, and yes, even those words that might earn you a disapproving tsk-tsk if uttered in the wrong company. But fear not! We’re here to navigate the nuances of when and how these phrases are used, so you can banter with the best of them without causing a scandal.
Prepare to add a sprinkle of spice to your vocab and maybe even impress—or shock—the locals on your next visit to the land of fado and football. Let’s talk Portuguese, the fun way!
Thanks to Practice Portuguese for several of these. Did you know Portugalist readers get access to this Portuguese language learning tool for less? (see here).
Fixe
Pronounced as feesh (almost sounding like fish), fixe means cool or nice and it’s a word you’ll commonly hear in European Portuguese (Brazilians use the word “legal” instead).
- Está-se fixe: it’s cool.
- Tá-se fixe: cool
Top
Top means great just like ótimo.
- Este bar é top: this bar is great.
Giro/gira
Giro (masculine) or gira (feminine) means pretty or cute. Fofo and fofa are also used.
- Ele é giro: He’s cute.
- Era bem fofo: It was really cute.
Bué
Bué means a lot, and it basically means a lot or very. It’s commonly used with the word fixe.
- É bué fixe: it’s very cool
Tuga
Tuga is slang for a typical Portuguese person (a Portuga). This used to be a derogatory that was mainly used in the former Portuguese African colonies, but is a word that the Portuguese have decided to own.
Pá
Pá is a commonly used slang word. It’s usually put on the end of a sentence to mean man. It’s easy to remember because it sounds like pal, which in some English-speaking countries is added onto the end of a sentence.
- Não tenho problemas contigo, pá: I don’t have a problem with you, man
Merda
Merda literally means shit although depending how it’s used it can mean fuck. It’s commonly used in Portugal, and isn’t really considered that offensive.
- Merda: Shit, fuck, crap.
- Um problema de merda: A fucking problem.
- Que merda é esta?: What the fuck is this?
Gajo/Tipo
Gajo and tipo are two commonly used words which mean guy (or dude if you’re American).
- Há um gajo: there’s this guy.
Caralho
Literally caralho means cock or dick, but it’s often used to mean fuck instead. Vai pró caralho, for example, literally means go to dick, but probably would translate better as go fuck yourself.
Often you’ll see “de caralho” after a word and it’s essentially the same as adding the word fucking before it. É do caralho, for example, means it’s fucking hard. You can also say é fodido or é uma foda. Basically, the Portuguese have a lot of expressions for how fucking hard things are.
Foder
Foder meaning “to fuck” is a word that you’ll often hear in Portugal, usually when someone is telling you to go fuck yourself.
Fodido means fucked, and normally it’s used to say that something is fucked. It comes from the verb foder.
- Vai-te foder: Go fuck yourself.
- Vão se foder: Fuck you.
- Está fódido: It’s fucked.
Porra
Porra is another word meaning fuck and one that comes up often.
- Fique em casa, porra: Stay the fuck home.
Words for dick
There are a lot of different words for dick in Portuguese. Here are just a few:
- Piço
- Caralho
- Pila
Words for pussy
Similarly, there are several slang words for pussy in Portuguese.
- Xaroca
- Pachaça
- Pêssego
- Cona (similar to cunt, so quite offensive).
Vai mamar na quinta pata do cavalo
Vai mamar na quinta pata do cavalo means go suck on the 5th leg of a horse. It’s probably something you’ll never hear, but it’s so poetic it had to be included.
As to whether anyone actually says this, that depends on who you ask. There is a similar expression, vai mamar na cona da tia, which is a lot more offensive but maybe more suitable if there are no horses nearby.
Puta
Puta means whore.
Filho da puta
Filho de puta means “son of a whore,” “son of a bitch,” or “motherfucker”. Basically, it’s an insult against the other person’s mother. While you can call someone a filho da puta in a jokey way, it’s very offensive if it’s not in a fun context.
Weirdly, puto is slang for boy (and not considered offensive).
- Aquele filho da puta: That son of a bitch.
Cabrão
Cabrão means asshole or bastard.
- És um cabrão: you’re an asshole.
Paneleiro
The English equivalent of paneleiro would be something like fag or queer. It’s not a very nice or politically correct term, but one that you might come across.
Brazil famously uses the word bicha to mean queer whereas that means a queue or line in Portugal. In Brazil, they use the word fila.
As we wrap up our rollicking romp through the spirited slang and risqué repartee of Portugal, remember that wielding these words with wit and wisdom will not only enrich your linguistic arsenal but also bring you closer to the heart and humour of Portuguese culture.
I am in Maui Hawaii and growing up here with multiple cultures of immigrants of Portuguese descent the plantation from Portugal said the word ” kudish” , “ai kudeess” or is it “cu deesh”? All the elder Portuguese people say that it is a swear word and” don’t say that” but Hawaii Portuguese people never will give a definition of the meaning of this word. Which being a sarcastic rebel of a child to the present age of 61 , my Portuguese catholic religious family still has no translation, or definition of the word! have searched many internet sites for the word but have come up empty. I believe it might be a very archaic word. I think I am old enough now to say all the badwords in the English language and I frequently use the word ” Ku dish ” just because I think it’s funny that nobody will and or know the meaning except that it’s a bad word. Even if the meaning is some ritual voodoo word of calling up satan himself, I need to know and settle this matter because I still fight and get irritated with people{ family}
that cannot give me a meaning of the word.
Corisco – it’s Portuguese slang used mostly in the Azores islands as a way to great a close friend or and asshole! You can say “Oi corisco” in this way, it’s like greeting a friend and saying “hey asshole!” But it can be used as a call out when someone is being a jerk.
Don’t speak Portuguese myself, but if it starts with “cu” (coo) I would guess something with “ass”
Joann, we were just asking the ladies working the rummage sale in Kula what “Kudeesh” means. We really enjoyed your post cuz we’ve used this word many times from small kid time but neva know what it means. We still not sure.
tolishada ??
Ó pá tens que a desenrrascar q ela tá lixada Roy. Vê lá o q é q lhe andaste a fazer, né?
“Tou lixada” means the same as something like “I’m screwed”, and usually is used either when someone fucks up, or when someone is mad at something.
Depends on what is “screwing” them over.
Found the definitions and explanations very helpful. Am an experienced Portuguese (Brazilian) speaker. But one word eludes, what is the ‘slang’ – ‘street’ – word for “Money Lender” or “Loan Shark”
Thanks. Alan
Gandins, mas se quiseres podes abreviar pa José Sócrates
Sou portuguesa e ri tanto…. Continuações de um ótimo e educativo trabalho
My mom told us our great-grandmother (from Sao Miguel) would call her “procadiha” (I don’t know how to spell it). She said it meant something like “dirty little thing.” Anybody know what this is?
P – oh – ca – ria or sometimes sounds like poor – caria ? Is that what your thinking? Its spelled porcaria and the definition is filth but what u said also fits.
And i do have one word i am wanting to be sure i am understanding correctly…
It sounds like “Shupa/Chupa”
Which i know the meanings for chupa but is chupa pronounced like schoopah or is that possibly a different word?
Btw this word is used all by itself…
It means suck on it…
First off… These posts are frickin amazingly educational… Thank You to all posters (postee’s ?).
Planning first trip to Portugal in October and this is more helpful than Language course I’m taking…
Hi Dylan,
You might like this post too – https://www.portugalist.com/funny-mistakes-portuguese/
My grandma was Portuguese and always told us to wash our “sita” and “coo” when we were little which was vagina and butt (I’m sure those are far off from being spelled right). Can someone tell me if that is at all correct?
Pita e cu
Some truly excellent blog posts on this web site, thanks for contribution. “My salad days, When I was green in judgment.” by William Shakespeare.
My wife is Brazilian and her dad says Puta A LOT! or sometimes he shortens it to putz… pronounced pOOt. He says this even when our 7 month old is around and I brought it up to my wife saying isn’t that a swear word? She says no but I’m thinking yes.
No, it isn’t : it’s quite hard to explain. When someone shortens ‘puta’ to ‘puto’ (I know you think he is saying ‘poot’ but it’s just that we don’t pronounce the o) but anyways when someone says that it can also act as a word like ‘oh man’ to yourself or ‘sh*t’ if you mess something up. Hope this helps
Pute is slang for a boy or a kid! It’s an endearing way to call a kid! Not offensive at all!
The word Caralho actually mean Crow’s Nest, like on a ship. If the captain would tell you Va pro Caralho, that was the worst job on the ship, which then transformed into an insult.
if you are speaking Português 700 years ago…
No, you say that now a days. And it kinda means’ you belong in sh*t’ in a way or like ‘your trash’
no
Táss cuul, no one uses that in Portugal and you don’t write it like that.
You would write it like this:
“Está-se cool” or in slang “tá-se cool”.
But they would probably say:
“Está-se fixe” or in slang “tá-se fixe”.
Pissa or pisso, meaning cock is also not written like that.
You wrote it like this:
Piça or piço.
Do you use pinto, pau and buceta in portuguese?
Pau
In Brazilian portuguese yes
does anyone know what Estufanha means?
I don’t know the specific meaning. But it’s usually used like “dumbass”. Maybe it’s because i’ve only ever seen old people use it and it always sounded endeering, but that’s the kind of context it is used in.
My mum is from Madeira and I hear her use ‘caramba’ a lot, I don’t even know if I’ve spelt it right, but I’ve looked it up online and it means damn. I’m still not really sure
My mother was also Portuguese and used it a lot.. I think it’s just an exclamation followed by other words.. mom said (sp) caramba medaloschtead (have no clue)…
Condenar, might be what toi are hearing…
Yeah it does mean damn like when you mess something up and say like crap in english
Yes, caramba is one of those “cussing” words you shout that are very “family friendly”. It is used like “damn” but it gives off the same vibe as someone saying “curses” instead of actually cussing out loud. xD
Thank you. It’s rlly this website is fixe
Having an argument over the Portuguese word pumba, for a lack of better words dose it mean dick or ass?
Please help me settle this dispute.
I know “pumba” as “bang”, “nail it” like “…and pumba, you did” or like “pumba, take that”
Pumba is dick in Portuguese slang especially in the Azores. When lion king came out that was a joke due to the character with the same name !
Talking shit with people around here, pumba is def ass, and blika is dick. Of course I know these two
Pomba mean pigeon, but in azorean slang means dick… and you can also say pombinha for a small dick
Pomba = pigeon
Bunda= is Portuguese/Brazilian slang for ass
Pila/pisa = Portuguese slang for dick
Blika doesn’t exist
Yea pombinha means penis
Usually used to say a boys penis. Like saying “pee pee” instead of penis with little kids so if you say it about a grown man it is like saying they have a little dick. I’m from San Miguel and that is how my family used it
My mom’s father was born in San Miguel not long before they all moved here to the U.S. I want to learn Azorean Portuguese because I hope to travel there. Would you be willing to correspond with me while I study Portuguese? Perhaps correcting what sounds wrong or unnatural?
It’s spelled “pomba” or “pombinha” which means dick but in a nicer way. The vulgar way is “Caralho”
Dick or penis
I think It’s like saying peepee. Maybe dick but as a kid we’d say pumba so I figured it was a kids term like peepee or pecker.
Lol ..Pomba…. Dick….
Like pombinha for little dick…
Never heard of pumba
Yes and so is the word blocs
I mean blica
It can mean penis, vagina or privates… Like “vai kavar a tua pomba” (go wash you privates)
I hear pilota used and it certainly doesnt mean female pilot.
Anyone explain?
piloto – man pilot
pilota – dick, cock
It’s spelled “pelota” which means vagina
my mom always used to tell me to “scenta habo” when i was a kid . i think it meant to go warm your ass up by sitting over there. is that right?
Means to ‘sit on your tail or ass’ senta = sit and rabo (habo) + tail
Senta o rabo means Sit your ass down.
I think you mean “Senta o rabo aqui” which means “get your ass here”
Hi
In Brazilian Portuguese, bicha is queer ( homosexual men ). It s not used to insult a woman.
In Portuguese of Portugal, bicha is queue ( fila ).
By the way “ pica “ in Portugal is injection ( medicament aplied with a syringe ) and in Brazilian Portuguese is dick..
pica = term fro injection at kids
piça= dick, cock
In Brazilian portuguese you don’t want to say you’ll be getting a pica cause that means you’ll be getting a cock.
You’d say “injeção”instead if you mean a jab or vaccination.
You must create one lesson too how to use them with example
That’s a good idea Surjit!
Oi dona in Brazil they say bicha as a rude way to say queer does it mean anything else in Portugal?
I’ve seen it used in the same way in Portugal. I don’t know for sure, but I think the Brazilian meaning is becoming more widespread.
It can also mean a queue, but I think it’s safer to use the word “fila” because of the double meaning of the word bicha.
Hopefully a Portuguese person can comment and explain this better?
In Portugal “Bicha” does mean a queue. They would understand the Brazilian version, but would more likely say “bichinha” instead to differentiate. It’s being reappropriate by the gay community to mean “Twink” or a more flamboyant person.
Lol Bicha … is a queue or line..will forever be…..
If you are going to speak Portuguese… speak it authentically …. Original wins every time…
“porra”is the most common word for “f%%k”. Do not use it unless you have to.
I was told porra is a slang for mans ejaculate .
It was in Azores and it is still in Brazil. In the mainland meant bengala (cane) so now even in Azores it isn’t offensive. Brazilians still find it offensive
Yes it is, at least in Brasil- the literal meaning of it = cum. But just like the word Fuck it can be used as a noun, an adjective, an adverb or simply an exclamation!
Porra: semen
Ps. RTP is the “main” tv station in Portugal – like the BBC. Radio Television Portugal.
What about Sacana – bastard!! That’s always useful LOL
Please let me know about this please It’very urgent
um why?
How about ‘porra’? I read that a lot in subtitles on rtp, as a translations of fuck/fucking.
Hi dona…sorry I want to know what is you write “rtp”
RTP is a TV network in Portugal. You can view some of their shows online.
It’s a way of calling a guy a worthless drop of sperm. One of the strongest Luso insults!
for most Portuguese people that isn’t even a swear word, at least where I live it isn’t
I am of Azorean heritage. In the Azores, they speak an “archaic” version of European Portuguese (some might call the dialect trashy), and I grew up in a New England city where a lot of Azorean people immigrated. I grew up thinking “porra” meant “damn” too, until a Portuguese person I worked with got very insulted when I used the word, and later told me it meant “cum”. Another word I grew up with that I don’t see mentioned here was “pumba” which was slang for penis. My grandmother used it a lot when I was a child, kind of like the way you might refer to a child’s penis when speaking to a boy in English as their “wee-wee”. However, kids and teens would use it too, but more along the lines of the equivalent to cock or dick.
Hey Eric,
Thanks for sharing! I need to give this list a big update as a lot of people have been sharing new words with me 🙂
Porra doesn’t mean “cum”, it means Damn.
Spórra means cum.
Pumba doesn’t mean penis and sometimes people use it, but rarely.
Ex: pumba já apanhou no focinho. (pumba he got hit in the face)
Pumba já caiu das escadas abaixo. (pumba He fell down the stairs)
My whole entire family is from Azores and pumba is used quite often for penis so I don’t know what you mean by rarely
What about queima-rosca? Possibly from Brazil. I believe it means “thread burner”… but is slang like butt pirate or ass ripper in English. Not certain of this however.
For a male child private, the word pumbinha was used. Pumba is a general use Of the word.
Eric, I grew up near Fall Reev 😉 and heard my grandparents saying what sounded like “ay koo deesh.” Do you know what it means? They wouldn’t tell us!
Sounds a bit like Ai Courisco! Which would mean you little brat. Lol
I’m from Azores and “Porra” is no longer considered vulgar language. However, it is still considered in Brazil.
As for a little boy’s private part it is spelled “pomba” or “pombinha” which is not vulgar however, not something you should go around saying
The word you might be looking for is “fode”