Did you know that Brazil is the country with the fourth-largest number of Internet users in the world? Take that huge number of people online, add to it the natural creativity and humor of Brazilians, and you get a whole new world of Portuguese slang and expressions!
Some Brazilian internet slang is more common with the younger crowds, while other slang phrases are used by people of all ages. Besides that, many expressions born online and in memes end up in the daily vocabulary of Brazilians, even if just for a few months. In this article, we’ll focus more on long-lasting expressions, abbreviations, and slang words. But if you’re curious enough, you can always continue keeping up-to-date with new memes and engage with Portuguese speakers online.
To make sure you’re up-to-speed with all the abbreviations, codes, and expressions in the Brazilian internet scene, be sure to check this guide and come back whenever you need to. After going through this guide, you’ll be able to handle your internet-based conversations and understand all the Brazilian online gírias, or “slang,” like a local!
Table of Contents
- Abbreviations Used in Portuguese Texting
- Laughing the Brazilian Way
- Portuguese Internet Slang Derived from English
- Internet Slangs Popular on Social Media
- Popular Emojis in Brazil
- Learn More Portuguese with PortuguesePod101
1. Abbreviations Used in Portuguese Texting
Vc tá no trabalho hj? ( “Are you at work today?” )
Texting is all about speed in Brazil. Abbreviations are everywhere, since they make it much quicker to write sentences. In Portuguese, it works the same way it does in English: we make the words smaller by substituting whole syllables for just one or two letters.
1 – Basic Words
The most commonly used abbreviations in Portuguese text slang are used by people of all ages in Brazil, and can be seen everywhere online from social media comments to Whatsapp messages. Considering the huge number of Brazilians connected to the internet, chances are you’ll encounter these abbreviations in your next text conversation!
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| vc / cê / c | você | “You” [singular] | Vc vai? “Are you going?” |
| vcs | vocês | “You” [plural] | Vcs já sabem “You already know.” |
| ñ / n | não | “No” | Ñ sei “I don’t know.” |
| bj / bjo | beijo | “Kiss” | Manda um bj pra ele “Send him a kiss.” |
| bjs / bjos | beijos | “Kisses” | Tchau, bjos “Bye, kisses.” |
| bjks | beijocas | “Small kisses” | Até mais, bjks “See you, kisses.” |
| td | tudo | “All” / “Everything” | Td bem? “How are you?” |
| mt | muito | “A lot” / “Very” / “Much” / “Many” | Mt lindo “Very beautiful” |
| oq | o quê | “What” | Vai fazer oq amanhã? “What will you do tomorrow?” |
| q | que | “That” | Ele disse q não viria “He said that he wouldn’t come.” |
| pq | por que / por quê / porque / porquê | “Why” / “Because” | E pq ele não veio? “Why didn’t he come?” |
| sdd / sdds | saudade / saudades | There isn’t a translation for this word! But it means something similar to “miss you.” | Oi amiga, sdds! “Hi friend, miss you.” |
| kd | cadê | “Where” | Kd vc, não te vejo! “Where are you, I can’t see you!” |
| tbm / tb | também | “Too” / “As well” | Eu vou tbm “I’ll go too.” |
| vdd | verdade | “True” | É vdd? “Is it true?” |
| ctz | certeza | “Certain” / “For sure” | É vdd, ctz “It’s true, for sure.” |
| cmg | comigo | “With me” | Ela tá cmg “She is with me.” |
| ctg | contigo | “With you” | Ele tá ctg? “Is he with you?” |
| ngn | ninguém | “No one” | Não tem ngn na aula “There is no one in class.” |
| qto | quanto | “How much” | Qto custa? “How much does it cost?” |
| qdo / qnd / qd | quando | “When” | Qdo vamos? “When are we going?” |
| gnt | gente | “People” / “Guys” | Tem mt gnt aqui “There are a lot of people here.” Gnt, vamos! |
| msm | mesmo | “Same” | Digo o msm “I say the same.” |
| add | adicionar | “To add” (on social media) | Me add no Face “Add me on Facebook.” |
| qualquer | “Any” | Eu posso ir qq hora “I can go any time.” |
|
| hj | hoje | “Today” | Hj é feriado “Today is a holiday.” |
| eh | é | “Is” | A festa eh hj? “Is the party today?” |
| neh | né | “Isn’t it” | Legal, neh? “Cool, isn’t it?” |
| soh | só | “Only” / “Just” / “Alone” | Soh curiosidade “Just curiosity” |
| d+ | demais | “Cool” / “Awesome” / “Too much” | Que d+ “That’s awesome.” Sdds d+ |
| t+ | até mais | “See you soon” | Beijos, t+ “Kisses, see you.” |
| uau | onomatopoeia | “Wow” | Uau, sério? “Wow, really?” |
Man checking wristwatch
2 – Abbreviations of Expressions
The following abbreviations are a bit more popular among younger people. These are common Brazilian Portuguese text slang expressions that are used online, on social media, and when texting!
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Translation | Example/Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| mds | Meu Deus | “My God” / “OMG” | Mds, é vdd? “OMG, is it true?” |
| sqn | só que não | Similar to “Said no one ever” | Amo segundas, sqn “I love Mondays, said no one ever.” |
| ac | acompanhando | “Following” | This is used in comments on Facebook, when you want to continue reading the comments in a post. |
| tmj | (es)tamo(s) junto(s) | “We’re together” / “I’m with you” / “I’m here for you” | Difícil mesmo, mas tmj! “It’s really complicated, but I’m here for you.” |
| blz | beleza | “Cool” / “Deal” | Vamos outro dia, blz? “Let’s go on another day, cool?” |
| flw | falou | “Bye” / “Ok” | Até mais, flw! “See you, bye!” Vou dormir agora, flw? |
| vlw | valeu | “Thanks” / “Owe you one” | Vlw, miga! “Thanks, friend!” |
| sla | sei lá | “I don’t know” | Ah, sla! “Ah, I don’t know.” |
| brinks | brincadeira | “Kidding” / “Just kidding” | É brinks “Just kidding.” |
| tranks | tranquilo | “All good” / “No problem” | – Obrigada! “Thanks!” – Tranks |
| miga / migo | amiga / amigo | “Friend” | Miga, sdds! “Friend, miss you!” |
| kra | cara | “Dude” | Cara, vc ñ sabe o q aconteceu! “Dude, you don’t know what happened.” |
| bb | bebê | “Baby” | Td bem, bb? “How are you, baby?” |
| kbça | cabeça | “Head” | This is an ironic name for someone, implying they aren’t very smart or that they did something silly. |
| mec | – | “Cool” / “All good” | Tô mec, e você? “I’m good, and you?” |
| fds / findi | fim de semana | “Weekend” | Vai fazer o q esse findi? “What are you doing this weekend?” |
| fds | f*da-se | “F*ck it” | This is a swear word that expresses annoyance or exasperation. Watch the context to differentiate it from the previous use of fds. |
| pqp | p*** que pariu | “Holy s***” | This is a swear word that expresses surprise or frustration. |
| fdp | filho/filha da p*** | “Son of a b****” | This is a swear word used against other people. |
| kct | c*cete | Works like a “WTF” | Kct, sério? “WTF, really?” |
| aff | – | – | This can express both shock or boredom (like a sigh). |
| putz | – | – | This is another interjection that can express shock or surprise. |
/! Note /!
You might have noticed that the different conjugations of the verb estar can appear in two ways: the original version and a shortened version.
está → tá
estou → tô
estamos → tamos
These aren’t slang words per se, and they’re very common in both spoken Portuguese and in text messages or social media.
2. Laughing the Brazilian Way
A guide to Brazilian Portuguese internet slang could never be complete without an in-depth look at how Brazilians laugh online. With the vast numbers of Brazilians on the internet, the particular way in which they laugh has caused plenty of confusion online. Let’s unpack the top ways in which Brazilians laugh online and get you laughing along!
- kkk
The award for most confusing laughter has to go to kkk—and all of its variations with an increasing number of k’s, depending on how much fun you’re having! And no, don’t worry, this is not a racist salute in any way.
For some reason, in Brazil, the idea of laughing with a “qua-qua-qua” sound is an old one, as you can hear in this song of the iconic Brazilian singer Elis Regina.
- rsrs
This is an abbreviation of the word risos (“laughter”).
- huahuahuahua
This is another common way of laughing, derived from the traditional “hahaha.”
- hdashdjkasdjshdsdjasd
Randomly pressing letters on the keyboard is also common!
- Other honorable mentions
huehuehue, hauhauhauhau, spoaskoaksak, kjkjkjkjkjkjkj, haushhaushshsuah
Can you tell Brazilians are happy people? A simple “LOL” is not enough to express all the dimensions of fun!
3. Portuguese Internet Slang Derived from English
Many commonly used internet slang words in Portuguese actually originate from English words! And we’re not talking about the abbreviations that come straight from the English language and are used in the same context, like BFF, OMG, or plz. After all, in Brazil, things go a step further!
Most of the cases below are used as verbs, adding a Portuguese ending to an English word. This kind of expression is quite common, and there’s always a new one being added to the Brazilian internet vocabulary! Let’s take a look at the most popular ones.
| Expression | Translation | Example/Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| stalkear | “To stalk” | Eu stalkeei ela no Instagram “I stalked her on Instagram.” |
| crushear | “To have a crush” | Tá crusheando, né? “You have a crush, don’t you?” |
| trollar | “To troll” | O pessoal não cansa de trollar na internet People don’t get tired of trolling online.” |
| shippar | “To ship” | Eu shippo muito esse casal “I ship this couple very much.” |
| flopar | “To fail” / “To be unsuccessful” | O novo album dessa banda flopou “This band’s new album was a fail.” |
| hypado | “Hyped” | Esse restaurante tá muito hypado “This restaurant is too hyped.” |
| zapzap | “Whatsapp” | Originally, this is what older people called Whatsapp. |
| Face | “Facebook” | Me add no Face! “Add me on Facebook.” |
| Insta | “Instagram” | Posta no Insta “Post it on Instagram.” |
Sometimes the Expressions Make No Literal Sense!
4. Internet Slangs Popular on Social Media
You may not know, but Brazil is a fertile land for memes! As a result, many Portuguese expressions are born online and can even reach the streets being used in real life. Here are some popular internet-born slang words and expressions that you might hear from locals in an informal conversation.
| Expression | Literal translation | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| dar biscoito / querer biscoito | “To give a cookie” / “To want a cookie” | This is used when someone is seeking attention or compliments. | Olha quantas fotos ele postou, ele quer biscoito. “Look how many pictures he posted, he wants attention.” |
| tá na Disney | “He/she is in Disney” | This phrase expresses that someone is saying something out of reality, as if they were in a cartoon or movie. | Você quer comprar esse carro? Tá na Disney? “You want to buy this car? Are you crazy?” |
| Deus me livre mas quem me dera | “God forbid, but I wish” | This is a paradoxical expression that refers to those situations where you want something but rationally you know you shouldn’t. There is a song with this name! | Todo mundo está namorando. Deus me livre, mas quem me dera. “Everyone is dating now. I don’t want it but also, I do.” |
| fada sensata | “Wise fairy” | This is used as a compliment, mostly for women, based on their wise actions or comments. | Ela pediu demissão. Fada sensata. “She quit her job, smart woman.” |
| dar PT | “To have a total loss” | PT is short for Perda Total (“total loss”). This expression is used when someone gets very drunk. | Dei PT na festa de ontem “I was blackout drunk at the party yesterday.” |
| 10/10 | “10 out of 10” | This one is a compliment on someone’s appearance. | Scarlett Johansson é muito 10/10 “Scarlett Johansson is gorgeous.” |
| mitar | “To be a myth” | This is used when someone does something amazing. | Ele mitou muito na apresentação “He was amazing at the presentation.” |
| Meldels | “My God” | This is another way of expressing surprise, just like OMG, but in a funnier way. | Meldels, é verdade isso? “OMG, is it true?” |
| menine | “Boy or girl” | This is a unissex way of referring to somebody. | Menine, você não vai acreditar! “Hey you, you won’t believe this!” |
| berro | “Scream” | This expresses a strong reaction to something surprising or very funny. | – Você viu o vídeo da festa?
– Berro! – “Have you seen the video of the party?” – “OMG!” |
| socorro / scrro / scrr | “Help” | This is used when reacting to something very funny. | – Olha esse meme!
– Scrr! Hahahaha – “Look at this meme.” – “LOL!” |
→ Continue learning what’s popular in Brazil with the Top 5 Culture Icons You Need to Know About, on PortuguesePod101!
5. Popular Emojis in Brazil
Wondering what the most popular emojis are in Brazil? Since they’re such an important part of texting, it’s good to know what’s commonly used when talking to locals!
- Red heart ❤️
- Heart eyes 😍
- Clapping hands 👏
- Cat with heart eyes 😻
- Please / Thank you 🙏
- Music 🎶
- Smiling moon, which can imply flirting 🌚
- Peace sign ✌️
- Eyes 👀
Now You’re Ready to Text Like a Brazilian!
6. Learn More Portuguese with PortuguesePod101
Feeling ready to confidently text in Brazilian Portuguese? Feel free to come back to this article whenever you need to brush up on your Portuguese internet slang. New expressions and abbreviations might pop up from time to time, so the best way to keep up-to-date is engaging with Portuguese speakers online!
Do you think we forgot any important slang words or phrases? Did the examples help you understand when to use each expression? Let us know in the comments below!
Now it’s time to continue on your language-learning journey! There are more free Portuguese resources and a variety of vocabulary lists available on PortuguesePod101. Go ahead and choose your favorite tools to expand your learning opportunities.
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