It’s not that swearing words are something we should be proud of, but you can’t survive with only Portuguese idioms. Curse words are an inevitable part of every language.

Right or wrong, students have to be familiar with them if they plan to become fluent. 

Swear words aren’t so bad. The fact that they exist in almost every language shows that this way, people are trying to get rid of the negative energy, frustration, or anger. 

The Portuguese, especially Brazilians, use bad words often. It’s not that they are rude, but they are passionate people expressing the intensity of their feelings this way.

So, if you are a Portuguese student, you should be familiar with Portuguese curse words. We’ve chosen 20 commonly used Portuguese swear words used both in Brazil and Portugal. Let’s dive in.

20 Most Common Portuguese Swear Words

As you may see, there are many reasons why you should know curse words in Portuguese. 

The words and phrases in the following lines are mainly used in Brazilian Portuguese, although some are quite popular in Portugal, as well.

Arrombado

It is Brazilian slang for a homosexual man, that is, the passive subject in the relationship.

Used as an insult, the word ‘arrombado’ means ‘a*shole’ or ‘jerk.’ 

Babaca

‘Babaca’ is a synonym for ‘arrombado.’ You can use it in the same situations as you would use ‘arrombado’.

Badalhoco(a)

The meaning of this word is ‘dirty’ or ‘nasty.’

It can be used in many different situations, describing a person’s appearance, bad habits, but as slang, it refers to a person’s intimate body parts.

Caralho

The word ‘caralho’ is commonly used to describe a male’s intimate organ.

It is used as a bad word when you feel pain, stressed, or going through a hard time. You can also use it when you have some intense emotions like frustration, anger, or surprise. Shouting the word ‘caralho,’ you release that negative energy.

Corno

In the meaning of ‘fool,’ the word ‘corno’ can be used in different situations.

Literally, it can be translated as ‘horn.’

So, besides using it as the word fool, you can use it on other occasions. It is often used to humiliate men when they cheat on their girlfriends or wives.

Desenmerda-te

Literally, this phrase means ‘uns*it yourself.’ 

When someone says this to you, it means that you have to un-do your mess or at least clean up the mess you’ve made.

It isn’t such an offensive phrase, and at times it sounds quite funny, so you’ll hear a lot of the Portuguese use it.

Filho da mãe

English equivalent would be ‘son of a b*tch.’ Literally, this phrase means ‘son of a mother.’ Even though no words in this phrase is offensive, looking at the expression on the whole, the meaning is the same as in English.

Using family members or close relatives as a part of swearing phrases is considered one of the most offensive Portuguese insults.

Foda

The word ‘foda’ has many meanings, both positive and negative.

When you want to use it in a positive way, it can be translated as ‘f*cking good.’

Negatively, along with the proper intonation, it can mean ‘f*ck yourself,’ and you use it when you don’t care anymore about something or you give up.

It can be used alone or as a part of the phrase.

Foda-Se

As we mentioned, the word ‘foda’ can be used as a part of an expression and used like that; it means ‘go f*ck yourself.’ It is also one of the most commonly used curse phrases in Brazilian Portuguese.

Synonyms of this phrase are ‘vai se foder,’ vai tomar por cu,’ and ‘vai pro caralho.’

Merda

Usually, when you’re angry, you use the word ‘s*it.’ The same is in Portuguese, only the word they are using is ‘merda.’

You can use the word by itself or as a part of a phrase. In fact, there are many different curse phrases in Portuguese that include the word ‘merda.’

 Deixa-te De Merdas

Literally, the phrase in English means ‘let yourself of s*its.’It is another way of saying ‘cut the crap’ or ‘stop the bullshit.’ 

Like these two phrases, ‘deixa-te de merdas’ is used when someone talks about a story that isn’t true or speaks real nonsense.

Monte De Merda

In English, this curse phrase means ‘piece of sh*t.’

When you think that someone is useless and angry at them or does something wrong, you can use the phrase ‘monte de merda.’ 

Instead of ‘merda,’ you can use ‘busta’ as ‘monte de busta.’ The meaning remains the same.

Puta merda

If the word ‘merda’ isn’t hard enough to express your anger, frustration, or surprise, adding a ‘puta’ next to the ‘merda’ may be satisfied.

In English, the proper equivalent can be ‘holy sh*t’; therefore, you can use it in the same situations as you would the English version.

Nem fodendo

In English, the phrase can be translated as ‘no f*cking way.’ 

Therefore, it can be used in the same situation as you would use the English version. In other words, this is one more option of saying ‘holy sh*t.’

Piranha

As an everyday word, ‘piranha’ is a kind of fish both in Portuguese and English and probably in many other languages.

In Portuguese, however, it can have more meanings. When used as a bad word, ‘piranha’ refers to insulting women. We can say that it is a synonym for the word ‘puta.’

Interestingly, during carnival seasons, men dressed up as women, looking sexually ‘attractive,’ and people call them ‘piranhas.’

Porra

The word ‘porra’ can be translated as ‘s*it,’ but there’s a slight difference between this word and ‘merda.’ COmparing these two words, ‘porra’ is softer than ‘merda.’

The meaning remains the same, and you have the option to choose which one you want to use. Just like ‘merda,’ ‘porra’ can be used alone or as a part of the phrase.

Que porra é essa?

If you need a Portuguese phrase, the meaning of the word has likely to replace the English ‘what the f*ck,’ this is the one.

However, there is a slight difference between English and Portuguese usage. 

If you want to use the Portuguese phrase, you use it alone, without adding other words to form a broader sentence. If you’re going to say, for example, ‘What the fuck is that?’ you use the phrase only, ‘Que porra é essa?’

However, if you want to say ‘What the f*ck man!,’ then use only the ‘porra’ word from the phrase and make a sentence with the words you want. Therefore, this sentence would sound like ‘Porra'' mano!’

Puta

The meaning of the word has likely been taken from English. In English, the equivalent of this word is ‘b*tch’ and the occasion it is used.

Today, this Portuguese insult doesn’t refer to women only but to men, too. So, be careful who you say this because you might offend him pretty bad.

Vaca

The primary and basic meaning of this word is ‘cow.’

If you are familiar with Spanish swear words, you would know that ‘cow’ is ‘vaca’ in Spanish as well, both literally or in other meanings.

‘Vaca’ is mainly used to offend women, something like using the word ‘b*tch.’

Vai Tomar No Cu!

The phrase is one of the most common ones among Brazilians. When you are angry at someone or something, you can use ‘vai tomar no cu.’

In English, it literally means ‘take some in your a*shole’ but can be used as an English equivalent ‘f*ck off.’

Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve learned some of the most commonly used curse words in Portuguese keep in mind how and in which situations you will use them.

Before you use some of these words and phrases, be careful that you’ve memorized their meaning and occasions when it is acceptable to use them. Improving your conversational skills is one thing, but offending a person is entirely another.

To expand your Portuguese vocabulary even further, consider these dynamic learning options:

Try Babbel’s fun, easy-to-follow lessons that fit effortlessly into your daily life.

For those desiring an in-depth study of Portuguese, check out Udemy’s extensive course that spans from essential vocabulary to sophisticated linguistic structures.

If you prefer a more interactive approach, enroll in Lingoda’s classes with native Portuguese speakers to enhance your speaking and comprehension skills."

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