Vocabulary · Brazilian Portuguese
Clothes in Brazilian Portuguese
Clothes in Portuguese the Brazilian way: everyday words with audio and an example each, marked where Portugal uses another word, and how to say what you're wearing.
42 words, each with audio · Quiz and flashcards
Clothes in Portuguese, with audio
Everyday clothes
| Listen | Portuguese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| a roupa | clothes, clothingOften singular where English has a plural: roupa suja, dirty clothes. | Preciso lavar roupa hoje.I need to do the laundry today. | |
| a camisetaPortugal: t-shirt | T-shirt | Ela estava de camiseta e chinelo.She was in a T-shirt and flip-flops. | |
| a camisa | shirt (with buttons); jerseyAlso a team's jersey: a camisa do Corinthians. | Ele foi de camisa social para a entrevista.He wore a dress shirt to the interview. | |
| a blusa | top, blouseIn São Paulo, leva uma blusa means “take a sweater”. | Comprei uma blusa nova para a festa.I bought a new top for the party. | |
| a calçaPortugal: as calças | trousers, pantsSingular in Brazil: uma calça jeans. | Essa calça jeans ficou ótima em você.Those jeans look great on you. | |
| a bermudaPortugal: os calções | shorts (knee-length) | No verão eu só uso bermuda.In summer I only wear shorts. | |
| o short | short shortsAlso o shorts; singular for one pair. | Ela foi correr de short e camiseta.She went running in shorts and a T-shirt. | |
| a saia | skirt | Ela comprou uma saia longa.She bought a long skirt. | |
| o vestido | dress | Que vestido lindo!What a beautiful dress! | |
| o moletomPortugal: a sweatshirt | sweatshirt, hoodie | À noite eu coloco um moletom.At night I put on a sweatshirt. | |
| o suéterPortugal: a camisola | sweater, jumper | Ganhei um suéter de lã da minha avó.My grandmother gave me a wool sweater. | |
| o casaco | coat | Em Curitiba você vai precisar de casaco.In Curitiba you'll need a coat. | |
| a jaqueta | jacket | Ele comprou uma jaqueta de couro.He bought a leather jacket. | |
| o ternoPortugal: o fato | suitFato means “fact” in Brazil. | Ele casou de terno azul.He got married in a blue suit. | |
| a gravata | tie | Não precisa de gravata, é informal.No need for a tie, it's casual. | |
| o pijama | pajamasSingular: um pijama. | Ainda estou de pijama.I'm still in my pajamas. |
At the beach
| Listen | Portuguese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| o biquíni | bikini | Esqueci o biquíni em casa!I left my bikini at home! | |
| o maiôPortugal: o fato de banho | swimsuit (one-piece) | Ela prefere maiô a biquíni.She prefers a one-piece to a bikini. | |
| a sunga | swim briefs | Na praia, muitos homens usam sunga.At the beach, lots of men wear swim briefs. |
Underwear and nightwear
| Listen | Portuguese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| a calcinhaPortugal: as cuecas | panties, knickers | A calcinha está na gaveta de cima.The panties are in the top drawer. | |
| a cueca | men's underwear | Ele comprou cueca nova.He bought new underwear. | |
| o sutiãPortugal: o soutien | bra | Esse sutiã é muito confortável.This bra is really comfortable. | |
| a meia | sockTights are meia-calça. | Cadê o outro pé da meia?Where's the other sock? | |
| a camisola | nightgownIn Portugal a camisola is a sweater. | Ela dorme de camisola.She sleeps in a nightgown. |
Shoes
| Listen | Portuguese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| o sapato | shoe | Esse sapato está apertado.This shoe is tight. | |
| o tênisPortugal: as sapatilhas | sneakers, trainersUm tênis is one pair. | Vou de tênis, que é mais confortável.I'm wearing sneakers, they're more comfortable. | |
| o chinelo | flip-flopsSingular for the pair, like tênis. | Em casa todo mundo anda de chinelo.At home everyone wears flip-flops. | |
| a sandália | sandal | Comprei uma sandália para o casamento.I bought sandals for the wedding. | |
| a bota | boot | No inverno ela usa bota de cano alto.In winter she wears knee-high boots. | |
| o salto alto | high heels | Ela não consegue andar de salto alto.She can't walk in high heels. |
Accessories
| Listen | Portuguese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| o boné | cap | Ele nunca sai sem boné.He never goes out without a cap. | |
| o chapéu | hat | Leva um chapéu, o sol está forte.Take a hat, the sun is strong. | |
| o cinto | belt | Essa calça precisa de cinto.These pants need a belt. | |
| a bolsaPortugal: a mala | handbag, purse | Esqueci o celular na bolsa.I left my phone in my bag. | |
| a mochila | backpack | As crianças levam a mochila para a escola.The kids take their backpacks to school. | |
| os óculos | glassesAlways plural: os óculos, meus óculos. | Cadê meus óculos?Where are my glasses? | |
| o guarda-chuva | umbrella | Leva o guarda-chuva, vai chover.Take the umbrella, it's going to rain. |
Putting them on
| Listen | Portuguese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| usar | to wear | Você usa óculos?Do you wear glasses? | |
| vestir | to put on; to dress | Vou vestir uma roupa melhor.I'm going to put on something nicer. | |
| pôr | to put onIn speech, colocar is more common: coloca o casaco. | Põe o casaco, está frio!Put your coat on, it's cold! | |
| tirar | to take off | Tira o sapato antes de entrar.Take your shoes off before you come in. | |
| calçar | to put on (shoes); to take (a shoe size) | Que número você calça?What size shoe do you take? |
How Brazilians use them
Brazil and Portugal dress differently
Clothes are where Brazilian and European Portuguese part ways most: a T-shirt is a camiseta in Brazil and a t-shirt in Portugal, sneakers are tênis and sapatilhas, a suit is a terno and a fato. A camisola is a nightgown in Brazil and a sweater in Portugal; the rows marked Portugal give the other word.
Vestir, usar or pôr?
Usar is to wear, as a habit or right now: Ela usa óculos. Vestir and pôr (in speech, colocar) are to put on: Coloca um casaco. And “to be wearing” is most often estar de: Ele está de terno.
Que número você calça?
Shoe size is asked with calçar, the verb for anything on your feet: Calço 40. Brazilian shoe sizes run about two below European ones, and clothes are sized P, M, G and GG (pequeno, médio, grande).
Singular where English has a plural
Brazilians say a calça, o short, o pijama and o tênis for one pair, but óculos is always plural.
Practise
Quick quiz · question 1 of 8
What does sapato mean?
Questions
How do you say “clothes” in Portuguese?
Roupa, often in the singular: lavar roupa (do the laundry), roupa de frio (warm clothes). The plural roupas is used too.
What's the difference between camisa and camiseta?
A camisa has a collar and buttons (or is a team's jersey); a camiseta is a T-shirt. In Portugal a T-shirt is a t-shirt.
How do you say “to wear” in Portuguese?
Usar: Ela usa óculos. To say what someone has on right now, Brazilians also use estar de: Ele está de camiseta.
How do you ask someone's shoe size in Portuguese?
Que número você calça? The answer uses the same verb: Calço 38.
Are clothes words different in Brazil and Portugal?
Many are. Brazil says camiseta, tênis, terno, moletom and calcinha where Portugal says t-shirt, sapatilhas, fato, sweatshirt and cuecas.
More Portuguese words
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