Caraca / caramba
kah-RAH-kah / kah-RAHM-bah
How to say itPart of: Reactions
“Wow; damn; no way!”
Caraca is a strong “wow, damn, no way”: surprise with force, Rio above all. It is a softened caralho, so it is fine among friends and a little rough for a meeting. Caramba is the older, milder cousin, safe anywhere, the one grandmothers say. Both work for good news and bad: caraca, que golaço; caramba, que caro.
Looking for more Brazilian slang? Brazilian slang: the guide
SlangAll Brazilalso: caracas, caraca, manoReply: Pois é.
How Brazilians use it
“Caraca, que golaço!”
“Damn, what a goal!”
Delight, with force.
“Caraca, mano, você viu isso?”
“Whoa, man, did you see that?”
Among friends; Rio.
“Caramba, que caro!”
“Wow, that’s expensive!”
Milder; anywhere.
“Caramba, já são onze horas.”
“Goodness, it’s eleven already.”
Mild surprise.
How to reply
- Pois é.Indeed.
- Né?Right?
Similar expressions
Brazil vs Portugal
Portugal says caramba and caraças; caraca is Brazilian, and carioca above all.
Common mistakes
- Don’t say caraca in a formal setting: it is a softened swear word; caramba or nossa instead.
- Don’t confuse caraca with cara (man, dude) or with Caracas, the city.
- Don’t say the full caralho unless you know the room: it is a real swear word.
Frequently asked questions
What does caraca mean in English?
Wow, damn, no way: a strong exclamation of surprise, Rio’s favourite. It softens the swear word caralho, so it is informal but not obscene.
What does caramba mean?
Wow, goodness, darn: the mild, old-fashioned cousin of caraca, safe in any company. It also exists in Spanish, with the same meaning.
Is caraca a swear word?
Not quite. It stands in for one, the way “shoot” stands in for another word in English. Fine among friends; avoid it in a meeting or with older people.
What does cara mean in Brazil?
A different word: cara is a guy, a dude, or a face. Caraca is the exclamation. The cara entry has it.