Vocabulary · Brazilian Portuguese
Texting abbreviations in Brazilian Portuguese
These are the Portuguese abbreviations Brazilians use in texts and on WhatsApp, the heart of Brazilian texting slang: vc for você, blz for beleza, kkkk for a laugh. Each comes with the word written out, audio, and an example message.
48 abbreviations, with audio · Quiz and flashcards
Texting abbreviations in Portuguese, with audio
Everyday words
| Listen | Portuguese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| vc, short for você | you | Vc vem hj?In full: Você vem hoje?Are you coming today? | |
| vcs, short for vocês | you (plural) | Vcs já chegaram?In full: Vocês já chegaram?Have you all arrived yet? | |
| td, short for tudo | everything, allTd bem? is “how are you?” | Oi! Td bem?In full: Oi! Tudo bem?Hi! How are you? | |
| tb, short for também | also, tooAlso tbm. | Eu tb quero ir!In full: Eu também quero ir!I want to go too! | |
| pq, short for porque | why; becauseStands for both por que (why) and porque (because). | Pq vc n veio?In full: Por que você não veio?Why didn't you come? | |
| q, short for que | that; what | Acho q vou atrasar.In full: Acho que vou atrasar.I think I'm going to be late. | |
| n, short for não | no, not | N sei ainda.In full: Não sei ainda.I don't know yet. | |
| s, short for sim | yes | S, pode vir.In full: Sim, pode vir.Yes, come on over. | |
| hj, short for hoje | today | Hj n dá, amanhã sim.In full: Hoje não dá, amanhã sim.Today's no good, tomorrow yes. | |
| amn, short for amanhã | tomorrow | Te ligo amn cedo.In full: Te ligo amanhã cedo.I'll call you early tomorrow. | |
| agr, short for agora | now | Tô saindo agr!In full: Tô saindo agora!I'm leaving now! | |
| dps, short for depois | later, after | Dps te conto tudo.In full: Depois te conto tudo.I'll tell you everything later. | |
| msm, short for mesmo | really; same | Sério msm?In full: Sério mesmo?Seriously? | |
| mt, short for muito | very, a lotAlso mto. | Adorei, mt obg!In full: Adorei, muito obrigado!Loved it, thanks so much! | |
| nd, short for nada | nothing | Nd pra fazer hj.In full: Nada pra fazer hoje.Nothing to do today. | |
| ngm, short for ninguém | nobody | Ngm respondeu no grupo.In full: Ninguém respondeu no grupo.Nobody answered in the group. | |
| qnd, short for quando | when | Me avisa qnd chegar.In full: Me avisa quando chegar.Let me know when you get there. | |
| qm, short for quem | who | Qm vai na festa?In full: Quem vai na festa?Who's going to the party? | |
| cm, short for como | how; like | Cm foi a prova?In full: Como foi a prova?How did the exam go? | |
| aki, short for aqui | hereSpelled as it sounds, with a k. | Já tô aki na porta.In full: Já tô aqui na porta.I'm here at the door already. | |
| pra, short for para | for; toPra is how para is said; p/ is the written shorthand. | Manda o endereço pra mim?In full: Manda o endereço para mim?Can you send me the address? | |
| cmg, short for comigo | with me | Vem cmg no mercado?In full: Vem comigo no mercado?Will you come to the supermarket with me? | |
| ctg, short for contigo | with you | Falo ctg dps.In full: Falo contigo depois.I'll talk to you later. | |
| gnt, short for gente | people; guysA gente means “we”. | Gnt, olha isso!In full: Gente, olha isso!Guys, look at this! | |
| msg, short for mensagem | message | Vi sua msg agora.In full: Vi sua mensagem agora.I just saw your message. | |
| cd, short for cadê | where is…? | Cd vc?In full: Cadê você?Where are you? |
Replies and reactions
| Listen | Portuguese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| blz, short for beleza | OK, cool; all good | Blz, te vejo às 8.In full: Beleza, te vejo às oito.OK, see you at 8. | |
| vlw, short for valeu | thanks | Vlw pela ajuda!In full: Valeu pela ajuda!Thanks for the help! | |
| obg, short for obrigado | thank youObrigada, if you're a woman. | Obg, vc é um anjo!In full: Obrigado, você é um anjo!Thank you, you're an angel! | |
| pfv, short for por favor | pleaseAlso pfvr. | Me liga, pfv.In full: Me liga, por favor.Call me, please. | |
| tmj, short for tamo junto | I've got your backTamo is how estamos is said: “we're in this together”. | Qualquer coisa, tmj!In full: Qualquer coisa, tamo junto!If you need anything, I've got you! | |
| pdc, short for pode crer | for sure, right on | Pdc, vou sim.In full: Pode crer, vou sim.For sure, I'm going. | |
| vdd, short for verdade | true; really? | Vdd? N acredito!In full: Verdade? Não acredito!Really? I can't believe it! | |
| sla, short for sei lá | dunno, who knows | Sla, decide vc.In full: Sei lá, decide você.Dunno, you decide. | |
| tlgd, short for tá ligado | you know?, get it? | O show é amn, tlgd?In full: O show é amanhã, tá ligado?The show's tomorrow, you know? | |
| slk, short for cê é louco | no way!, are you crazy?Surprise more than an insult: “no way!” | Slk, que golaço!In full: Cê é louco, que golaço!No way, what a goal! | |
| aff, short for afe | ughAnnoyance or boredom. | Aff, choveu de novo.In full: Afe, choveu de novo.Ugh, it rained again. |
Laughing
| Listen | Portuguese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| kkkk | hahaha (laughter)K is called “ká”: the more k's, the funnier. | Kkkkk n aguento!In full: Hahaha, não aguento!Hahaha, I can't take it! | |
| rsrs, short for risos | lol, a polite smileSofter than kkkk, and a bit old-fashioned. | Tô atrasada de novo rsrs.In full: Tô atrasada de novo, risos.I'm late again lol. | |
| hahaha | hahaha | Hahaha que vídeo!In full: Hahaha, que vídeo!Hahaha, what a video! | |
| huehue | hehe (cheeky)A mischievous laugh, famous from Brazilian gamers. | Comi seu chocolate huehue.In full: Comi seu chocolate, hehe.I ate your chocolate, hehe. |
Signing off
| Listen | Portuguese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| bjs, short for beijos | kisses, loveAlso bj. Normal between friends and family. | Boa noite, bjs!In full: Boa noite, beijos!Good night, love! | |
| abs, short for abraços | hugs; regardsThe safe sign-off between men and at work. | Obg pela atenção, abs.In full: Obrigado pela atenção, abraços.Thanks for your time, regards. | |
| flw, short for falou | bye, later | Tô indo, flw!In full: Tô indo, falou!I'm off, later! | |
| sdds, short for saudades | I miss you | Sdds de vc!In full: Saudades de você!I miss you! | |
| fds, short for fim de semana | weekendCareful: fds can also be a rude “who cares” (foda-se). Context tells. | Bora pra praia no fds?In full: Bora pra praia no fim de semana?Shall we go to the beach at the weekend? |
Strong ones to recognise
| Listen | Portuguese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| pqp | damn it!, holy crap!Rude: short for a strong swear. Understand it, but don't use it. | Pqp, perdi o ônibus de novo!Damn it, I missed the bus again! | |
| krl | damn!, f***!Rude: short for caralho. Understand it, but don't use it. | Krl, que calor!Damn, it's hot! |
How Brazilians use them
Spelled as it sounds
Most abbreviations drop the vowels and keep the consonants you hear: vc, hj, qnd. Some respell instead: aki for aqui, and cê, tô, tá and pra are how você, estou, está and para are said, so they turn up in texts even written out.
kkkk or rsrs?
Kkkk is the Brazilian laugh, and the longer it is the funnier the joke. Rsrs (risos) is a softer, more polite smile, and reads a little older. Hahaha works too; huehue is cheeky.
Where not to use them
They're for friends, family and group chats. In an email, a message to a client or a first message to someone older, write the words out: você, também, obrigado.
The rude ones look innocent
Pqp and krl are strong swearing, and fds is usually fim de semana but sometimes foda-se. Know them so you understand a message, but leave them to native speakers.
Practise
Quick quiz · question 1 of 8
What does cd mean?
Questions
What does kkkk mean in Portuguese?
Kkkk is laughter, like hahaha or lol. In Portuguese the letter k is called “ká”, so kkkk reads as ká-ká-ká. The more k's, the funnier: kkkkkkkk is a big laugh.
What does sdds mean?
Sdds is saudades: “I miss you”, or missing something or somewhere. Sdds de vc! is “I miss you!”, and sdds do Brasil is missing Brazil.
What does rsrs mean?
Rsrs is risos, “laughs”: a gentle lol or a smile. It's softer than kkkk and a little old-fashioned, so it often softens a message: Tô atrasada de novo rsrs.
What does vlw mean?
Vlw is valeu, the casual Brazilian “thanks” or “cheers”. It can also be a goodbye: Vlw, até amanhã!
What does blz mean?
Blz is beleza: “OK”, “cool” or “all good”. E aí, blz? is “hey, all good?”, and a reply of blz means “OK, got it”.
More Portuguese words
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