How to Be a Carioca

In order to best enjoy your stay in Rio, it is essential you understand the local dialect. Therefore, the most important Step on the road to becoming a true Carioca is developing familiarity with the following vocabulary words and phrases. Throughout the lessons in this book, upon finding non-English words in bold print, refer back to this chapter for their definitions. Then learn to use them with fluency.

By the way, the pronunciation is simple: where there is one «r» the sound will be «h» or «rr,» where there is a «te» say «tch,» and always ignore the «h.» Remember that many words have been spelled phonetically as a guide towards correct pronunciation.

Aí [ah ’ее]: Hey! (as in «Aí, me vê uma caipirinha» «Hey, give me a caipirinha.») Term used at the beginning of ninety percent of the sentences spoken by a Carioca.

A gente se vê [ah ’gen tche see ’veh]: See you.

alugar [ah loo ’gah]: to «rent» someone by talking too much and boring them. (As in «Ela me alugou a noite toda.»: «She bored the pants off me all night.»)

alucinante [ah loo see ’nan tche]: cool, awesome, excellent.

amarelar [ah mah rreh ’lah]: to chicken out of doing something scary.

Aparece lá em casa [ah pah ’rreh see lah eyn ’kah zah]: Show up at my place. (A phrase used by Cariocas when terminating a social encounter. Note: This should never be interpreted as an imitation.)

apê [ah ’peh]: an apartment built for one that often accommodates six or more.

armar [ah ’mahrr]: to set up something (like a date or a trip).

babaca [bah ’bah kah]: a jerk.

badalada [’bah dah ’lah dah]: a place or thing that is happening.

baranga [bah ’rran gah]: a woman with an unappealing body.

barzinho [bah ’zee nyoo]: small bar where Cariocas belly-up for a cafezinho or a shot of cachaça. See boteco.

bodibodin [baw gee ’baw geen]: water sport consisting of catching a wave with a body-sized compressed rubber board.

boteco [booh ’teh koo]: Carioca fast-food joint. The same as a barzinho or botequim, but smaller, often having only two tiny metal tables next to the bar.

botequim [booh tchee ’keen]: Carioca’s favorite hang-out. Larger than a boteco, usually situated on a corner, and often having a few tables on the sidewalk.

bunda [’boon dah]: derriere. Watching women’s bundas is a popular Carioca year-around sport.

cachaça [kah ’shah sah]: Brazil’s answer to kerosene and alcohol. Made from sugar cane, it is the basic ingredient in the Carioca’s favorite drink. See caipirinha.

cadê [kah ’deh]: Where is…? (as in «Cadê meu livro?»: «Where is my book?»)

camburão [come boo’ rrown] or cambura: police vehicle made for four policemen and with room in the back for eventually arrested criminals. Usually seen with six cops riding with their machine guns out the window. The «cage»(caçapa) on the back is made for two, but as many people as necessary can be shoved in.

caipirinha [kahee pee ’rreen nyah]: favorite Carioca drink; always followed by another. See cachaça.

camelô [kah meh ’loh]: street vendor.

caninha [kah ’neen nyah]: 1. police officer (cop); 2. the basic ingredient in the Carioca’s favorite drink. Same as cachaça.

cara [’kah rrah]: a guy or man (as in «Aí, cara»: «Hey, man»).

Caralho [kah ’rrah lyoo]: Holy cow!

cheques voadores [’sheh keesh voh ah ’doh rreesh]: checks that when deposited in the bank fly back due to lack of funds.

cerva [’seh vah]: bottled beer (short for cerveja).

chifrar [she ’frah]: to be unfaithful to your lover or spouse.

chinelos [she ’neh loos]: slippers, flip-flops, go-aheads.

chocante [show ’kun tche]: see alucinante.

chopp [’showp] or choppinho: draft beer.

Cidade Maravilhosa [see ’dah gee mah rrah vee ’lyoh zah]: Marvelous City; synonymous with Rio de Janeiro.

dançar [dun ’sah]: 1. to dance; 2. to get caught by the police doing something you are not supposed to.

dar um rolé [dah oon hoh ’leh]: go for a ride with no particular destination.

É mérino [eh ’meh moo]: Really? No kidding?

Falou [fah ’low]: All right, OK.

fio dental [’fee yoh den ’tahl]: 1. dental floss; 2. string bikini.

Fique numa boa [fee kee noo mah ’bow ah]: Stay cool.

flanelinha [flah neh ’lee nyah]: dubious looking individual who will insist on watching your car for you while you are parked. A source of great irritation for the Carioca.

galera [gah ’leh rah]: the group or crowd.

gata [’gah tah]: nice-looking woman.

gatinha [gah ’tchee nyah]: nice-looking girl (fifteen years old or less).

gatão [gah ’town]: nice-looking man.

gato [’gah too]: nice-looking guy (thirty years old or less).

Gaúcho [gah ’oo shoo]: local from the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Male gaúchos tend to think of themselves as very macho.

grana [’grruh nuh]: money; cash.

guardador [guah dah ’doh]: see flanelinha.

Havaianas [ah vahe ’vah nush]: brand name synonymous with rubber sandals. See chinelos.

jeitinho [jay ’tchee nyoo]: the Brazilian knack of getting around anything.

kanga [’kun guh]: rectangular piece of material used by Carioca women as a bikini cover-up.

malhar [mah ’lyah]: to work out by doing physical exercise.

Maneiro… [mah ’ney rroo]: Interesting…

Macumba [mah ’koom bah]: «meal» consisting of a dead chicken, rice and toasted manioc flour, accompanied by a bottle of liquor and a half-smoked cigar. Served by candlelight, Macumbas are placed on street corners as offerings to the spirits, and will remain there untouched until a car or dog eventually runs across it making a real mess.

mermão [merh ’mown]: my brother/buddy/pal/friend. (As in «Aí, mermão, não pode fumar aqui.»: «Hey buddy, you can’t smoke here.») Usually preceded by the term aí.

mesada [may ’zah dah]: allowance given by parents to their kids which is intended to last a month’s time but is spent in a week.

Me vê aí [mee ’veh ah ’ее]: Give me. (As in «Mê vê aíuma caipirinha»: «Give me a caipirinha»)

Mineiro [mee ’nay rroo]: local from the state of Minas Gerais. Males are known for doing away with their wives to save their honor and defend their short calibers.

novela das oito [no ’veh la dah ’zoy too]: soap opera that Cariocas watch from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. every night of the week. Favorite topic of conversation among many Cariocas.

Num dá pra dá um jeitinho [noon ’dah prrah ’dah oon jay ’tchee nyoo]: Isn’t there a way around this?

Oi [’oooo ееее]: Hi! (A casual greeting among Cariocas; precedes a hand shake or some kissing.)

Olha só [’oh lvah ’saw]: Look. (Term used at the beginning of ninety percent of the conversations spoken by a Carioca.)

O negócio é o seguinte… [oh nay ’gaw seeyoo eh oh say ’geen tche]: The story is the following… (This term usually precedes a lie or a very complicated story simply put.)

pa caralho [pah kah ’rrah lyoo]: a lot. (As in «Tá chovendo pa caralho»: «It’s raining a lot.») Cariocas use this term pa caralho (all the time).

pagar um mico [pah ’gah oon ’mee koo]: to do something foolish.

parafina [pah rrah ’fee nah]: someone with bleached blond hair.

paraíba [pah rrah ’ее bah]: a hick.

Paulista [pow ’leesh tah]: a local from the state of São Paulo. Very sallow skinned, always seen in business attire speaking Portuguese with an irritating accent. Paulistas tend to address each other with the term «O meu»: «Hey, dude.»

pentelho [pavn ’tavh lyoo]: 1. an irritating person; 2. a pubic hair.

pentelho encravado [payn ’tayh lyoo avn krah ’vah doo]: 1. an exceptionally irritating person; 2. an ingrown pubic hair.

P.F. [peh ’ehff] (prato feito): botequim’s plate of the day, inevitably consisting of white rice, black beans, manioc flour, and beefjerky.

pirralho [pee ’rrah lyoo]: 1. irritating child; 2. people of short stature.

pisar na bola [pee ’zah nah ’baw lah]: to blow it.

pivete [pee ’veh tche]: thief under sixteen years of age.

Pô, aí [’poh ah ’ее]: C’mon. (As in politely, «Pô, aí, dá pra acertar depois?»: «C’mon, can I pay you later?») This term usually precedes a question or some whining.

pochete [poh ’sheh tche]: device worn by Cariocas around the waist to carry pocket money, keys, and identification cards.

Pô, que saco [kee ’sah koo]: Boy, what a hassle! What a drag!

Qualé [quah ’leh]: What’s up? (As in «Qualé, mermão?»: «What’s up, buddy?»; also «Qualé a tua?»: «What’s the matter with you?»)

Que gostosa [kee gosh ’taw zah]: How delicious! (Term often uttered by men when a woman passes his way.)

rango [’hun goo]: food; also rangar: to eat.

ratear [ha tchee ’ah]: to steal from or fool someone.

rato [’ha too]: thief or schemer (male).

rato de praia [’ha too gee ’prah yeah]: beach thief.

saco [’sah koo]: 1. something that tests your patience; 2. a sack, specifically testicular.

sapatão [sah pah ’town]: 1. a big shoe; 2. a woman who prefers the company of other women.

simpatia [seen pah ’tchee yah]: a blessing used as a cure-all.

simpático [seen ’pah tchee koo]: 1. agreeable; 2. a person who is fun to be with and pleasant to deal with; synonymous with Cariocas.

sunga [’soon gah]: Speedo-tvpe bathing suit worn by Carioca men, whether they have the physique for it or not.

surfista [suh ’feesh tah]: 1. a person who is or looks like a surfer; 2. a person who rides waves or train tops.

Tá mal [tah ’mow]: a not-so-negative way of saying no. (As in «Vamu ao cinema?» «Ta mal»: «Let’s go to the movies?» «Nah.»)

Tá na boa [tah nah ’bowah]: It’s cool.

tanga [’tun gah]: tiny triangular pieces of material usually held together by strings. Worn by Carioca women as a bikini on the beach.

Te ligo [tchee ’lee goo]: I’ll call you. (Phrase used when ending a Carioca social encounter, it really means, «I won’t be calling you.»)

transar [trun ’zah]: 1. have sex; 2. make a deal.

trocadinho [trroh kah ’geen yoo]: amount of money demanded by beggars from people on the street or in their cars.

Ué [oo ’eh]: Hmmm… (As in «Ué, cadé meu sapato e minha meia?»: «Hmmm, where are my shoes and socks?»)

uma estupidamente gelada [oo mah eh ’shtoo pee dah ’mayn tche jeh ’lah dah]: an extremely cold beer.

uma gelada [oo mah jeh ’lah dah]: 1. an ice cold beer; 2. a dilemma.

uma lourinha [oo mah loy ’rree nvah]: 1. a cute blonde; 2. a beer. (As in uma lourinha sem colarinho: a beer without foam).

Valeu [vah ’leyoo]: Thanks.

Varnu nessa [’vuh moo ’neh sah]: Let’s go.

viado [vee ’yah doo]: males of a gentler persuasion.

Viu? [veeoo]: See? Get it? Understand? (As in «Vou ao cinema. Viu?»: «I’m going to the movies. Get it?»)

Zona Sul [zoh nah ’sool]: the southern part of the city of Rio, and probably where you will be (unless you are at a samba school rehearsal or being fitted for your Carnival parade costume).

Speaking carioca остановилась

It’s easy to sound like a Carioca. Just follow these simple rules, apply them with gusto, and you’ll never be mistaken for a gringo in Rio — or anywhere else in Brazil, for that matter. By the way, most of the following phonetic sounds do not exist in English. Therefore, you might need the help of an authentic Carioca in order to master them correctly.

Rule 1. When a word has an «r» apply a guttural «h» sound (as if you were trying to clear your throat)

A. if «r» is the first letter in the word:

As in rato [’hhha too] = rat

ridículo [hhhee ’gee koo loo] = ridiculous

B. if «r» is the last letter in a syllable:

As in carta [’ca hhh tah] = letter

sorte [’so hhh tche] = luck

C. whenever you find two «r» together:

As in carro [’ca hhh hoo] = car

torrada [toh ’hhhah dah] = toast

D. if the «r» is the last letter in the word:

As in amor [ah ’mo hhh] = love

beber [beh ’be hhh] = to drink

Rule 2. Roll your «r» (as if you were freezing — «brrrrrrrr» — or perhaps imitating a galloping horse — «darrarrum, darrarrum, darrarrum dum dum…»)

A. when the «r» follows a consonant:

As in trânsito [’t rrrun zee too] = traffic

Brasil [B rrrah ’zeel]

B. if «r» is the first letter of any syllable (except for the first syllable):

As in barata [bah ’rrrah tah] = cockroach

caro [’kah rrroo] = expensive

Rule 3. When a word has an «s» apply the «sh» sound (as if wanting to quiet someone with a «shhhhhh!»)

A. when it precedes a consonant (except for «c»):

As in gostosa [go shh ’taw zah] = delicious

especial [shhpeh see ’vahl] = special

B. when pluralizing:

As in galinhas [gah leen ’ya shh] = chickens

motéis [moh ’tey shh] = motels

Rule 4. When a word has a «t» use the «tch» sound (as in «chit chat»)

A. if the «t» precedes an «e» in the last syllable of the word:

As in dente [’den tche] = tooth

assaltante [ah sahl ’tun tche] = thief

B. when there is a «ti», or «te» sounds like «ti»:

As in tititi [tchee tchee ’tchee] = gossip

Timóteo [tchee ’moh tchew] = Timothy

Rule 5. When a word has a «d» apply the «gee» sound (as in «gee whiz»)

A. if the «d» precedes an «i»:

As in difícil [gee ’fee seeyoo] = difficult

dinheiro [geen ’yay rroo] = money

B. if the «d» precedes an «e» in the last syllable:

As in cidade [see ’dah gee] = city

liberdade [lee behr ’dah gee] = freedom

Now practice your Carioca accent by repeating the following sentence:

Vou passar um dia chocante na praia.

[voh pah ’sahhh oon ’gee yah shho ’kun tche nah ’prrra yah]

= I’m going to spend an awesome day at the beach.