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Portuguese-English false friends: the complete list
Portuguese-English false friends are words that look almost the same in the two languages but mean different things. This free reference lists 803 verified pairs with what each word really means and the correct translation in both directions.
What are false friends in Portuguese and English?
False friends are word pairs that look almost identical in the two languages but carry different meanings. Pretender is not "pretend", it means to intend. Parentes is not "parents", it means relatives. Puxar is not "push", it means to pull.
Most of the 803 pairs on this page are partial overlaps rather than clean misses. The two words share one meaning and part company on another, so the sentence still reads fine and nothing looks broken. Those are the ones that survive a proofread.
On documents the cost is concrete. Firma reconhecida is a notarized signature, not a "recognized firm". Colégio is a secondary school, not a college. Either one on a filing changes what your document says about you.
For attorneys: false friends that change the legal outcome
Each pair below changes what a filing says, not just how it reads. This is the class of error a certified translation exists to catch, and it is why a Brazilian document should not be run through a general-purpose translator.
evidence is not evidênciaevidence = information presented to support a fact in issue. evidência = something obvious or conspicuous.Correct Portuguese: prova, provas, elemento probatórioA tax form asking whether you have evidence to support a deduction becomes unanswerable when it is rendered evidencia, which in Brazilian register means something conspicuous. The word needed is prova. Two documented carve-outs, neither of which softens the rule for submitted materials: (1) in modern Brazilian usage evidencia does cover forensic traces and clues found before trial, where Portugal prefers indicio; (2) "Pedido de Evidencias" is the established Brazilian name for the USCIS Request for Evidence and should be left alone as a proper noun. Brazilian immigration firms are split on it, leaning to Evidencias: findimmigrationlaw.com/pt, Gisele Ambrosio, Vieira Braga and immigrationdoc.ai use Evidencias; Claxton Law, Green Card Fund and n400test use Provas. For anything submitted to a court or to USCIS as material, prova remains the term.service is not serviçoservice = the formal delivery of legal process. serviço = a service.Correct Portuguese: citação, intimação, comunicação de atos processuaisA process server asked to arrange servico was offered general assistance, when service of process in Brazil is citacao.injury is not injúriainjury = physical harm or damage to a person or right. injúria = insult.Correct Portuguese: lesão, dano, ferimentoA police report translated injuria as slander, but Brazilian law keeps calunia, difamacao and injuria apart, and injuria is the insult that offends dignity.
That is the shape of the problem. Open the list filtered to all 255 legal pairs, or search the full 803 below.
The complete list: 803 Portuguese-English false friends
All 803 pairs
| The English word | The Portuguese lookalike | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| A | ||
| abhorredregarded with disgust or loathingNot | aborrecidoannoyed, upset; bored; tedious, boringNot | #A Brazilian friend who is aborrecido is annoyed or bored, not filled with the loathing an American hears in abhorred. |
| abortto cancel or halt an operation or plan before completion; also terminate a pregnancyNot always abortarCorrect Portuguese: cancelar, interromper, abortar (um processo) | abortarto miscarry or terminate a pregnancy, and by extension to halt a processNot always abortCorrect English: to miscarry, to have an abortion, to abort (a process) | #partial overlapBoth words can mean halting a process, but abortar in everyday Brazilian Portuguese leans strongly toward pregnancy, so casual use can read as far more charged than intended. |
| absolutionformal religious or moral forgivenessNot always absolviçãoCorrect Portuguese: absolvição religiosa, perdão | absolviçãoa legal acquittal in a criminal case; also religious absolution or forgivenessNot | #partial overlapA court interpreter told the family the defendant received absolution, when the Brazilian verdict was actually a full acquittal. |
| abstracta summary of a paper or an extract of a record, and also the opposite of concreteNot always abstratoCorrect Portuguese: resumo, sumário, extrato; (adj.) abstrato | abstratoabstract in the sense of theoretical or not concreteNot always abstractCorrect English: abstract, theoretical, not concrete | #partial overlapThe two match as the opposite of concrete, but a Brazilian who sees abstract expects theoretical and may miss that a journal or title abstract is a summary. |
| academya school or scholarly institutionNot always academiaCorrect Portuguese: academia (institution), escola | academiaa gym or fitness center, also a learned academyNot | #partial overlapAn American who says he spends every morning at the academia sounds to a Brazilian like he practically lives at the gym, not that he attends a scholarly institution. |
| accordto grant, or to be in agreementNot | acordarto wake up; also to agree uponNot | #partial overlapA travel-app localizer reading 'que horas você acorda' as anything about accord should render it 'what time do you wake up'. |
| accordagreement, treaty; harmony between partiesNot | acordea musical chord, several notes sounded togetherNot | #The guitar teacher wrote acorde above the tab, and a beginner from Texas read it as some kind of accord instead of a chord. |
| accusedthe person charged with a crime, the defendantNot | de cujusthe deceased person whose estate is being settledNot | #In a Brazilian probate file de cujus is the deceased whose estate is at issue, not anyone accused of a crime. |
| acknowledgeto recognize, admit, or confirm receipt of something, or to attest a signatureNot | agradecerto thank or express gratitudeNot | #Acknowledging receipt of a document confirms it arrived rather than thanking anyone, so rendering it as agradecer changes a formal confirmation into a courtesy. |
| acknowledged firmnot an English term; reads as a company that has been acknowledgedNot always firma reconhecidaCorrect Portuguese: não se aplica; use firma reconhecida | firma reconhecidaa signature certified as genuine by a notary; read literally it can also mean a well-known companyNot | #partial overlapA paralegal filing a Brazilian power of attorney read firma reconhecida as a company that had been acknowledged, when the stamp certifies that the signature on the page is genuine. |
| actionthe process of doing somethingNot always açãoCorrect Portuguese: ação, ato | açãoa share of stock, or a lawsuitNot | #partial overlapA trader reading Brazilian filings who takes ações as actions will miss that the word means shares of stock in equity markets. |
| activeengaged in action; energeticNot always ativoCorrect Portuguese: ativo (dinamico), atuante | ativoin accounting, the assets of a companyNot | #partial overlapAn analyst who reads ativo circulante as active current will miss that it means current assets on a Brazilian balance sheet. |
| actualexisting in fact, real, or trueNot | atualcurrent, present, present-dayNot | #Actual figures means the real ones while dados atuais means the current ones, so swapping them can flip a report's meaning. |
| actualitythe state of being real, actual existence, factNot | atualidadethe present time or current affairsNot | #A journalist who translates na atualidade as in actuality instead of at present changes a statement about today into a claim about what is really true. |
| actualizeto make something real or achievedNot | atualizarto update, upgrade, or modernizeNot | #A software localizer who turns 'atualizar o sistema' into 'actualize the system' should write 'update the system'. |
| actuallyin fact, in realityNot | atualmentecurrently, nowadays, at presentNot | #Actually corrects or clarifies a fact while atualmente marks the present time, so conflating them reports the wrong thing. |
| actuationthe act of making a machine or mechanism operateNot | atuaçãoperformance, acting, or professional conductNot | #A review praising an actor's atuação means the performance, not the actuation of a hydraulic cylinder. |
| adepthighly skilled at somethingNot | adeptoa supporter, follower, or adherentNot | #A journalist calling an adepto an adept turns a party supporter into a skilled expert. |
| administratora court-appointed person who settles a deceased person's estate, or more generally a manager; also a general manager or administratorNot always administradorCorrect Portuguese: inventariante (do espólio); administrador (geral) | administradora manager or administrator of a company or organizationNot always administratorCorrect English: manager, administrator, director | #partial overlapThe words align for general management, but in probate an administrator is the estate's inventariante, so calling that person an administrador misassigns the legal role. |
| advertiseto promote or publicize a product or messageNot | advertirto warn, caution, or formally admonishNot | #In an HR or advertising file advertir is a formal warning, the reverse of promoting anything, so the mix-up flips praise into reprimand. |
| advertisementa paid public notice promoting a productNot | advertênciaa formal warning or admonishmentNot | #A translator localizing marketing copy who renders advertisement as advertência turns an ad into a legal warning notice. |
| adviseto give counsel or professional recommendationNot | avisarto warn, notify, or informNot | #An attorney letter that says we advise our client loses its counseling force if a translator writes avisamos, which merely notifies. |
| affidavita written statement of fact sworn under oath before an authorized officerNot always declaraçãoCorrect Portuguese: declaração juramentada, declaração sob juramento | declaraçãoa statement or declaration, not necessarily made under oathNot | #partial overlapA declaração juramentada is an affidavit, so the words do meet. On its own declaração is any statement, sworn or not, so it needs the qualifier. |
| affiliationconnection or membership with a group or organizationNot | filiaçãoa person's parentage or parents' names, and also membership in a party or systemNot always affiliationCorrect English: parentage, parents' names; affiliation, membership | #partial overlapOn Brazilian forms filiação usually asks for the applicant's parents, so reading it as organizational affiliation collects the wrong information. |
| agendaa list of items to be discussed at a meeting, or an underlying motiveNot | agendaa diary, planner, appointment book, or address book; also a meeting agenda, schedule, or programNot | #partial overlapBoth can mean a schedule of things to do, but a Brazilian agenda is usually the datebook itself, not the meeting's list of topics. |
| agentthe attorney-in-fact who acts for a principal under a power of attorney, or more generally one who actsNot | agentean agent, officer, or operative, such as a police agentNot always agentCorrect English: agent, officer, operative | #partial overlapIn a power of attorney the agent is the procurador who holds the authority, so labeling that person an agente reads more like an officer than a proxy. |
| aggravationannoyance, or something that makes a situation worseNot | agravoan interlocutory appeal against a procedural ruling; in older usage, an injury or grievanceNot | #partial overlapA litigation assistant logged an agravo de instrumento as a complaint about aggravation and missed that it was an interlocutory appeal with a deadline already running. |
| aliasan assumed or alternative name, also known asNot | aliásby the way, moreover, or rather; it can also introduce an alternative nameNot | #partial overlapA translator rendering alias as an assumed name turned a witness saying aliás, meaning by the way, into someone confessing to a second identity. |
| alimentfood or nourishment (archaic in general English)Not | alimentosin family law, court-ordered maintenance or support payments; in ordinary use, foodNot | #partial overlap'Ação de alimentos' is a support action and 'pensão alimentícia' is child or spousal support, nothing to do with food. Name which support it is rather than writing 'alimony' by default. |
| almscharitable money or gifts given to the poorNot | almassoulsNot | #An American reading about almas in a Brazilian religious text is reading about souls, not about alms given to the needy. |
| alumnusa graduate or former student of a schoolNot always alunoCorrect Portuguese: ex-aluno, egresso | alunoa current student or pupilNot | #An alumni association newsletter loses its meaning when a translator turns alumni into alunos, enrolling every graduate back in class. |
| amassto gather or accumulateNot | amassarto crush, dent, or kneadNot | #A translator who reads amassar as amass writes about hoarding wealth when the text meant denting a car. |
| ambulatoryable to walk; as an adjective, relating to outpatient careNot | ambulatórioan outpatient clinic or dispensary (a physical place)Not | #partial overlapA hospital administrator in Miami misread a Brazilian chart that referenced the ambulatório, assuming it meant the patient could walk rather than the outpatient clinic where the visit happened. |
| amenitiesfeatures that add comfort or convenience, such as a pool or gymNot | amenidadespleasantries or light small talk; agreeablenessNot | #A hotel manager who renders amenidades as amenities in a Brazilian brochure promises pleasant chitchat where American guests expect a spa and a gym. |
| anecdotea short account of a real incidentNot | anedotaa joke or funny made-up storyNot | #partial overlapA speaker who promises a quick anecdote and asks a Brazilian audience for an anedota may get a punchline joke instead of a true story. |
| anniversaryyearly commemoration of a past event, especially a weddingNot always aniversárioCorrect Portuguese: aniversário de casamento; aniversário de um evento | aniversárioa person's birthday, the yearly celebration of their birth; also the anniversary of any eventNot | #partial overlapA US event planner who reads aniversário on a Brazilian invitation and books a wedding anniversary package can end up staffing a child's birthday party instead. |
| anta small social insectNot | antaa tapir, or slang for a dimwitNot | #A journalist writing a nature piece who reaches for anta thinking of ants ends up naming a hoofed mammal. |
| anticipateto expect or foreseeNot | anteciparto bring forward or move up a date; also foresee or anticipateNot | #partial overlapA project manager reading antecipar a reunião as anticipate the meeting misses that it means moving the meeting earlier. |
| apologizeto say sorry or express regret for a faultNot | apologiaa public defense or glorification of something, often a crime or ideologyNot | #Apologia in Portuguese praises or defends something rather than expressing regret, so treating it as an apology inverts the speaker's stance. |
| apologyan expression of regret for a fault or offenseNot | apologiaa public defense or glorification of something, often a crime or ideologyNot | #A news report that calls apologia de crime an apology turns criminal glorification into a mere expression of regret. |
| apostillethe Hague Convention certificate authenticating a public document for use abroadNot always apostilaCorrect Portuguese: apostila (de Haia), apostilamento | apostilaa course handout, printed study guide or set of lecture notes; also the Hague certificateNot always apostilleCorrect English: handout, study guide, course notes; or apostille (Hague certificate) | #partial overlapBoth senses are live in Brazilian Portuguese, which is the trap. On a school record 'apostila' is a printed study guide; on a notarized document it is the Hague apostille. Decide from the document type, never from the word. |
| apparelclothing or garmentsNot | aparelhoa device, appliance, or apparatusNot | #An apparel catalog translated with aparelho starts selling appliances where the buyer expected clothes. |
| apparentclearly visible or evident, or seeming rather than realNot | aparentarto appear, seem, or look a certain way, sometimes to feignNot | #partial overlapThe verb aparentar is about how something looks, so ele aparenta ser mais novo means he looks younger, not that anything is apparent in the English sense of clearly true. |
| appearto come before a court or authority, and also to become visible or to seemNot always aparecerCorrect Portuguese: comparecer (perante), apresentar-se; aparecer, parecer | aparecerto show up, become visible, or turn upNot always appearCorrect English: to appear, to show up, to turn up | #partial overlapTo appear before a court is comparecer, so rendering it as aparecer suggests merely showing up rather than the formal act of appearance. |
| appellationa name, title, or designationNot | apelaçãoa legal appeal to a higher courtNot | #A paralegal drafting a bilingual brief wrote appellation where the Brazilian filing meant an appeal, confusing the appellate court about the pleading's purpose. |
| applicationa formal request or a software programNot | aplicaçãoa financial investment or the applying of somethingNot always applicationCorrect English: investment; application of a rule or substance | #partial overlapA banker reading aplicação as a loan application misreads it as a customer's invested funds. |
| applyto make a formal request (for a job, school) or to put to useNot always aplicarCorrect Portuguese: candidatar-se, inscrever-se (for a job or course); aplicar only for a substance or rule | aplicarto put a substance on a surface, to enforce a rule, or to invest moneyNot always applyCorrect English: to apply (a coating or rule), to invest | #partial overlapA Brazilian telling a recruiter he wants to aplicar for a job confuses everyone, since aplicar in Portuguese means to spread on paint or invest cash, not to submit a job application. |
| appointto name someone to a position or roleNot | apontarto point at, aim, or jot downNot | #A power of attorney that appoints an agent falls apart if a translator uses apontar, which merely points a finger at the person. |
| appointto assign someone to a job or position; to nominateNot | aposentarto retire someone from workNot | #An HR writer who reads 'aposentar' as 'appoint' will report that an employee was hired when he was actually retired. |
| appointmenta scheduled meeting, or a nomination to a postNot | apontamentoa note or memo, and specifically a negative entry in a credit bureauNot | #An apontamento at a credit bureau is a black mark on someone's record, not a scheduled appointment, so the mix-up misstates a person's credit standing. |
| appreciationgratitude or a rise in valueNot | apreciaçãoan assessment, evaluation, or judgment; also value appreciation, especially currency appreciationNot | #partial overlapA legal translator rendering apreciação do juiz as the judge's appreciation hides that it means the judge's assessment. |
| approveto consent to, sanction, or ratify somethingNot always aprovarCorrect Portuguese: aprovar, homologar, consentir | aprovarto approve, and also to pass an exam or admit a candidateNot always approveCorrect English: to approve; to pass an exam, to admit | #partial overlapThe words align for granting consent, but foi aprovado usually means someone passed an exam, not that a proposal was approved. |
| archivea collection of historical records or where they are keptNot always arquivoCorrect Portuguese: arquivo (histórico) | arquivoany computer file; also an archive or body of recordsNot | #partial overlapA support tech who reads baixe o arquivo as archive it will miss that the user is simply being told to download a file. |
| argueto give reasons for or against something, or to quarrelNot | arguirto question or examine formally, or to raise an objection such as nullityNot | #partial overlapCounsel who arguiu nulidade raised a nullity on the record rather than arguing in the everyday sense, though English argue does fit where a party pleads a point. |
| argumenta disagreement or quarrel, and also a reasoned line of thinkingNot always argumentoCorrect Portuguese: discussão, briga, bate-boca; argumento (raciocínio) | argumentoa reason or line of reasoning, and also the plot or premise of a workNot always argumentCorrect English: argument (reasoning), point; plot, premise | #partial overlapThe words match for a line of reasoning, but argumento never means a quarrel, so reporting an argumento as a fight misreads the situation. |
| armorya place where weapons are stored; an arsenalNot | armáriocupboard, closet, wardrobeNot | #A Brazilian roommate telling you to check the armário means the closet or cupboard, not a weapons armory. |
| arrestto seize and detain a person by legal authorityNot | arrestojudicial attachment or seizure of a debtor's assets as securityNot | #criticalA US lawyer reading arresto as an arrest pictured his client in custody, when the Brazilian court had frozen the assets. Prejudgment attachment is the term. |
| articlesthe founding document of a company, or written pieces or clausesNot | artigosarticles as in texts, goods or items, clauses of a law, or grammatical articlesNot always articlesCorrect English: articles, items, goods; sections of a law | #partial overlapArticles of incorporation are a company's founding charter, so rendering them as artigos suggests text or merchandise instead of the constituting document. |
| assaultto attack someone violentlyNot | assaltarto rob, mug, or hold up; also attack, raid, or stormNot | #partial overlapA crime reporter who writes that a victim was assaulted after reading 'foi assaltado' should report that the person was robbed. |
| assentagreement or approval, especially formal consentNot | assentoan entry in a civil register, as in a birth or marriage record; also a seatNot | #'Assento de nascimento n. ...' is the numbered entry in the birth register, the thing a Brazilian birth certificate is issued from. It never means consent, and consent is never assento. Appears on nearly every civil-registry document. |
| assessto evaluate or judge the value of somethingNot | assessorarto advise or assist a senior professionalNot | #A consultant who translates 'assessorar a diretoria' as 'to assess the board' should say 'to advise the board'. |
| assessoran official who values property for taxation; also an expert who advises a judge or tribunalNot | assessoran advisor or aide to a senior officialNot | #partial overlapA visitor introduced to the judge assessor expected a property tax official and met the judge legal adviser instead. |
| assignto allocate a task; or to transfer a right or interestNot | assinarto sign a document; to subscribeNot | #A paralegal who takes 'assinar' to mean 'assign' may record a transfer of rights when the party merely signed the document. |
| assignmenta transfer of rights or property, or a task assigned to someoneNot | assinaturaa signature, or a subscriptionNot | #An assignment of a contract transfers rights to another party, so confusing it with assinatura reduces a transfer of ownership to a mere signature. |
| assistto help or aid someoneNot | assistirto watch or attend, and in some uses to assistNot always assistCorrect English: to watch, to attend; to assist | #partial overlapA student who vai assistir a aula is attending the class, not assisting the teacher, so the false friend misreports the student's role. |
| associatea colleague or junior member of a firm; also a business partner or associate in a ventureNot | sócioan owner or equity holder in a companyNot | #partial overlapA due diligence reviewer listed the socios as associates and understated the company ownership, since they hold equity rather than salaried posts. |
| assumeto suppose something without proof, or to take on a role or dutyNot always assumirCorrect Portuguese: presumir, supor; assumir (cargo, obrigação) | assumirto take on a role or responsibility, or to admit or confess somethingNot always assumeCorrect English: to take on, to assume (office); to admit, to confess | #partial overlapThe words align for taking on a duty, but assumir never means to suppose, so a Brazilian who reads assume as assumir may miss that no fact was being asserted. |
| asylumprotection given to refugees; formerly, an institution for the mentally illNot always asiloCorrect Portuguese: asilo político, refúgio | asiloa home for the elderly or needy; also political asylumNot always asylumCorrect English: nursing home; asylum | #partial overlapA social worker read that the elderly client lived in an asilo and assumed political asylum, when the man simply resided in a nursing home. |
| ATAan ATA carnet, an international customs document for temporary importsNot always ataCorrect Portuguese: carnê ATA (documento aduaneiro) | atathe official written record of what happened at a meetingNot | #In Brazilian corporate paperwork an ata is the minutes of a meeting, so linking it to an ATA customs carnet sends a reader down the wrong document trail. |
| attachto fasten or join, or to seize property under legal processNot | atacarto attack or assaultNot | #To attach property is to seize it by court order, so confusing it with atacar turns a lawful seizure into an assault. |
| attainto achieve or reach a goalNot | atinarto figure out, grasp, or hit upon somethingNot | #Attain is about reaching a goal while atinar is about finally grasping an idea, so the two describe different kinds of success. |
| attendto be present at an eventNot | atenderto answer a call or door, to serve or wait on someone, or to see a patientNot always attendCorrect English: to answer, to serve, to attend to, to see a patient | #partial overlapEnglish attend to overlaps with atender for serving someone, but plain attend means being present, so a clinic that will atender a patient is seeing them, not just showing up. |
| attestto formally affirm, certify, or bear witness to somethingNot always atestarCorrect Portuguese: atestar, testemunhar, dar fe | atestarto certify or affirm; in Brazil often to issue a medical certificate; also to fill a tank or bottle to the brimNot always attestCorrect English: to attest, to certify; to fill up completely | #partial overlapIn a power of attorney a notary who attests a signature must not be reduced to merely issuing a medical note, which is the everyday Brazilian sense of atestar. |
| attractto draw toward or appeal toNot | atracarto dock or moor a ship, and also to grappleNot | #A port report in Santos saying the vessel will atracar at noon means it will dock, not that it will attract anything. |
| audiencethe spectators or listeners; also a formal interview or reception and the viewing publicNot | audiênciaa court hearing, a formal interview, or TV ratingsNot | #partial overlapA legal translator who turns audiência into audience erases a scheduled court hearing from the record. |
| auditiona tryout performance for a roleNot always audiçãoCorrect Portuguese: teste, audição | audiçãothe sense of hearing; also a tryout or audition, especially in music and theaterNot | #partial overlapA clinic that translates hearing test as teste de audição is fine, but a casting director expecting an audição may find the word points to the ear rather than the stage. |
| authorthe writer of a book or the originator of somethingNot always autorCorrect Portuguese: autor (escritor), criador | autoralso the plaintiff or claimant who brings a lawsuit; also a writer or originatorNot | #partial overlapA court translator who calls the autor da ação the author of the action instead of the plaintiff misidentifies the party who filed the suit. |
| autosautomobiles, carsNot | autosthe official set of documents making up a court case file; in ordinary use, automobilesNot | #partial overlapA US paralegal asked for the autos and given a docket sheet still did not have the case file, which is what the word means. |
| availableobtainable, free to be usedNot | avaliávelassessable, able to be evaluatedNot | #An American reading a Brazilian spec that a metric is avaliável should understand it can be measured, not that it is available for use. |
| aversiona strong feeling of dislike or repulsionNot | averbaçãoa formal entry recording a change or fact against an official recordNot | #A vital records clerk asked to note the averbacao de divorcio was recording the divorce against the marriage entry, nothing to do with dislike. |
| avocadothe green pear-shaped fruitNot | advogadoa lawyer or attorneyNot | #A menu translator half asleep can serve a lawyer on toast by swapping avocado and advogado. |
| avoidto keep away from; in law, to render void or annulNot always evitarCorrect Portuguese: evitar (afastar-se de); anular, invalidar, tornar sem efeito | evitarto prevent something or keep away from itNot always avoidCorrect English: to avoid, to prevent, to keep away from | #partial overlapIn a contract clause the right to avoid the agreement means to annul it, so a translator who uses evitar reverses the legal effect. |
| awarda binding decision granting relief, especially an arbitral award; also a prize; also a prize or honorNot always prêmioCorrect Portuguese: sentença arbitral, condenação, quantia fixada; prêmio (prize) | prêmioa prize, reward, or honor for merit; in insurance, a premiumNot always awardCorrect English: prize, award, reward; (insurance) premium | #partial overlapReading an arbitral award as a mere prêmio strips it of its binding, enforceable character in cross-border arbitration documents. |
| B | ||
| baga flexible container carried by hand, a purseNot always bolsaCorrect Portuguese: bolsa, sacola, saco | bolsaa scholarship or grant; a purse or handbag; the stock exchangeNot always bagCorrect English: scholarship, grant, fellowship; purse, bag; stock exchange | #partial overlapOn a university funding letter bolsa means a scholarship, and treating it as just a bag empties the sentence of its financial award. |
| balanceequilibrium or an account totalNot | balançaa weighing scaleNot | #A lab translator who reads balança as balance misses that the text is about a weighing scale. |
| balancean account balance; equilibriumNot | balançoa swaying motion or swing; a stocktaking or period review; a balance sheet (balanço patrimonial)Not always balanceCorrect English: swing, sway; stocktaking, review; balance sheet | #partial overlapIn a financial report balanço points to the balance sheet or a period review, not the leftover saldo an English reader hears in the word balance. |
| balance sheeta statement of assets, liabilities, and equity at a point in timeNot | balancetea trial balance or interim summary of accounts, not the full year-end statementNot | #An accountant who renders balance sheet as balancete downgrades an audited year-end statement into an informal interim trial balance. |
| balconya platform projecting from a building; upper theater seatingNot | balcãoa counter or service desk in a shop, bar, or officeNot | #In store layouts or service instructions balcão is the counter customers walk up to, not an outdoor balcony. |
| baldhaving little or no hairNot | baldea bucket or pailNot | #A translator captioning a photo who reads balde as bald describes a bucket as a hairless head. |
| barracksa building or set of buildings that house soldiersNot | barracaa tent, stall, booth, or flimsy shackNot | #A military report about troops confined to barracks turns to camping when a translator writes barraca, a tent or market stall. |
| batona stick used by a conductor, a relay runner, or a police officerNot | batomlipstickNot | #In a cosmetics or retail context batom is lipstick, so a shipment labeled batons is makeup, not conductor sticks. |
| batterya power cell; also unlawful physical assaultNot always bateriaCorrect Portuguese: pilha, bateria; agressão | bateriaa drum kit; also a car batteryNot | #partial overlapA court interpreter who hears bateria in a Brazilian statement and thinks assault and battery may actually be hearing about a drum set. |
| beefmeat from cattleNot | bifea steak or fried cutlet, not always beefNot | #partial overlapA menu translator who writes beef for bife de frango turns a chicken cutlet into cattle meat. |
| bequeathto leave personal property to someone by will; also hand down as a legacyNot always legarCorrect Portuguese: legar, deixar em testamento | legarto bequeath or hand down by will; also to delegate or entrustNot always bequeathCorrect English: to bequeath, to leave by will; to delegate | #partial overlapIn estate drafting bequeath specifically covers personal property, so pairing it loosely with legar can blur the line lawyers draw between movable gifts and real property. |
| billionone thousand million, ten to the ninth powerNot | trilhãoone million million, ten to the twelfth powerNot | #criticalLong-scale habits lead some translators to shift orders of magnitude, and mapping billion onto trilhão inflates a figure a thousandfold in financial statements. |
| blandlacking strong flavor or interest; dullNot | brandogentle, mild, soft, or lenientNot | #A translator who turns punição branda into bland punishment loses the point that the penalty was lenient, not boring. |
| boarda governing body such as a board of directors; a flat plank; a panelNot | bordothe side or edge of a ship or aircraft, as in a bordo (on board)Not always boardCorrect English: board or side of a vessel; on board (a bordo) | #partial overlapIn corporate documents the board is the conselho de administração, not bordo, which only refers to being aboard a vessel or plane. |
| bodythe physical structure of a person or animalNot | bodya snap-crotch bodysuit; a baby onesieNot | #A Brazilian baby registry that lists five bodies is asking for five onesies, which an American reading it literally will find alarming. |
| bombera person who plants bombs, or an aircraft that drops bombsNot | bombeiroa firefighter, member of the fire and rescue brigadeNot | #criticalAn American tourist in Rio who dials for help and reports a fire to the bombeiros is talking to firefighters, not a bomb squad, so never assume the word signals an explosive threat. |
| bonda financial security, a legal surety, or a binding tieNot | bondea streetcar or tramNot | #A financial translator glossing bond as bonde puts a tram where an investor expected a debt security. |
| boxa rigid container with sides and a lidNot | boxa glass-enclosed shower stall in a bathroomNot | #A Brazilian apartment listing bragging about a new box in the bathroom means a glass shower enclosure, not a storage container sitting on the tiles. |
| branda trademark or maker's mark on a productNot | brandosoft, mild, gentle, or lenientNot | #A trademark filing about protecting a brand collapses when a translator writes brando, which just calls something gentle. |
| bravecourageous and boldNot | bravoangry or ill-tempered, and of animals or the sea, fierce or roughNot | #A citation calling a soldier brave praises his courage, while the Portuguese bravo would suggest he was merely angry. |
| briefshort in duration; also a written legal argument filed with a courtNot always breveCorrect Portuguese: breve, curto; (jurídico) memorial, razoes, petição | breveshort, brief; soonNot always briefCorrect English: brief, short; soon | #partial overlapThe noun brief is a full legal argument submitted to a court, so translating it with the adjective breve loses the entire document a lawyer must file. |
| bylawsa company's or organization's internal governance rulesNot | leislaws, statutes enacted by a legislatureNot | #Corporate bylaws are a company's internal charter, so rendering them as leis wrongly suggests binding public legislation. |
| C | ||
| cabineta storage cupboard; the body of senior government ministers; a computer caseNot always gabineteCorrect Portuguese: armário; gabinete ministerial; gabinete (do computador) | gabinetea private office or study; a minister's office; a computer caseNot always cabinetCorrect English: office, study; (government) cabinet; computer case | #partial overlapIn office and building descriptions gabinete is a private office room, not the kitchen-style cabinet an English reader pictures. |
| cafeteriaa self-service canteenNot | cafeteriaa coffee shop or cafeNot | #A traveler told to meet at a cafeteria expects a canteen but is sent to a coffee shop. |
| cameraa device for taking photographs or videoNot | câmaraa chamber; a legislative house or municipal council; a court panelNot | #partial overlapA câmara fotográfica is a camera, so the sense is shared. Alone, câmara is more often a legislative chamber or a court panel. |
| camisolea light strappy sleeveless top worn by women as underwearNot | camisolain Brazil a woman's nightgown; in Portugal a sweater or jerseyNot | #partial overlapA retail buyer who imports Brazilian camisola as camisole stocks nightgowns where the American catalog promised strappy underwear tops. |
| campingthe activity of staying outdoors in a tentNot | campinga campsite or campground, the placeNot | #A Brazilian who books a spot at the camping means a specific campground facility, not the act of camping, so an American reads it as a dangling verb. |
| candidfrank and honest, especially about something difficultNot | cândidonaive, innocent, or ingenuously pureNot | #A journalist who describes a Brazilian source as cândido thinking it means candid actually prints that the person is gullible. |
| candorfrankness, honest opennessNot | candurainnocence, purity, naive credulityNot | #An American praising a colleague for candor means blunt honesty, but candura in Brazil paints someone as innocent and naive. |
| cantoa major division of a long poemNot always cantoCorrect Portuguese: canto (de um poema) | cantosinging or a song; also a corner; also a division of a long poem, exactly matching EN cantoNot | #partial overlapA reader who takes canto as a corner is usually right, but in a book of poetry the same word is exactly the English canto, a division of a long poem. |
| capa soft flat hat; a lid or topNot | capacover of a book or magazine; a cloak or capeNot | #A Brazilian designer talking about the magazine capa means the front cover, not a baseball cap. |
| cargogoods carried by a ship, plane, or truckNot | cargoa job position or public officeNot | #An immigration officer reading a Brazilian resume sees cargo and may think freight when it names the applicant's job title. |
| carpetany floor covering, including a rugNot | carpetewall-to-wall fitted carpetingNot always carpetCorrect English: fitted carpet, wall-to-wall carpet | #partial overlapAn American decorator asking a Brazilian store for a carpete while expecting a small area rug will be shown wall-to-wall flooring, since a loose rug is a tapete. |
| carta small wheeled vehicle for carrying loadsNot | cartaa letter sent by mail; a playing card; (Brazil) a driver's licenseNot | #A Brazilian saying she mailed a carta sent a letter, not a shopping cart. |
| cartona cardboard box or containerNot | cartãoa card, such as a credit card, business card, or greeting cardNot | #On packaging or payment paperwork cartão means a card, not a cardboard carton, which can scramble shipping and billing instructions. |
| cartoona humorous drawing or an animated filmNot | cartórioa public registry or notary office that keeps official recordsNot | #A cartório is where Brazilians register deeds, births, and signatures, so confusing it with a cartoon badly misreads an official institution. |
| casualinformal, relaxed, or occasionalNot | casualaccidental, by chance, fortuitous; also informalNot always casualCorrect English: accidental, chance, fortuitous; casual (informal) | #partial overlapWhen a Brazilian text calls a meeting or event casual it often means it happened by chance, not that the dress or tone was informal. |
| casualtya person killed or injured in an accident or warNot | casualidadechance, coincidence, randomnessNot | #criticalA reporter who reads casualidade as casualty announces a death where the text meant mere coincidence. |
| cautioncare taken to avoid danger; a warningNot | cauçãoa security deposit, bail, or suretyNot | #A leasing agent reading a Brazilian contract treated the caução as a note about carefulness, overlooking that it named the required security deposit. |
| cella biological unit, mobile phone, or spreadsheet boxNot | celaa small room in a prison or monasteryNot always cellCorrect English: cell (prison or monastic room) | #partial overlapA developer who labels a spreadsheet cela instead of célula leaves American reviewers hunting for a prison reference in the data model. |
| censurea formal expression of disapproval or reprimandNot always censuraCorrect Portuguese: repreensão, censura formal | censuracensorship of media; also criticism; also a formal reprimand or censureNot | #partial overlapBrazilian censura most often means state censorship of the media, so do not read it as a mild parliamentary censure. |
| certificatean official document attesting a fact, qualification, or civil-registry eventNot always certificadoCorrect Portuguese: certidão (registro civil), certificado (curso), atestado | certificadoa certificate of a course, qualification, or product standardNot always certificateCorrect English: certificate (of a course or qualification) | #partial overlapA birth or marriage certificate is a certidão in Brazil, so defaulting to certificado can point a reader to a course diploma instead of a civil-registry record. |
| certificationthe act of certifying, or a professional or product certificationNot | certidãoan official document issued from a public register as proof of a factNot | #A certidão is a specific registry-issued document, so calling it a certification can suggest a credential or accreditation rather than an official record. |
| chaira seat, or a professorship, or to lead a meetingNot always cadeiraCorrect Portuguese: cadeira; presidir | cadeiraa seat, and in universities a course or subject a student takesNot | #partial overlapA student in Belo Horizonte who failed two cadeiras failed two university courses, not two pieces of furniture. |
| chefa professional cook who runs a kitchenNot always chefeCorrect Portuguese: chef de cozinha, cozinheiro-chefe | chefea boss, chief, or superiorNot | #partial overlapA hotel memo naming the new chef is talking about the kitchen, not about your line manager. |
| chipa small fragment; a microchip; a potato crispNot | chipa mobile phone SIM cardNot | #When a Brazilian phone store clerk asks if you want a new chip, they mean a SIM card, so an American picturing a computer processor or a snack is lost. |
| chroniclea factual account of events set down in chronological orderNot always crônicaCorrect Portuguese: crônica (historica), relato cronologico | crônicaa short reflective newspaper column or literary essay; also a chronological historical accountNot | #partial overlapExact for a historical chronicle; the trap is only the Brazilian newspaper column sense. |
| cigartightly rolled tobacco leaves for smokingNot | cigarroa cigaretteNot | #On customs or retail paperwork cigarro is a cigarette, not the pricier cigar an English reader assumes. |
| citationa quotation or reference to a source; also a traffic ticket or an award of honorNot always citaçãoCorrect Portuguese: citação (referência); multa de trânsito; menção honrosa | citaçãothe formal service of process that brings a defendant into a lawsuitNot | #partial overlapIn Brazilian procedure citação is the summons that formally joins a defendant, so reading it as a mere quotation misses a critical procedural milestone. |
| citeto quote or refer to a source; in law, to summon or charge by citationNot always citarCorrect Portuguese: citar (mencionar), mencionar, referir | citarto summon or serve a defendant; also to quote or mentionNot | #partial overlapA defendant told he had been citado assumed someone had quoted him, when the court had formally served him and started his clock. |
| civil statusa literal calque; idiomatic American English uses the phrase marital statusNot always estado civilCorrect Portuguese: estado civil | estado civilwhether a person is single, married, widowed, or divorcedNot | #partial overlap'Civil status' is attested on official forms; 'marital status' is merely more specific on US ones. |
| claima legal demand or assertion of a right; an insurance claimNot | clamarto cry out, plead, or clamor loudlyNot | #In insurance and litigation a claim is a formal demand or filed loss, not the loud outcry that clamar describes. |
| clavea pair of Latin percussion sticks, or their rhythmic patternNot always claveCorrect Portuguese: clave (instrumento de percussão) | clavea musical clef, the symbol at the start of the staffNot | #partial overlapExact in the shared musical sense. |
| closurean act of closing or sense of resolutionNot | clausuramonastic seclusion, cloistered enclosureNot | #A monk living in clausura is under monastic seclusion, which has nothing to do with emotional closure after a breakup. |
| colaa sweet brown carbonated soft drinkNot always colaCorrect Portuguese: refrigerante de cola; coca | colaglue or adhesive; also a student cheat sheetNot | #A packaging translator who reads 'cola' on a Brazilian craft supply label as the soft drink will misfile an entire aisle of adhesives. |
| collarthe neckband of a shirt or an animalNot | colara necklace, or to glue, or to cheat on a testNot | #A fashion translator who reads colar as collar swaps a necklace for a shirt collar. |
| collateralan asset pledged to secure a loan; also secondary or side, as in collateral damage or collateral relativesNot | colateralparallel or on the side; collateral (relatives, damage)Not always collateralCorrect English: collateral (side/parallel), lateral | #criticalpartial overlapAn estate lawyer reading parentes colaterais as collateral pledged against a loan misses that they are the collateral relatives who may inherit. |
| collectto gather together; to receive or demand paymentNot always colecionarCorrect Portuguese: recolher, arrecadar, cobrar; colecionar (hobby) | colecionarto collect items as a hobby, to build a collectionNot always collectCorrect English: to collect (as a hobby), to amass a collection | #partial overlapWhen a text says collect taxes or collect a debt the Portuguese is arrecadar or cobrar, since colecionar only covers gathering a hobby collection. |
| collegean institution of undergraduate higher education in the USNot | colégioa primary or secondary schoolNot | #partial overlapAn electoral college or a college of cardinals is a colégio, so the organised-body sense is shared. The trap is schooling: a Brazilian colégio is a secondary school, not a university. |
| combineto join or merge two or more thingsNot always combinarCorrect Portuguese: combinar, unir, juntar | combinarto arrange or agree on plans; to match, of clothes or colors; also join, combine, or chemically uniteNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian saying vamos combinar wants to arrange plans, not combine ingredients in a bowl. |
| comitythe mutual courtesy and recognition that one jurisdiction extends to anotherNot | comitêa committee, a formal group or panelNot | #In cross-border rulings comity is a doctrine of judicial courtesy between nations, not a comitê or committee. |
| committo carry out or perpetrate; to pledge; in computing, to finalize and save changesNot always cometerCorrect Portuguese: cometer (crime, erro); comprometer-se; (informatica) confirmar, efetivar | cometerto commit or perpetrate an act, error, or crimeNot always commitCorrect English: to commit, to perpetrate (a crime or error) | #partial overlapIn software workflows commit means to save changes to the repository, a sense cometer does not carry despite their shared perpetrate-a-crime meaning. |
| commoditya basic good or raw material traded in bulkNot | comodidadecomfort, convenience, or an amenityNot | #In trade and finance a commodity is a bulk-traded good, not the comfort or convenience that comodidade denotes. |
| companiona friend, an associate, or someone who accompanies anotherNot always companheiroCorrect Portuguese: acompanhante, companheiro (de viagem), colega | companheiroa domestic partner in a legally recognized stable unionNot always companionCorrect English: domestic partner, partner (uniao estavel); also companion in ordinary use | #partial overlapAn immigration officer who reads companheira as a travelling companion misses that she is a domestic partner in a stable union, a status that ranks with a spouse on the form. |
| compareto examine similarities and differencesNot | comparecerto appear in person, to attendNot | #A summons ordering someone to comparecer means they must appear in court, not compare anything. |
| compassan instrument that shows magnetic directionNot | compassoa drawing tool for arcs; also the musical bar or beatNot | #A field guide translated so a hiker packs a compasso will hand the reader a geometry tool for drawing circles rather than a navigation device. |
| compensationpayment made to make up for loss or injuryNot | compensaçãoin banking, the clearing of checks and interbank payments; also compensation, damages, remuneration, counterbalancing, or setoffNot | #partial overlapA banker who reads compensação de cheques as check compensation will miss that it means the clearing process that settles checks between banks. |
| competentlegally capable or having jurisdiction; also skilledNot always competenteCorrect Portuguese: com capacidade legal, habilitado; competente (habilidoso) | competenteskilled and capable; also legally competent or having jurisdictionNot always competentCorrect English: competent, skilled; (of a court) having jurisdiction | #partial overlapIn legal drafting a competent party or court means legally capable or vested with jurisdiction, which is narrower than the everyday sense of being good at something. |
| competitionrivalry in business or the rival firms; also a contest or sporting competition, and PT can denote business competitionNot | competiçãoa contest or sporting competitionNot always competitionCorrect English: contest, sporting competition | #partial overlapA business translator who renders the competition as a competição describes a sporting contest instead of rival companies. |
| complaintthe pleading that starts a lawsuit; a grievanceNot | complacênciacomplacency, self-satisfaction, or indulgent leniencyNot | #A complaint launches litigation, so a reader who links it to complacência inverts an active grievance into passive self-satisfaction. |
| comprehensibleable to be understoodNot | compreensivounderstanding, tolerant, and sympathetic, said of a personNot | #Calling a text compreensível means it is understandable, while compreensivo describes a forgiving person, so the two must not be swapped in writing assessments. |
| comprehensivebroad, complete, and all-encompassingNot | compreensivounderstanding, tolerant, and sympathetic, said of a personNot | #A comprehensive power of attorney is a broad, all-inclusive grant, so rendering it as compreensivo wrongly describes it as understanding or lenient. |
| compromisea settlement by mutual concession; or to endangerNot | compromissoa commitment, undertaking, or scheduled appointmentNot | #partial overlapA compromise agreement really is a compromisso, so the words meet there. The trap is everyday English compromise, meaning to give ground, which in Portuguese is ceder or transigir. |
| conceitexcessive pride, vanityNot | conceitoconcept, notion; reputationNot | #An American critic praising the central conceito of a Brazilian film means its concept, not the arrogance that the English conceit would imply. |
| conceitedexcessively proud of oneselfNot | conceituadohighly regarded, reputable, esteemedNot | #A journalist describing a profissional conceituado as conceited flips high praise into an insult. |
| concerta live musical performanceNot | consertarto repair, to fixNot | #A landlord promising to consertar the heater is going to repair it, not stage a concert. |
| concerta live musical performanceNot | consertoa repair, a fixNot | #The invoice line for conserto covers a repair job, so do not read it as tickets to a concert. |
| concurto agree, to be of the same opinionNot | concorrerto compete, to run for, to contributeNot | #A bidder who wants to concorrer in the tender intends to compete for it, not to concur with the panel. |
| concurrenceagreement, or the simultaneous occurrence of eventsNot | concorrênciabusiness competition or a public procurement tender; also concurrent or simultaneous occurrence, especially concurrent causes or liabilitiesNot | #partial overlapAn analyst who translates a report on concorrência as concurrence will make a market rivalry sound like a friendly agreement between the firms. |
| conductiontransfer of heat or electricity through a substanceNot always conduçãoCorrect Portuguese: condução (física), transferência de calor | conduçãotransportation, a ride, or the act of driving; also physical conduction of heat or electricity, exactly matching EN conductionNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian worker asking for money for condução needs bus fare to commute, not a lesson on thermal conduction. |
| conductorthe leader of an orchestra, or a ticket collector on a trainNot | condutora driver, or in physics a conductorNot always conductorCorrect English: driver; also (physics) conductor | #partial overlapA concert review praising the conductor is crediting the maestro, not a bus driver. |
| conferto grant or bestow, or to consult and discuss with othersNot | conferirto check or verify that something is correct, to cross-checkNot | #partial overlapWhen a Brazilian accountant says she will conferir the numbers, an American who hears confer expects a meeting, but she just means she will double-check the figures. |
| confidentself-assured or certainNot | confidentea confidant, a trusted keeper of secretsNot | #A translator who reads confidente as confident makes a trusted confidant sound merely self-assured. |
| considerationthe bargained-for value that supports a contract; also careful thought or regardNot always consideraçãoCorrect Portuguese: contraprestação, contrapartida (contrato); consideração, apreço (respeito) | consideraçãoregard, esteem, respect; careful thoughtNot | #partial overlapIn a contract, an attorney who translates 'consideration' as 'consideração' loses the bargained-for value that makes the deal enforceable. |
| constipateto cause difficulty in emptying the bowelsNot | constiparto catch or cause a head cold; in Brazil it can also mean to cause constipationNot always constipateCorrect English: to catch a cold, to give someone a cold; occasionally to constipate | #partial overlapA Brazilian patient who says he is constipado usually means he has a head cold, though in Brazil the bowel sense is heard too, so the chart needs the context. |
| constrainto restrict, limit, or physically confineNot | constrangerto embarrass; to coerceNot | #partial overlapA remark that serves to constranger a colleague embarrasses them and does not physically constrain them. |
| constructionthe interpretation of a legal text; also the act of buildingNot always construçãoCorrect Portuguese: interpretação, exegese (de cláusula); construção (obra) | construçãoa building, structure, or the act of buildingNot always constructionCorrect English: building, structure, construction (physical) | #partial overlapWhen a judge speaks of the 'construction' of a clause, a translator who writes 'construção' turns legal interpretation into a building project. |
| construeto interpret or assign meaning to a text or statuteNot | construirto build or constructNot | #When a contract says the parties agree how a clause shall be construed, a translator who writes construir has them building the clause instead of interpreting it. |
| contentthe material inside something; or satisfiedNot | contentehappy, glad, cheerfulNot | #partial overlapA marketer who confuses content with contente may promise fresh contente to a Brazilian site when the plan was to deliver new material. |
| contesta competition or, as a verb, to formally challengeNot | contestarto dispute, challenge, or rebutNot | #partial overlapA flyer announcing a photo contest means a competition, while the Portuguese contestar would send a reader toward a legal dispute. |
| contestationthe act of disputing or arguing against somethingNot always contestaçãoCorrect Portuguese: contestação (disputa), impugnação | contestaçãothe defendant's written answer or statement of defense in a lawsuitNot | #partial overlapIn Brazilian procedure the contestação is a specific pleading with a deadline. US practice calls it the answer or a responsive pleading; 'contestation' names no filing. |
| continuancea postponement of a hearing; also a continuationNot | continuaçãoa continuation, sequel, or carrying-onNot | #partial overlapA US court granting a 'continuance' is postponing the hearing, not signaling that proceedings will simply continue. |
| conveneto assemble or summon a meetingNot | convirto be suitable or convenient, to agreeNot | #If a supplier says the delivery date does not convir, they mean it does not suit them, not that they want to convene a meeting. |
| convenienthandy, easy to use or reachNot | convenienteadvisable, fitting, appropriate, properNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian executive who calls a term 'conveniente' means it is advisable, not that it is handy, which can mislead an English reader about a recommendation. |
| conversantknowledgeable and familiar with a subjectNot | conversadortalkative, chattyNot | #An American resume claiming to be conversant in a field means well versed, while a Brazilian conversador is simply someone who loves to chat. |
| conversethe opposite or reverse of a statementNot | conversaa conversation, chat, talkNot | #partial overlapAn American mathematician who writes the converse means the reversed proposition, while a Brazilian uma conversa is just a friendly chat. |
| convicta person found guilty and imprisoned, or to find guiltyNot | convictoconvinced or firmly certain, though in legal Portuguese it can mean proven guiltyNot | #criticalpartial overlapAn English sentence saying the jury will convict states a guilty verdict, not that jurors are merely convinced of something. |
| convictiona formal finding of guilt by a courtNot | convicçãoa firmly held belief or certaintyNot always convictionCorrect English: conviction (belief), certainty, firm belief | #criticalpartial overlapAn applicant answering a criminal history question wrote that he had no conviccao, meaning no firm belief, when the question was asking about a condenacao. |
| cooleran insulated chest for keeping food and drinks coldNot | coolerthe cooling fan and heatsink inside a computerNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian gamer complaining that the cooler is loud means the computer fan, not a picnic ice chest rattling in the trunk. |
| copa police officerNot | copoa drinking glass or cupNot | #A subtitler who reads copo as cop puts a police officer where the scene only had a glass of water. |
| corporationa business company or legal entityNot | corporaçãoa corps, guild, or organized body (e.g. military, police)Not | #partial overlapA corporação can be a corporation, though a Brazilian business corporation is usually a sociedade anônima, and corporação often names a uniformed body such as the fire service. |
| costscourt or legal costs awarded in litigationNot | custoscosts or expenses (of production, operations)Not always costsCorrect English: costs, expenses (production/operating) | #partial overlapIn a judgment, 'costs' are court costs the loser must pay, so rendering them as production 'custos' invents a manufacturing expense. |
| costumea set of clothes for a role or eventNot | costumecustom, habit, usageNot | #A production note asking for a 'costume' wants wardrobe, while the Portuguese 'costume' is a custom or habit. |
| counsela lawyer representing a party; also adviceNot always conselhoCorrect Portuguese: advogado(a), patrono, defensor; conselho (orientação) | conselhoadvice; a council or boardNot always counselCorrect English: advice, counsel; council, board | #partial overlapA filing that names 'counsel' means the attorney of record, not a 'conselho' board or piece of advice. |
| countyan administrative or geographic subdivision of a state or countryNot | comarcathe territorial jurisdiction of a first-instance courtNot | #A comarca is a court's jurisdiction rather than a civil administrative area, so equating it with a county blurs a judicial boundary with a governmental one. |
| coursea single subject or class; or a whole programNot always cursoCorrect Portuguese: disciplina, matéria (aula); curso (programa) | cursoa full program of study; also a flow or pathNot always courseCorrect English: program, course, path | #partial overlapA US transcript listing a single 'course' means one class, whereas a Brazilian 'curso' can be the entire degree program. |
| covenanta binding promise or clause in an agreement or deedNot | convênioa cooperation agreement, partnership, or provider networkNot | #partial overlapA 'covenant' in a loan agreement is a binding promise, so treating it as a 'convênio' partnership misstates the obligation. |
| coverto place over; to include or deal with; to insureNot | cobrarto charge a price, collect a debt, or demand somethingNot | #A billing clerk who reads 'cobrar' as 'cover' may think a cost is included when the vendor is actually charging for it. |
| crackcrack cocaine; a narrow gap or fractureNot always crackCorrect Portuguese: crack (droga); rachadura | cracka star athlete or standout expertNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian sportscaster calling a striker a crack is praising him as an ace, so an American hearing it as a drug reference badly misreads the compliment. |
| cracka fissure or split; also crack cocaineNot | craquea star athlete, an ace, an expert at somethingNot | #A Brazilian coworker called our new engineer a craque, and a colleague from Chicago heard the drug word instead of high praise. |
| creationthe act of creating somethingNot always criaçãoCorrect Portuguese: criação, invenção | criaçãothe raising of children or breeding of livestockNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian farmer's criação is his livestock, and criação dos filhos means raising kids, not divine creation. |
| crusha strong infatuation; the feeling itselfNot | crushthe person one is romantically interested inNot always crushCorrect English: the person you have a crush on | #partial overlapA Brazilian who posts a photo of my crush means the specific person they like, whereas an American uses crush for the feeling, not the individual. |
| cultreligious sect, often coercive; intense devotionNot always cultoCorrect Portuguese: seita; (devoção) culto a | cultoact of religious worship, a church service; also (adjective) cultured, well educatedNot | #A missionary in Sao Paulo invited me to the Sunday culto, and I almost declined because in English cult signals a dangerous fringe group rather than an ordinary worship service. |
| culturethe customs, arts, and beliefs of a societyNot always culturaCorrect Portuguese: cultura (social) | culturaa crop or the act of cultivating landNot | #partial overlapThe farm report cited a cultura de soja, meaning the soybean crop, not soybean culture in the social sense. |
| cupa drinking mug or measuring cupNot | copapantry; tree canopy; hearts card suit; sports CupNot always cupCorrect English: pantry, treetop, hearts, sports cup | #partial overlapOrdering a cup of coffee and pointing to a copa in Brazil can send you to the pantry instead of getting you a mug. |
| curativeserving to cure; healing (adjective)Not always curativoCorrect Portuguese: que cura, curativo (adjetivo) | curativoa wound dressing or bandage applied to an injuryNot | #partial overlapA wound-care nurse translating discharge notes told a family the patient needed a curative every day, when the Brazilian record actually called for a fresh dressing change. |
| currentpresent-day; in effect nowNot | correntecommon or ordinary; also a chain or a flowNot always currentCorrect English: common, ordinary; chain; current (flow) | #partial overlapDescribing a rule as 'current' means presently in force, but 'corrente' can just mean common or ordinary in Portuguese. |
| curriculumthe planned set of courses of studyNot | currículoa résumé or CV; also a curriculumNot always curriculumCorrect English: résumé, CV; curriculum | #partial overlapAn admissions officer asking for the 'curriculum' wants the course plan, not the 'currículo' résumé a Brazilian applicant might send. |
| curseto swear or utter offensive words; to invoke harmNot | cursarto take a course of studyNot | #A registrar who reads 'cursar' as 'curse' turns a student enrolling in a program into someone swearing at it. |
| custodycustody of a child; or detention or safekeepingNot always custódiaCorrect Portuguese: guarda (de filhos); custódia (de preso ou bens); detenção | custódiasafekeeping of goods or a prisoner; detentionNot always custodyCorrect English: safekeeping, custody (of assets/prisoner), detention | #partial overlapIn family law, child 'custody' is 'guarda,' so writing 'custódia' shifts the meaning toward holding goods or a prisoner. |
| cynica person who believes others act only out of self-interestNot | cínicoin Brazil, a shameless, brazen person who lies without embarrassmentNot | #partial overlapA reporter who calls a Brazilian official cínico thinking it means cynic is actually printing that the man is a shameless liar. |
| D | ||
| dairymilk products, or a farm that produces themNot | diárioa diary or daily journal; dailyNot | #A food importer's invoice for dairy goods gets garbled when a translator writes diário, which means a daily diary. |
| damagesmonetary compensation awarded for lossNot always danosCorrect Portuguese: indenização, perdas e danos, reparação pecuniária | danosthe harm or loss itself, not the compensationNot | #criticalpartial overlapA verdict awarding 'damages' orders compensation, so translating it as mere 'danos' names the harm but omits the money owed. |
| datainformation, figures, or factsNot | dataa calendar dateNot | #A Portuguese form field labeled 'data' asks for a calendar date, not the dataset an English speaker expects. |
| data shownot a standard English term; reads like a display of dataNot | data showa video projector for presentationsNot | #A Brazilian classroom that needs the data show set up is asking for the video projector, a phrase that means nothing to an American technician. |
| deceiveto mislead or trickNot | decepcionarto disappoint or let downNot | #Telling a client a partner tried to 'deceive' them alleges fraud, while 'decepcionar' only means they let the client down. |
| deceptionthe act of deceiving; a trickNot | decepçãodisappointment or letdownNot | #Calling conduct 'deception' points to a deliberate trick, but 'decepção' merely describes someone's disappointment. |
| defaultfailure to perform a legal or financial obligation; also a preset optionNot | defaultthe standard preset option (borrowed sense in Brazilian tech usage)Not always defaultCorrect English: default (preset setting) | #partial overlapIn finance a 'default' is a missed obligation, yet a Brazilian may read the borrowed word as a mere preset setting. |
| defendantthe party accused or sued in a lawsuitNot | defensorone who defends someone or something; defender, advocateNot | #A court reporter logged the defensor as the defendant and reversed the parties, when the defensor was appearing for the defense. |
| deferto put off to a later time, or to yield to someone else's judgmentNot | deferirto grant or allow a request, petition or applicationNot | #criticalA clerk translating pedido deferido as the request was deferred told the applicant his petition had been postponed, when a Brazilian judge had just granted it. |
| deferto put off to a later time, or to yield to someone else's judgmentNot | indeferirto deny, refuse or reject a request, petition or applicationNot | #criticalThe same clerk read pedido indeferido as merely not yet deferred, when the petition had in fact been denied outright. |
| deficientlacking or insufficient in amount or qualityNot | deficientea person with a disability (as a noun)Not | #partial overlapAn immigration officer reviewing medical paperwork flagged a note about a deficiente as a nutritional problem, when the Portuguese simply meant the applicant was a person with a disability. |
| degreean academic qualification; also a unit of temperature or angleNot | degraua step of a staircaseNot | #A hiring manager who confuses 'degree' with 'degrau' turns an academic qualification into a stair step. |
| delegatea person sent to represent others; a representativeNot always delegadoCorrect Portuguese: delegado, representante | delegadoa chief of police (in Brazil); one holding delegated authorityNot always delegateCorrect English: police chief; delegate | #partial overlapA visa applicant told the consular officer she had spoken to the delegado, who assumed a diplomat rather than the Brazilian police chief who took her statement. |
| deliberateto think something over carefully, or (adjective) done on purposeNot | deliberarto formally decide, resolve or approve a matter at a meetingNot always deliberateCorrect English: to resolve, to decide, to approve; also to deliberate where the sense is weighing up | #partial overlapIn minutes, 'os socios deliberaram' means the members RESOLVED, a completed decision, and 'deliberated' leaves the resolution out of the record. But 'deliberar sobre' can mean to discuss, so read which one. |
| delinquentoverdue on a payment; also a young offenderNot | delinquentea criminal or offenderNot | #partial overlapA credit officer who translates a delinquent account as conta delinquente labels the account as criminal rather than simply overdue. |
| demanda formal demand or requirement; or market demandNot | demandaa lawsuit or legal claim; also market demand, a need, a request, or workloadNot always demandCorrect English: lawsuit, legal claim; demand (economics); need, request, workload | #partial overlapA 'letter of demand' is a formal notice to pay, while a Brazilian 'demanda' is the lawsuit itself. |
| denounceto publicly condemn or criticizeNot | denunciarto report a crime or wrongdoing to the authorities; to indictNot | #partial overlapA police interpreter reported that the witness wanted to denounce her landlord, when the woman simply meant she wanted to file a formal complaint with the authorities. |
| denta hollow made by a blowNot | dentea toothNot | #A dental note that reads dente as dent turns a tooth into a bump on a fender. |
| denunciationa public condemnation or accusationNot | denúnciaa formal report to authorities or a criminal indictmentNot | #partial overlapA prosecutor's assistant logged a denunciation as a public smear, missing that the Brazilian document was the formal criminal indictment. |
| dependablereliable and trustworthyNot | dependentedependent, or a dependent personNot | #A reference letter calling a worker dependable praises her reliability, not that she relies on others. |
| depositionout-of-court sworn testimony under questioningNot | deposiçãothe removal of an official from office; also sediment depositionNot always depositionCorrect English: removal from office, ousting; deposition (sediment) | #partial overlapScheduling a 'deposition' means sworn out-of-court testimony, not the 'deposição' removal of an official. |
| deprecatedobsolete or discouraged from useNot | depreciadodepreciated, reduced in monetary valueNot | #Marking an API as 'deprecated' warns developers it is obsolete, not that its value has 'depreciado' fallen. |
| deputyan assistant or second in commandNot | deputadoan elected member of a legislatureNot | #partial overlapDeputy is a recognised rendering for deputado in some parliamentary systems, though in Brazil a deputado is an elected federal or state legislator, not someone's second in command. |
| designto plan and create, or a plan, scheme, or layoutNot | desenhoa drawing, or a cartoon in 'desenho animado'Not | #partial overlapAn engineering spec referring to the system design means its architecture, not a simple drawing. |
| designto plan or shape the form of somethingNot | designarto designate, appoint, or nameNot | #A contract translator who reads designar as design misses that a person is being appointed, not styled. |
| destitutelacking basic necessities, extremely poorNot | destituídoremoved or dismissed from office; deprivedNot | #partial overlapAn official who was destituído has been removed from office, which is not the same as being destitute and penniless. |
| deterto discourage or prevent from acting through fear or doubtNot | deterto detain, hold, halt, or possessNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian police report saying officers went to deter a suspect actually means they detained him, not that they scared him off. |
| detractionthe act of disparaging or belittling someoneNot | detraçãoin criminal sentencing, credit for time already served in pretrial detentionNot | #partial overlapA defense attorney reading detração penal as slander will miss that the judge is subtracting jail time already served from the final sentence. |
| deviseto leave real property by will; also to invent or planNot | dividirto divide, split, or share outNot | #A will that uses 'devise' leaves real property to an heir, so reading it as 'dividir' wrongly suggests splitting it up. |
| devolveto pass or transfer rights, duties, or powers by operation of lawNot | devolverto return or give something backNot | #criticalpartial overlapIn law devolver can carry the sense of remitting or transferring a matter, which meets English devolve. In ordinary use it simply means to give something back. |
| diarya book for recording daily thoughts or appointmentsNot | diáriaa daily rate or per-day charge, as at a hotel or hospitalNot | #A travel agent who reads diária as diary will misquote a nightly room rate as some kind of logbook. |
| dieta regimen of eating; a reduced-calorie soft drinkNot | dieta product made totally free of a nutrient, usually sugar, for special dietsNot | #partial overlapIn Brazil a diet chocolate is sugar-free for diabetics and can be very caloric, so an American assuming diet means low calorie like a diet soda is wrong. |
| diligencecare and effort; or pre-deal investigation (due diligence)Not always diligênciaCorrect Portuguese: auditoria prévia, diligência prévia (due diligence); empenho, zelo | diligênciaa court-ordered task, official errand, or police operation; also careNot always diligenceCorrect English: official errand, procedural act, operation; diligence (care) | #partial overlapIn a deal, 'due diligence' is the pre-signing investigation, whereas a Brazilian 'diligência' is often a court-ordered errand or police operation. |
| directora member of the board of directorsNot always diretorCorrect Portuguese: conselheiro, membro do conselho de administração; diretor (conforme a estrutura) | diretoran executive officer or manager; also a directorNot always directorCorrect English: executive officer, manager; director | #partial overlapIn US corporate law a 'director' sits on the board, but a Brazilian 'diretor' is usually an executive officer, which distorts governance descriptions. |
| directorya listing or a computer folderNot | diretoriathe board of directors or management of a companyNot | #partial overlapAn email addressed to the diretoria of a Sao Paulo firm goes to its executive board, not to some phone directory. |
| directorya listing of names and addresses, or a file folder on a computerNot always diretórioCorrect Portuguese: lista; catálogo; diretório (computação) | diretórioa governing committee of a political party, or a university student union (diretório acadêmico)Not | #partial overlapA student joining the diretório acadêmico at a Brazilian university is joining the student union, not signing up for some campus phone directory. |
| disciplinea field of study; or self-control or sanctionNot always disciplinaCorrect Portuguese: área do conhecimento, campo de estudo, ramo do saber; disciplina (autocontrole) | disciplinaa school subject or course; also self-controlNot always disciplineCorrect English: subject, course; discipline (self-control) | #partial overlapAn academic 'discipline' is a field of study, while a Brazilian 'disciplina' is a single course on the schedule. |
| discoverypre-trial phase of exchanging evidenceNot | descobertaa finding, breakthrough, or thing discoveredNot always discoveryCorrect English: discovery, finding, breakthrough | #partial overlapIn litigation 'discovery' is the evidence-exchange phase, not the 'descoberta' finding a lay reader pictures. |
| discreteseparate, individually distinctNot | discretodiscreet, tactful, reservedNot | #An engineering spec calling a signal discrete gets mangled when a translator writes discreto, describing the signal as tactful rather than quantized. |
| discussto talk over or examine a topic calmlyNot | discutirto argue or quarrel; also to discussNot always discussCorrect English: to argue, to quarrel; to discuss | #partial overlapInviting colleagues to 'discuss' a matter is calm review, but 'discutir' can imply arguing or quarreling. |
| discussiona calm exchange of ideasNot | discussãoan argument or quarrel, also a discussionNot | #partial overlapA manager who tells a Brazilian colleague they need to have a discussão may brace the person for a shouting match when all that was meant was a calm talk. |
| disgraceloss of honor, shameNot | desgraçamisfortune, disaster, calamityNot | #A translator who reads uma desgraça as a disgrace turns a tragic calamity into a matter of shame. |
| disguststrong revulsion or aversionNot | desgostosorrow, grief, or displeasureNot | #Reporting a client's 'disgust' signals revulsion, while 'desgosto' describes grief or heartache instead. |
| disgustingrevolting, repulsiveNot | desgostosogrieved, displeased, sorrowfulNot | #An American who reads that a Brazilian felt desgostoso should picture someone sad and displeased, not something disgusting. |
| dismaysudden loss of courage or distressNot | desmaioa fainting spell, blackoutNot | #An American nurse reading desmaio in a patient chart should log a fainting episode, not the patient's dismay. |
| dismissto throw out a case or claim; also to let someone goNot always demitirCorrect Portuguese: extinguir (o processo), indeferir, julgar improcedente; demitir (empregado) | demitirto fire or terminate an employee; reflexively, demitir-se means to resignNot always dismissCorrect English: to fire, to terminate, to dismiss (an employee); (demitir-se) to resign | #partial overlapAn HR file saying the employee se demitiu records a resignation, and reading it as being dismissed inverts why the job ended. |
| dispenseto distribute or administer in portionsNot | dispensarto exempt, to dismiss, to do withoutNot | #partial overlapA manager who decides to dispensar an employee is letting them go, not dispensing anything to them. |
| disposabledesigned to be thrown away after useNot | disponívelavailable, in stock, ready to be usedNot | #partial overlapDisposable income is renda disponível, so the available-for-use sense is shared. The trap is disposable meaning single-use, which is descartável. |
| disposeto get rid of; to deal with; to transfer or arrangeNot always disporCorrect Portuguese: descartar, eliminar; alienar (bens); dispor (arranjar) | disporto arrange; to have available; to provide (as a law does)Not always disposeCorrect English: to arrange, to have at one's disposal, to provide; (dispor de bens) to dispose of or transfer assets | #partial overlapA drafter reading a lei dispoe as the law disposes of something misses that it simply provides, though dispor de bens really is disposing of assets. |
| dispositiona person's temperament, or the final settlement or transfer of propertyNot always disposiçãoCorrect Portuguese: temperamento, índole; disposição (de bens), alienação | disposiçãoa provision or clause of a contract, statute or bylaw; also willingness or arrangementNot always dispositionCorrect English: provision, clause, term; also willingness; disposition where the sense is disposal of assets | #partial overlap'Disposicoes gerais' at the end of a contract are the general provisions. The lookalike survives for disposal of property and for the disposition of a case. |
| diversiona detour or a distractionNot | diversãofun, amusement, entertainmentNot | #A translator who reads parque de diversões as diversion park misses that it means an amusement park. |
| divertto change the course or redirect somethingNot | divertirto amuse or entertainNot | #An audit noting that funds were diverted becomes a party when a translator writes divertir, which means to entertain rather than to redirect. |
| divulgeto reveal or disclose confidential informationNot | divulgarto publicize, promote, or broadcast widelyNot | #partial overlapTo 'divulge' information suggests leaking something confidential, but 'divulgar' is the routine act of publicizing or promoting it. |
| dormancya state of inactivity or suspended developmentNot | dormêncianumbness or loss of sensation in a body partNot | #partial overlapA neurologist reading interpreter notes logged dormancy in the leg, when the patient was actually describing numbness that needed immediate attention. |
| doteto love someone excessively and treat them as perfectNot | dotea dowry, or a natural talent or giftNot | #A family lawyer who reads dote as an English verb will garble a marriage contract clause that actually concerns the bride's dowry. |
| dozeto nap, sleep lightlyNot | dozetwelve (the number 12)Not | #A tired American tourist who reads a Brazilian recipe calling for doze eggs and thinks it means a sleepy dozen is in for a surprise, because doze here just means twelve. |
| driverdevice driver software; also a person who drivesNot always motoristaCorrect Portuguese: driver, controlador de dispositivo (software); motorista (pessoa) | motoristaa person who drives a vehicleNot always driverCorrect English: driver, chauffeur | #partial overlapIn a manual a 'driver' is device software, so a reader who pictures a 'motorista' expects a person behind the wheel. |
| druga medicine or a narcotic substanceNot | drogaan illicit narcotic; also an interjection like darnNot always drugCorrect English: illicit drug; darn (interjection) | #partial overlapA pharmacist counseling a Brazilian patient caused alarm by praising a droga, since the family heard it as illegal narcotics rather than a prescribed medication. |
| duplicatean exact copy of somethingNot | duplicataa negotiable trade bill or commercial credit instrumentNot | #partial overlapAn accounts payable clerk filed a Brazilian duplicata as a duplicate copy, not realizing it was a negotiable trade bill the company still owed. |
| E | ||
| editorone who edits, revises, or curates textNot always editorCorrect Portuguese: editor (redator, revisor), organizador (de coletânea) | editora publisher; one who issues published works; also an editorNot always editorCorrect English: publisher; editor | #partial overlapA byline crediting an 'editor' means the person who edited the text, while a Brazilian 'editor' is often the publisher. |
| editora person who edits and prepares text for publicationNot | editoraa publishing house or company; also a female publisherNot | #partial overlapThe book credited Editora Rocco, and a reader from Seattle assumed an individual editor rather than the publishing company. |
| educatedhaving education; schooled or instructedNot | educadopolite, well-mannered, courteousNot | #Calling a candidate 'educated' speaks to schooling, but 'educado' only says they are polite and well-mannered. |
| educationformal schooling and instructionNot | educaçãoupbringing, good manners, politenessNot | #partial overlapOn a resume a translator who renders years of education as anos de educação can imply years spent learning manners rather than earning degrees. |
| effectiveproducing the intended resultNot | efetivopermanent, tenured, or on the regular staffNot | #partial overlapAn HR file calling someone a funcionário efetivo means a tenured permanent employee, so a translator who writes effective employee reports on productivity that the record never mentioned. |
| efforta determined attempt or exertionNot always esforçoCorrect Portuguese: esforço, empenho | esforçoin structural engineering, an internal force or mechanical stress in a memberNot | #partial overlapA structural reviewer reading esforço cortante as some kind of effort will miss that it names the shear force acting inside a beam. |
| elaborateto add more detail or expand on somethingNot | elaborarto draw up, prepare, or produce a document or planNot | #partial overlapA contract that says the committee shall elaborate the report reads oddly if a translator assumes the English sense of adding detail rather than the Brazilian sense of drafting the document. |
| elector titlenot an English term; reads as a title held by an electorNot always título de eleitorCorrect Portuguese: não se aplica; use título de eleitor | título de eleitorthe card proving a citizen is registered to voteNot | #Regularly submitted as proof of identity, so it must name a document a US reader recognises. Say voter registration card, not 'voter ID card', which implies a different thing in US usage. |
| embargoan official ban on trade or commercial activityNot | embargosa class of appeals or objections filed in a lawsuitNot | #partial overlapA paralegal who sees embargos de declaração and thinks trade sanctions will miss that it is a routine motion asking a court to clarify its own ruling. |
| emissionthe release of gas, heat, or radiationNot always emissãoCorrect Portuguese: emissão de gases | emissãoalso the issuing of a document or a broadcastNot | #partial overlapA translator handling emissão de nota fiscal who writes emission turns invoice issuing into a pollutant release. |
| endorseto publicly support, or to sign over the back of a checkNot always endossarCorrect Portuguese: apoiar, chancelar, endossar | endossarto endorse a negotiable instrument; to back or supportNot always endorseCorrect English: to endorse, to back, to support | #partial overlapWhen a contract says a party endossa a note, confirm it means transferring a negotiable instrument rather than merely voicing approval. |
| enervateto drain someone of energy and make them feel weakNot | enervarin Brazil, to irritate or make someone worked up and nervous; also “weaken or debilitate”Not | #partial overlapA US manager who writes that a process enervates the Brazilian team may mean it tires them out while locals hear that it makes them furious. |
| enforceto compel compliance with a law or ruleNot | enforcarto hang someone (execute by hanging)Not | #A translator who renders enforce the injunction as enforcar a liminar turns a routine legal command into an order to hang it. |
| engagedbetrothed, or busy and occupied; also “involved or committed”Not | engajadocommitted to or involved in a cause; enlistedNot | #partial overlapTelling Brazilian coworkers you just got engaged as engajado suggests you joined a cause, not that you are getting married. |
| enginea machine that converts energy into motionNot | engenhoingenuity or wit; a contraption; also a sugar mill; also a neutral mechanical device or machineNot | #partial overlapA US engineer who reads engenho as engine on a Brazilian heritage site may picture a motor when the text means an old sugar mill. |
| engraveto carve or cut letters or designs into a hard surfaceNot always gravarCorrect Portuguese: gravar (em superficie), entalhar, esculpir | gravarto record; to save a file; to engrave; to encumber (legal)Not always engraveCorrect English: to record, to save (a file), to engrave | #partial overlapA media producer who reads 'gravar o video' as 'engrave the video' misses that the crew is simply recording it. |
| engrossto prepare the final fair copy of a legal document; to absorb fullyNot | engrossarto thicken, or to become rudeNot | #A paralegal translator who sees engross the deed and thinks engrossar will describe someone thickening the paper rather than finalizing it. |
| enjoymentthe pleasure or satisfaction of taking part in somethingNot | aproveitamentoa student's academic performance, or the use and recognition of creditsNot | #On a Brazilian transcript aproveitamento reports how well a student performed, so reading it as enjoyment misstates a grade. |
| enrollto register or sign up, as in a courseNot | enrolarto roll up or wind; figuratively to stall, waffle, or con someoneNot | #Telling a Brazilian client you will enrolar them in the program signals you plan to stall or con them rather than register them. |
| enterprisea business or a bold undertaking; entrepreneurial spiritNot always empreendimentoCorrect Portuguese: empresa, empreendimento, iniciativa | empreendimentoan undertaking or venture; in real estate, a development or projectNot | #partial overlapA real estate empreendimento is a specific development project, so translating it as enterprise can misstate the deal to investors. |
| entreethe main course of a meal in American usageNot | entradaa starter or appetizer, an entrance, or a down paymentNot | #A menu translator who maps entree to entrada demotes the main course to an appetizer and confuses the whole order. |
| envyto feel envy or covetousness towardNot | enviarto send, ship, or dispatchNot | #A support rep who confuses enviar with envy may promise to feel jealousy instead of sending the requested file. |
| equityownership value in a company; also fairness, and the body of equitable lawNot | equidadefairness, impartiality, justiceNot always equityCorrect English: fairness, equity (justice) | #criticalpartial overlapAn analyst hunting for shareholders equity in a Brazilian balance sheet will not find it under equidade, which is fairness. The line is patrimonio liquido. |
| equivocateto speak evasively so as to misleadNot | equivocarto make a mistake, to be mistakenNot | #A lawyer who reads a witness se equivocou as equivocated accuses of deceit what the text calls an honest mistake. |
| eruditelearned, scholarly, showing deep knowledgeNot always eruditoCorrect Portuguese: erudito, douto, culto | eruditolearned or scholarly; also classical, as in música eruditaNot always eruditeCorrect English: erudite, learned, scholarly; classical (music) | #partial overlapCalling a Brazilian concert erudite music misses that música erudita is simply the standard term for classical music. |
| escalateto intensify or raise to a higher levelNot | escalarto climb; to roster or line up a team; also “intensify or scale up or escalateNot | #partial overlapA support lead who tells a Brazilian agent to escalar the ticket in the climbing sense may hear the agent talk about scaling a wall or picking a lineup. |
| estatea deceased person's property and assets; also a large landholdingNot | estadostate (nation or government); condition or statusNot | #criticalIn a probate file, reading estado as estate can swap a person's civil status for the assets of a decedent. |
| estimatean approximate calculation, or a price quoteNot always estimarCorrect Portuguese: estimativa, orcamento; estimar (calcular) | estimarto hold dear or be fond of; also to estimate or appraiseNot always estimateCorrect English: to cherish, to hold dear, to esteem; to estimate | #partial overlapA vendor who says he estima a client may be expressing fondness rather than giving a price estimate. |
| estrangeto alienate, drive apartNot | estranhostrange, odd; a strangerNot | #An American who hears estranho in Brazil should read strange or a stranger, not conclude that two people have become estranged. |
| eventualoccurring at the end; ultimate, finalNot | eventualpossible, contingent, occasional, incidentalNot | #A contract clause covering an eventual breach means a possible breach, not one that is bound to happen sooner or later. |
| eventuallyin the end; sooner or laterNot | eventualmenteoccasionally, possibly, from time to timeNot | #An auditor who reads eventualmente as eventually turns an occasional occurrence into an inevitable one. |
| evidenceinformation presented to support a fact in issue; it is not the same as proofNot | evidênciasomething obvious or conspicuous; prominence; in modern Brazilian usage also physical traces or clues found before trial (forensics)Not always evidenceCorrect English: obviousness, conspicuousness, prominence; (loosely) evidence | #criticalpartial overlapA tax form asking whether you have evidence to support a deduction becomes unanswerable when it is rendered evidencia, which in Brazilian register means something conspicuous. The word needed is prova. Two documented carve-outs, neither of which softens the rule for submitted materials: (1) in modern Brazilian usage evidencia does cover forensic traces and clues found before trial, where Portugal prefers indicio; (2) "Pedido de Evidencias" is the established Brazilian name for the USCIS Request for Evidence and should be left alone as a proper noun. Brazilian immigration firms are split on it, leaning to Evidencias: findimmigrationlaw.com/pt, Gisele Ambrosio, Vieira Braga and immigrationdoc.ai use Evidencias; Claxton Law, Green Card Fund and n400test use Provas. For anything submitted to a court or to USCIS as material, prova remains the term. |
| excitedenthusiastic and eagerNot | excitadosexually aroused; also physically agitatedNot | #A sales rep who tells a Brazilian client she is excitada about the launch will sound sexually aroused rather than enthusiastic. |
| excitingthrilling, stirring enthusiasmNot | excitantearousing or stimulating, often sexuallyNot | #partial overlapA marketer describing a product as excitante while thinking exciting gives it an unintended sexual connotation. |
| excludeto leave out or bar from considerationNot always excluirCorrect Portuguese: excluir, excetuar | excluirto delete or remove data; also “exclude, omit, or bar”Not | #partial overlapA user reading a Brazilian app that says excluir conta may think it hides the account when it actually deletes it. |
| executeto sign and formalize a document; to carry out; to put to deathNot always executarCorrect Portuguese: assinar, celebrar, firmar; executar (realizar) | executarto carry out, perform, or run; to foreclose or enforce a debt; to put to death; also “execute or put to death”Not | #criticalpartial overlapA closing coordinator asked to executar the contract set off an enforcement action in the client mind, when all that was needed was a signature. |
| executeto carry out or perform an action or orderNot | exequaturthe higher court's authorization to carry out a foreign letter rogatoryNot always executeCorrect English: leave to enforce, authorization to execute a letter rogatory | #Exequatur names the specific court permission to act on a foreign request, so reducing it to execute loses the grant of authority. |
| executionthe signing and completion of a document, the carrying out of a plan, or a putting to deathNot always execuçãoCorrect Portuguese: assinatura, celebração (de um documento); cumprimento; execução (pena capital) | execuçãoenforcement proceedings to collect a debt or enforce a judgment; also performance or carrying outNot | #criticalpartial overlapA US attorney handed a processo de execucao and told it concerned execution assumed a document was being signed, when a court was enforcing a debt against his client. |
| executorthe person who carries out a will and administers an estateNot | executorone who carries something out; an executioner; a creditor enforcing a debtNot | #partial overlapNaming the executor of a will as the executor in Portuguese can suggest an executioner or a foreclosing creditor instead of the estate's administrator. |
| exemplaran ideal model or perfect example worth imitatingNot | exemplara single copy or issue of a publication, or a specimen of a species; also an ideal model or exemplary exampleNot | #partial overlapThe librarian said only one exemplar of the book remained, meaning a single physical copy, not a flawless model edition. |
| exerciseto use or apply a right or option; also physical activityNot always exercícioCorrect Portuguese: exercer (direito/opção); exercício (físico); exercitar | exercíciophysical exercise or drill; a fiscal or accounting year; also the exercise or use of a right, power, option, or officeNot always exerciseCorrect English: exercise; fiscal year, financial year (accounting) | #partial overlapThe exercício social of a company is its fiscal year, so translating it as a social exercise garbles a financial statement. |
| exigencyan urgent need or pressing demand of a situationNot | exigênciaa requirement, demand, or formal conditionNot | #partial overlapA brief citing the exigencies of the case gets flattened when a translator writes exigências, turning urgent circumstances into a checklist of demands. |
| exita way out; to leaveNot | êxitosuccess, achievementNot | #A report praising a project's êxito is describing its success, not an exit. |
| expedientconvenient or advantageous; a means to an endNot always expedienteCorrect Portuguese: conveniente, oportuno, vantajoso; expediente (recurso) | expedientebusiness or working hours; office routine; a resourceful means; also an official case file or administrative recordNot always expedientCorrect English: working hours, office hours; routine; expedient, device | #partial overlapOffice expediente refers to working hours or routine, not to a convenient expedient. |
| expediteto speed up or hastenNot | expedirto issue or dispatch documents or goodsNot | #A visa officer who says the consulate will expedir the passport is stating it will be issued, not rushed, which misleads an anxious American traveler expecting speed. |
| expelto drive out or force to leave, as from a school or organizationNot always expelirCorrect Portuguese: expulsar, excluir; expelir (fisicamente) | expelirto eject or discharge physically, to emit a substanceNot always expelCorrect English: to expel, to eject, to discharge, to emit | #partial overlapA school that wants to expel a student should use expulsar, since expelir suggests physically ejecting or discharging something. |
| experimenta scientific test or trialNot always experiênciaCorrect Portuguese: experimento; experiência (cientifica) | experiênciaexperience; also a scientific experimentNot always experimentCorrect English: experience; experiment (scientific) | #partial overlapIn a lab report experiência usually names the experiment itself, not the researcher's prior experience. |
| experta specialist with deep knowledgeNot | espertoclever, sharp, sometimes sly or cunningNot | #A recruiter who reads esperto as expert credits a candidate with expertise when the text only called them clever. |
| exploitto make full use of, often unfairly, or a notable featNot | explorarto explore; also to exploitNot always exploitCorrect English: to explore; to exploit | #partial overlapA union that accuses a company of explorar its workers is charging exploitation, not simply exploring options. |
| exquisiterefined, of exceptional beauty or qualityNot | esquisitoweird, strange, oddNot | #Complimenting a Brazilian chef's esquisito dish calls it weird instead of exquisite. |
| extenuatingmaking guilt or an offense less serious; mitigatingNot | extenuanteexhausting, strenuous, gruelingNot | #A lawyer arguing extenuating circumstances must not say circunstâncias extenuantes, which in Brazil describes something exhausting rather than mitigating. |
| extracta passage taken from a text or a concentrated substanceNot | extratoa bank statement listing account movements; also an extract, excerpt, or concentrateNot | #partial overlapA bookkeeper who asks a Brazilian client for an extract expecting a text excerpt will actually receive the monthly bank statement. |
| F | ||
| fabriccloth or textile; also underlying structureNot | fábricafactory, plant, or millNot | #A sourcing email about a fábrica points to the factory, not the fabric being produced. |
| fabricateto make up falsely, as with lies or evidence; also to manufactureNot always fabricarCorrect Portuguese: forjar, inventar, falsificar; fabricar (manufaturar) | fabricarto manufacture, produce, or makeNot | #partial overlapAccusing a supplier of having fabricado the parts states plain manufacture, not the fabrication of lies an English accusation would carry. |
| facilitya building, plant, or installation; also a credit lineNot | facilidadeease, aptitude, knackNot always facilityCorrect English: ease, facility (skill) | #partial overlapAn operations manager who says the company opened a new facilidade in Ohio tells American colleagues it acquired a new knack rather than a new plant. |
| facultya mental capacity or ability; also a teaching staff; also a power or authorityNot always faculdadeCorrect Portuguese: faculdade (mental), capacidade, discernimento; corpo docente | faculdadea power, right, or authority granted; a college; a mental facultyNot always facultyCorrect English: power, right, authority; college; mental faculty | #partial overlapIn a power of attorney the faculdade granted is a specific power or authority, not a mental faculty or a college. |
| familiarwell known, easily recognized, or informal in mannerNot | familiara family member or relative; as an adjective, relating to the family, and also well-knownNot always familiarCorrect English: family member, relative; family (as in family income); also familiar, well-known | #partial overlapA caseworker totting up a grupo familiar as the people the applicant finds familiar will report the wrong household size on a benefits form. |
| fantasyimagination, or something imagined rather than realNot always fantasiaCorrect Portuguese: fantasia (imaginação), devaneio | fantasiaa costume or fancy dress; also imaginationNot always fantasyCorrect English: costume, fancy dress; also fantasy | #partial overlap'Fantasia de carnaval' is a Carnival costume. The imagination sense is shared, so this only bites where the source is talking about clothing, which on invoices and customs paperwork it often is. |
| fantasy namenot an English business term; reads as an invented or whimsical nameNot always nome fantasiaCorrect Portuguese: não se aplica; use nome fantasia | nome fantasiathe trading name a business operates under, as distinct from its registered legal nameNot | #partial overlapAn accountant copying a Brazilian registry extract entered the nome fantasia as a fantasy name, when it is simply the trade name the business operates under. |
| fartto release gas from the bowelsNot | fartofull, satiated, or fed up with somethingNot | #An American on assignment in Brazil who snickers when a colleague says estou farto misses that the coworker is simply signaling they are fed up. |
| fastidiousvery attentive to detail; hard to please; fussyNot | fastidiosotedious, boring, tiresomeNot | #Describing a colleague as fastidioso calls them tedious, the opposite of the detail-oriented praise fastidious conveys. |
| fatedestiny, predetermined outcomeNot | fatofact, eventNot | #A translator reading o fato de que as anything to do with fate turns a plain statement of fact into destiny. |
| feelingan emotion or physical sensationNot | feelingintuition or instinct; also romantic chemistry between peopleNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian manager who trusts his feeling on a deal means his gut instinct, and saying there was feeling between two people means romantic chemistry. |
| fileto lodge a document with a court; a folder or record; a rowNot | filaa line or queue of peopleNot | #criticalA paralegal who hears fila should not read it as filing a document, since filing a suit is protocolar or ajuizar. |
| filialrelating to or befitting a son or daughterNot always filialCorrect Portuguese: filial (relativo a filho) | filiala branch or subsidiary office of a companyNot | #partial overlapAn M&A analyst who reads filial as a family relationship will misjudge a corporate chart where it means a branch reporting to the matriz. |
| finea monetary penalty; also acceptable or thin; also refined, delicate, or high-qualityNot | finothin, delicate, or refinedNot | #partial overlapA compliance officer who writes fino for a regulatory fine leaves American auditors reading about something delicate instead of the penalty owed. |
| firma business or company; also solid or steadyNot always firmaCorrect Portuguese: empresa, firma; firme (adjetivo) | firmaa signature, especially a notarized one; also a firm or companyNot always firmCorrect English: signature; firm, company | #partial overlapReconhecer firma at a Brazilian notary means to authenticate a signature, not to recognize a firm. |
| fiscalrelating to government revenue and public financesNot always fiscalCorrect Portuguese: fiscal (adjetivo), tributário, orçamentário | fiscalan inspector or auditor who enforces rules or collects taxesNot | #partial overlapA company that reports a visit from the fiscal as a fiscal matter loses the point that a tax inspector physically showed up to audit the premises. |
| fitin good physical condition; to be the right sizeNot | fithealthy low-calorie diet foodNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian menu offering a lunch fit is advertising a healthy low-calorie meal, not saying the food is physically in shape. |
| fixto repair or mend something brokenNot | fixarto affix, fasten, set, or memorize; never to repairNot | #partial overlapAn American telling a Brazilian coworker to 'fixar' a broken printer is really asking them to bolt it down or memorize it, since repairing it is 'consertar'. |
| flagrantblatant, glaring, conspicuously offensiveNot | flagrantethe act of being caught red-handed, in the very actNot | #partial overlapA police report noting an arrest em flagrante means caught in the act, not that the arrest itself was flagrant, and a translator who conflates the two rewrites the facts. |
| flatlevel and even; also a deflated tire; a British apartmentNot | flata serviced apart-hotel residence with hotel amenitiesNot | #An American booking a flat in Rio expecting a plain rental apartment gets a hotel-style suite with daily cleaning and a front desk instead. |
| foldera folded cover for holding loose papersNot | foldera folded promotional brochure or leafletNot | #A Brazilian marketing agency that promises to design your folder is making a printed advertising brochure, not the manila file you keep documents in. |
| fomentto stir up or instigate, usually something harmful like unrestNot | fomentofunding, support, promotion, incentiveNot | #partial overlapFomento is promotion or funding, as in an agência de fomento, and English foment can mean to promote. The everyday English sense of stirring up trouble does not fit. |
| fonta typefaceNot always fonteCorrect Portuguese: fonte (tipográfica) | fontea source of news or water; a springNot | #partial overlapA journalist who renders fonte as font tells American editors a typeface leaked the story rather than a protected news source. |
| formto shape, create, or constituteNot | formar-seto graduate from a school or programNot | #An admissions officer who reads 'formar-se' as 'to form' overlooks that the applicant actually graduated. |
| formationthe act of forming; an arrangement or structureNot always formaçãoCorrect Portuguese: formação (ato de formar), constituição, arranjo | formaçãoeducation, training, or academic background; also formationNot always formationCorrect English: education, training, academic background; formation | #partial overlapA candidate's formação is their education and training, not a formation in the structural sense. |
| formidableinspiring fear or respect; hard to overcomeNot | formidávelwonderful, terrific, great; also fearsome, imposing, or formidableNot | #partial overlapWhen a Brazilian coworker calls your presentation formidável she is praising it as wonderful, not warning that it was intimidating. |
| foruma place or medium for discussion; a public meetingNot always foroCorrect Portuguese: forum (debate), foro | forojurisdiction or venue; a court; foro intimo means one's innermost conscienceNot | #partial overlapA clause on foro sets the competent court or venue, and foro intimo means one's private conscience, not an online forum. |
| fracasa noisy quarrel or brawlNot | fracassoa failure or flopNot | #A reporter translating a bar fracas as fracasso wrongly tells Portuguese readers the brawl was a failure. |
| franchisea license to operate a business under a brandNot always franquiaCorrect Portuguese: franquia (de marca) | franquiathe deductible amount a policyholder pays before insurance covers a lossNot | #partial overlapAn insurance adjuster who reads franquia in a Brazilian policy as a brand franchise will misstate the deductible the insured must absorb on a claim. |
| frequencyhow often something occurs, or the rate of a waveNot always frequênciaCorrect Portuguese: frequência (taxa de repetição) | frequênciaattendance at classes, usually shown as a percentage on a transcriptNot always frequencyCorrect English: attendance (on a transcript); frequency (rate) | #partial overlapA university registrar reading the frequencia column as a frequency could not tell that the student had met the 75 percent attendance threshold. |
| frescoa mural painted on wet plasterNot | frescofresh; cool in temperature; (slang) fussyNot | #A Brazilian ordering a suco fresco wants a cool fresh juice, while an American art student hears the word for a plaster wall painting. |
| functionarya minor official, especially a bureaucrat with narrow official dutiesNot | funcionárioan employee or staff member of any company, often a civil servantNot | #partial overlapWhen a Brazilian says he is a funcionário of a bank he simply means he is an employee there, so translating it as functionary wrongly paints him as a petty bureaucrat. |
| fundto provide money for a purposeNot | fundarto found, establish, or set upNot | #A grant officer reading 'fundar uma organização' as 'to fund an organization' misses that it means to found one. |
| futilepointless; incapable of producing a resultNot | fútilfrivolous, shallow, trivialNot | #In Brazilian criminal law a motivo fútil is a trivial motive that aggravates a charge, not a futile one. |
| G | ||
| gasa gaseous substance; in US usage, gasoline or fuelNot always gásCorrect Portuguese: gas; gasolina (combustível) | gásgas as a gaseous substance, such as cooking or natural gasNot always gasCorrect English: gas (the gaseous substance), not gasoline | #partial overlapAn American asking to buy gas for the car will get cooking gas, since fuel is gasolina. |
| gazea steady or intent lookNot | gazegauze, the light sheer fabric used for wound dressingsNot | #A surgical supply buyer nearly rejected a shipment when a Brazilian invoice listed boxes of gaze, not realizing the vendor meant gauze and nothing to do with looking. |
| gema cut and polished precious stoneNot always gemaCorrect Portuguese: gema, pedra preciosa | gemathe yolk of an eggNot | #partial overlapA jewelry appraisal listing a rare gem reads like a breakfast note when a translator lands on the everyday sense of gema, the egg yolk. |
| genialfriendly, cheerful, pleasantNot | genialbrilliant, ingenious, of geniusNot | #Praising a plan as genial in Portuguese calls it brilliant, far stronger than the friendly genial of English. |
| geniusan exceptionally intelligent person; brillianceNot always gênioCorrect Portuguese: gênio (pessoa brilhante), genialidade | gênioa genius; also temper or temperament; a genieNot always geniusCorrect English: genius; temper, temperament; genie | #partial overlapSaying a manager has gênio can describe a hot temper rather than genius. |
| gentilityrefinement, genteel upper-class mannersNot | gentilezakindness, courtesyNot | #An American who hears por gentileza in Brazil is hearing a polite please, not a comment about social refinement. |
| gentlemild, soft, not harsh or forcefulNot | gentilkind, polite, courteousNot | #partial overlapGentil describes someone polite and kind, not the soft or mild quality that gentle names for a touch or a slope. |
| graceelegance, or divine mercy and favorNot always graçaCorrect Portuguese: graça (divina); elegância | graçaa joke or wit; and in de graça it means free of chargeNot | #partial overlapA vendor said the sample was de graça, and a shopper from Atlanta heard something about grace rather than the plain word for free. |
| graciouscourteous, kind, and elegantNot | graciosocharming, graceful, funny; free of charge; also kind or graciousNot | #partial overlapAn American calling a Brazilian host gracioso may accidentally call them cute or funny rather than gracious and courteous. |
| gradea mark or score; a school year level; a slopeNot | gradea grid, grating, railing, or bars; a schedule grid as in grade curricularNot always gradeCorrect English: grid, grate, railing, bars; schedule or curriculum (grade curricular) | #A grade curricular is the course schedule or curriculum grid, not a grade or year level. |
| graduateone who has completed a degree; to earn a degree; postgraduateNot | graduadoholding a bachelor's degree; a ranked non-commissioned officer; calibratedNot always graduateCorrect English: graduate, degree holder; non-commissioned officer; graduated (calibrated) | #partial overlapA US graduate program is postgraduate study, while a Brazilian graduação is the undergraduate degree, reversing the level for admissions staff. |
| graduaterelating to advanced study after a bachelor's degree, as in graduate schoolNot always graduaçãoCorrect Portuguese: de pós-graduação | graduaçãoundergraduate degree or course of studyNot | #partial overlapAn American admissions officer who reads a Brazilian's graduação as a graduate degree will wrongly credit grad school to someone who has only finished an undergraduate program. |
| graduationthe ceremony or fact of finishing a degreeNot | graduaçãoan undergraduate program or degree courseNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian student enrolled in graduação is doing an undergraduate program, not attending a graduation ceremony. |
| graphicrelating to visual images; vivid or explicitNot | gráficaa print shop or printing houseNot | #A translator handling a design vendor invoice might read 'gráfica' as a graphics studio when the client actually hired a commercial print shop. |
| gratuitya tip for service; more broadly any voluntary payment or giftNot | gratuidadethe quality of being free of chargeNot | #A translator who reads gratuidade do ensino as tuition gratuity misses that it means education is free of charge. |
| gratuitya tip for service; more broadly any voluntary payment or giftNot | gratuitofree of charge; gratuitousNot | #An American who sees gratuito on a Brazilian invoice line is being told the item is free, not that a gratuity was added. |
| gravamenthe material or essential part of a grievance or complaintNot | gravamean encumbrance, lien, or burden charged against propertyNot | #A title attorney reviewing a Brazilian deed who reads gravame as the gist of a complaint will overlook that it flags a lien weighing on the asset. |
| gravea place of burial; (adjective) seriousNot always graveCorrect Portuguese: túmulo, cova; (adj) grave, sério | graveserious, severe; (of sound) low-pitchedNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian nurse describing a patient as grave means the condition is serious, not that the patient is near a burial plot. |
| gripa firm hold or graspNot | gripethe flu or a bad coldNot | #A medical translator who reads gripe as grip records a firm grasp where the patient reported the flu. |
| gripea minor complaint or grievance, or to grumbleNot | gripeinfluenza, the fluNot | #An HR note logging an employee's gripe records a complaint, not a diagnosis of the flu. |
| groceryfood and household goods, or a grocery storeNot | grosseriarudeness or a rude remarkNot | #A budget line for grocery expenses covers food shopping, not any act of rudeness. |
| grosstotal before deductions; also disgustingNot | grossothick, coarse, or rudeNot | #An accountant who writes salário grosso for gross salary actually says a thick or vulgar salary, since the correct term is salário bruto. |
| guardiana legal guardian of a minor or incapacitated personNot | guardiãoa protector or keeper, often figurativeNot | #partial overlapIn a custody filing, calling someone the child's 'guardião' can miss that Brazilian law assigns legal guardianship through a tutor or curador. |
| H | ||
| halla corridor; a large room for gatheringsNot | hallthe entrance lobby or foyer of a buildingNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian who says wait for me in the hall means the building lobby by the front door, not a hallway or an event hall. |
| hazarda danger, risk, or source of harmNot | azarbad luck or misfortuneNot | #A safety data sheet warning of a chemical hazard gets trivialized when a translator writes azar, reducing a real danger to mere bad luck. |
| heritagecultural tradition or property passed down through generationsNot | herançathe assets transmitted on death; inheritanceNot | #partial overlapAn estate lawyer who renders 'herança' as heritage can obscure that the client is talking about the inheritance passing at death. |
| holdto rule or decide, as a court doesNot | segurarto grasp, hold, or secure somethingNot always holdCorrect English: to hold, to grasp, to secure | #partial overlapA Brazilian associate reading that a court 'held' something may think it means the judge paused the case rather than issued a ruling. |
| home officea room in a house used as an office; in the UK a government departmentNot | home officethe practice of working remotely from homeNot | #A Brazilian colleague who says she is in home office today means she is working remotely, not describing a room she happens to be sitting in. |
| honorarygiven as an honor, without pay or dutiesNot always honorárioCorrect Portuguese: honorífico, honorário (adjetivo) | honorárioprofessional fees, especially in the plural honoráriosNot | #partial overlapA translator rendered a lawyer's honorários as an honorary title, so the client thought the fees were a ceremonial gesture rather than a bill. |
| honoraryconferred as an honor, held without pay or dutiesNot | honoráriosprofessional fees, especially a lawyer's or consultant's chargesNot | #partial overlapA client who reads an invoice line for honorários and assumes it is an honorary courtesy will be shocked when the law firm demands payment. |
| hospicecare facility for the terminally illNot | hospícioa psychiatric hospital (dated usage)Not | #A hospício is a psychiatric institution, not end-of-life care, which is cuidados paliativos. Rendering updated from the dated and pejorative asylum wording. |
| hosta server machine; a presenter; one who receives guestsNot | hóstiathe consecrated Eucharistic waferNot always hostCorrect English: (Eucharistic) host, communion wafer | #partial overlapA sysadmin discussing a 'host' should not assume a Brazilian colleague will connect it to hóstia, which is the communion wafer. |
| hostagea person held captive as security or leverageNot | hóspedea guest or lodgerNot | #A newswire that reports hostages becomes surreal when a translator writes hospedes, checking captives into a hotel. |
| I | ||
| idioma fixed expression whose meaning is not literalNot | idiomaa languageNot | #A translator who reads idioma nativo as native idiom turns someone's mother tongue into a turn of phrase. |
| ignoreto deliberately disregard somethingNot | ignorarto be unaware of or not know; also to disregardNot always ignoreCorrect English: to be unaware of, to not know; to ignore | #partial overlapDuring a deposition, a witness who says he 'ignores' a fact may actually mean he simply does not know it. |
| impugnto attack as false or call into question someone's integrityNot | impugnarto formally challenge or contest a step, filing, or allegationNot | #partial overlapA litigator who softens 'impugnar' to English 'impugn' can lose that it is a formal procedural challenge to a filing. |
| incomemoney received regularly from work or investmentsNot always rendaCorrect Portuguese: renda, rendimento, receita | rendaincome; rent; or lace, depending on contextNot always incomeCorrect English: income, rent, lace | #partial overlapA financial analyst translating 'renda' as income can lose that the figure may instead be rent collected on a property. |
| inconsequentialunimportant, trivial, insignificantNot | inconsequentereckless, irresponsible, acting without regard for consequencesNot | #A supervisor who describes an employee as inconsequente in a report will alarm HR if English readers take it to mean the worker is merely inconsequential rather than dangerously reckless. |
| incorporateto form a company and give it legal existenceNot | incorporarto absorb, blend in, or mergeNot always incorporateCorrect English: to absorb, to merge, to incorporate | #partial overlapA corporate paralegal reading 'incorporar' as incorporate can wrongly think a new company was formed when two existing ones merged. |
| ingeniousclever, inventive, resourcefulNot | ingênuonaive, innocent, gullibleNot | #Praising a Brazilian engineer's plan as 'ingênuo' calls it naive rather than the clever design you meant. |
| ingenuitycleverness, inventivenessNot | ingenuidadenaivety, innocenceNot | #A translator praising someone's ingenuidade while thinking ingenuity actually calls them naive. |
| ingenuousinnocent, candid, and unworldlyNot always ingênuoCorrect Portuguese: ingênuo, cândido, franco | ingênuonaive, innocentNot | #partial overlapA reviewer who swaps ingenuous for ingenious flips a description of a candid witness into one of a clever one. |
| ingestto take into the body; to intake dataNot | ingressarto enter, join, or enrollNot | #A data engineer telling a Brazilian team to 'ingest' records should not let it be heard as ingressar, which means to enter or enroll. |
| inhabitablefit to be lived in, habitableNot | inabitáveluninhabitable, unfit to live inNot | #A survey calling a building inhabitable declares it fit to live in, the exact opposite of the Portuguese lookalike. |
| inhabitedlived in, occupied by peopleNot | inabitadouninhabited, not lived inNot | #An engineer who reads inabitado on a Brazilian site survey and reports the zone as inhabited has flipped a safety fact to its exact opposite. |
| injuriouscausing harm or damageNot | injuriosoinsulting, slanderous, defamatoryNot | #A litigator who labels a defamatory remark as injurious in the English pleading shifts the claim from insult to physical harm and weakens the defamation count. |
| injuryphysical harm or damage to a person or rightNot | injúriainsult; a verbal offense against honor and a crimeNot | #criticalA police report translated injuria as slander, but Brazilian law keeps calunia, difamacao and injuria apart, and injuria is the insult that offends dignity. |
| inquireto ask about something, to make an inquiryNot | inquirirto question or examine, especially a witness in a proceeding; more generally to investigateNot always inquireCorrect English: to examine, to question, to take testimony from; also to inquire or investigate generally | #partial overlapA transcriptionist wrote that counsel would inquire the witness, when inquirir a testemunha is the formal examination of a witness under way in the hearing. |
| inscriptionwords engraved on a surfaceNot always inscriçãoCorrect Portuguese: inscrição gravada, epígrafe | inscriçãoregistration or enrollmentNot | #partial overlapA university officer reading inscrição as inscription mistakes an enrollment for an engraving. |
| instancea particular example, case, or occurrence of somethingNot | instânciaa level of jurisdiction in the court system (trial versus appellate); also insistenceNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian lawyer saying a case was decided em primeira instância means it was ruled on by the trial court, not that it was settled in the first example that came up. |
| instrumenta formal legal document; also a tool or deviceNot always instrumentoCorrect Portuguese: instrumento (jurídico), documento, título; ferramenta | instrumentoa tool or musical instrument; also a legal instrumentNot always instrumentCorrect English: tool, device, musical instrument, legal instrument | #partial overlapA contracts lawyer should read 'instrumento' as the formal legal document, not a mere tool, when it appears in a power of attorney. |
| integralessential to completeness; forming a wholeNot | integralwhole-grain, wholemeal, or whole-fat (as in bread or milk)Not | #partial overlapAn American shopper in Sao Paulo who orders 'leite integral' gets whole milk, not some fancy 'integral' formula, and 'pao integral' is simply whole wheat bread. |
| intendto have as a purpose or planNot | entenderto understand or comprehendNot | #A drafter who reads 'the parties intend' as entender confuses what the parties plan to do with what they understand. |
| interdictionprohibition, or military interception of supply linesNot | interdiçãoa court declaration stripping a person of the capacity to manage their own affairs; also prohibition or closureNot | #partial overlapA family lawyer who reads interdição as a simple ban will miss that it is a ruling declaring a person legally incapable and appointing a guardian. |
| interestcuriosity or a stake; also money charged on a loan; also benefit, advantage, or concernNot always interesseCorrect Portuguese: interesse (curiosidade), juros (financeiro) | interessecuriosity, benefit, or stake, never loan chargesNot always interestCorrect English: interest (curiosity or stake) | #partial overlapA banker who translates loan interest as interesse leaves the Brazilian client thinking about curiosity instead of the juros piling up on the balance. |
| interiorthe inside of something, or the inner part of a building or vehicleNot always interiorCorrect Portuguese: interior, parte de dentro | interiorthe countryside, the inland part of a state, everywhere away from the capital and the coastNot | #partial overlapA council letterhead reading Capital e regiao and Interior 0800 is listing a phone line for the inland part of the state, not a department that deals with building interiors. |
| internto confine or detain, especially in wartimeNot | internarto admit someone to a hospital or commit to an institutionNot | #A case manager panicked reading that a Brazilian patient would be interned, since the record only meant the man was being admitted to the hospital. |
| internmentthe act of confining someone, especially during warNot | internaçãoadmission to and stay in a hospitalNot | #A claims adjuster denied coverage after seeing internação rendered as internment, missing that the bill was for a standard inpatient hospital stay. |
| intestatehaving died without a valid willNot | intestinothe intestine or bowelNot | #An estate translator who hears intestate as intestino turns a person who died without a will into an anatomy reference. |
| intimationa subtle hint or suggestionNot | intimaçãoan official summons or procedural notificationNot | #A litigant told he had received an intimation thought someone had hinted at something, when a court had formally served him. |
| intoxicateddrunk or under the influence of alcohol or drugs; also poisoned in medical usageNot | intoxicadopoisoned, as in food poisoningNot | #criticalpartial overlapA police report stating the driver was intoxicated means impaired by drink, which a clinician should not read as chemical poisoning. |
| intoxicationthe state of being drunk or on drugsNot | intoxicaçãopoisoning, especially food or chemical poisoningNot | #criticalpartial overlapA medical translator who reads intoxicação alimentar as food intoxication hides a poisoning diagnosis behind a word suggesting drunkenness. |
| introduceto present one person to anotherNot | introduzirto insert, put in, or bring inNot | #partial overlapA meeting transcript where the chair introduces a guest gets physical when a translator writes introduzir, which suggests inserting the person somewhere. |
| inventorya stock of goods; an itemized listNot always inventárioCorrect Portuguese: estoque, inventário (lista de bens) | inventárioprobate proceedings to settle a deceased's estate; also an itemized listNot always inventoryCorrect English: probate, estate settlement; inventory (list) | #criticalpartial overlapA translator who reads 'inventário' as inventory may miss that the document governs the probate of a deceased person's estate. |
| issueoffspring or descendants; also to emit a document; also problem, matter, or questionNot | issueas borrowed in Brazilian usage, a problem or matterNot | #partial overlapIn a will, 'issue' means the testator's descendants, not the problems a Brazilian reader assumes from the borrowed usage. |
| J | ||
| jara wide-mouthed container, usually glassNot | jarraa pitcher, jug, or vaseNot | #A recipe translator who reads jarra as jar swaps a pitcher for a storage jar. |
| journala scholarly periodical or a personal diaryNot | jornala newspaper; also a news broadcastNot | #partial overlapAn academic citing a journal who writes jornal downgrades a peer-reviewed periodical to a daily newspaper. |
| journeyan act of traveling from one place to anotherNot | jornadaa work shift or set of daily working hours; also an expedition; also journey or expeditionNot | #partial overlapAn HR analyst who translates jornada de trabalho as work journey instead of working hours can misstate a labor contract's overtime terms. |
| jubilationa feeling of great joy or triumphNot | jubilaçãocompulsory academic retirement or dismissal; also jubilation or rejoicingNot | #partial overlapA dean who reads jubilação in a Brazilian faculty record and writes jubilation misses that the professor was actually forced into retirement. |
| juntaa military or political group ruling after seizing powerNot always juntaCorrect Portuguese: junta militar, junta governativa | juntaa mechanical joint or gasket, or an expert board such as a medical panel; also a military or governing juntaNot always juntaCorrect English: joint, gasket; board, panel (as in junta médica) | #partial overlapAn engineer reading a Brazilian spec who takes junta as a ruling council will miss that it names the gasket sealing two flanged parts. |
| juridical persona rare civil-law rendering; not the ordinary US termNot always pessoa jurídicaCorrect Portuguese: pessoa jurídica | pessoa jurídicaa company or other body with its own legal personalityNot | #partial overlapJuridical person is genuine legal English and will not mislead a judge, but on an ordinary US filing a pessoa juridica reads more plainly as a legal entity. |
| jurisprudencethe theory or philosophy of law; in some usage, a body of court decisionsNot | jurisprudênciathe body of decided cases, settled case lawNot | #partial overlapA brief citing the jurisprudencia do STJ is relying on the court settled case law, not on anyone philosophy of law, though English jurisprudence does carry the case-law sense in civil-law writing. |
| justlyin a fair or deserved mannerNot | justamenteprecisely, exactly, right at that point; also fairly, justly, or deservedlyNot | #partial overlapA translator who renders justamente por isso as justly for this reason instead of precisely for this reason muddles the causal argument in the brief. |
| K | ||
| kitchenettea small compact kitchen or cooking areaNot | kitneta studio apartment with a single integrated roomNot | #A Brazilian rental ad for a kitnet is offering a whole studio apartment, so an American expecting just a tiny kitchen nook has misread the whole listing. |
| L | ||
| lacedelicate openwork fabric, or a shoelaceNot | laçoa bow, knot, loop, or bondNot | #A textile order for lace trim means the openwork fabric, not a decorative bow. |
| lampa light fixture or standing lightNot | lâmpadaa light bulbNot | #partial overlapA hardware translator who reads lâmpada as lamp orders a whole fixture when only a bulb was meant. |
| lapsethe failure of a gift or legacy in a will; a lapse; also an interval of time and a slip or failureNot always lapsoCorrect Portuguese: caducidade (do legado), decair; lapso, decurso | lapsoa lapse of time; a slip or errorNot always lapseCorrect English: lapse (of time), slip, error | #partial overlapAn estates lawyer should read a 'lapse' of a bequest as its legal failure, not merely a slip or the passage of time. |
| largebig in size or amountNot | largowide or broad; also a small town squareNot | #A spec sheet calling a part 'largo' describes its width, not the large overall size an English reader expects. |
| largelymostly, for the most partNot | largamentewidely, amply, abundantly, by a wide marginNot | #partial overlapIn Brazilian text largamente utilizado means widely used, not largely used in the sense of mostly. |
| latedeceased when placed before a name; or tardyNot always atrasadoCorrect Portuguese: falecido(a), o(a) extinto(a); atrasado, tardio | atrasadodelayed, tardy, behind scheduleNot always lateCorrect English: late, delayed, tardy | #partial overlapReferring to 'the late director' means the deceased director, not one who arrived late to the meeting. |
| launcha product release or the act of setting something in motionNot | lanchea snack or light mealNot | #A press release announcing a product launch reads like a coffee break when a translator writes lanche. |
| lecturean educational talk or addressNot | leituraa reading or the act of readingNot | #A professor invited to give a 'leitura' would be booked for a reading when a full lecture was intended. |
| legacyan outdated system still in use; also a bequest; also a lasting inherited effectNot always legadoCorrect Portuguese: legado (sistema antigo), sistema legado; legado (herança) | legadoa bequest or legacy; a legacy system; a papal legateNot always legacyCorrect English: legacy, bequest; legate | #partial overlapA CIO warning about a 'legado' system may be understood as talking about an inheritance rather than aging software. |
| legalpermitted by law; relating to the lawNot always legalCorrect Portuguese: legal, jurídico, lícito | legal(colloquial Brazil) cool, nice, great; also lawfulNot always legalCorrect English: cool, nice, great; (formal) legal | #partial overlapA Brazilian teen who says the party was legal means it was cool, so an American reading a client message might think they are discussing something lawful. |
| legatean official envoy or ambassador, especially a papal oneNot | legadoa legacy, bequest, or inheritanceNot | #In a diplomatic or ecclesiastical text a translator who reads legate as legado turns an envoy into an inheritance. |
| legateea person who receives a legacy under a willNot | legítimolegitimate, lawful, rightfulNot | #Confusing a legatee with a herdeiro legítimo mixes up someone named to receive a specific gift with a legal heir by law. |
| legenda traditional story or myth; a map or chart keyNot always legendaCorrect Portuguese: lenda, mito; legenda (de mapa) | legendaa subtitle, caption, or map keyNot always legendCorrect English: subtitle, caption; legend (map key) | #partial overlapA video editor asked to add a 'legenda' should produce subtitles, not a legend or myth. |
| legumea plant of the pea and bean family, or its seedNot | legumevegetable in generalNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian menu listing legumes promises mixed vegetables, so an American expecting only beans is surprised by carrots and zucchini. |
| lettera written message or communication; also an alphabetic characterNot | letraa letter of the alphabet; song lyrics; a bill of exchangeNot always letterCorrect English: letter (of alphabet), lyrics; bill (letra de câmbio) | #partial overlapA paralegal who reads 'letra' as letter may miss that it can mean a bill of exchange in a finance document. |
| libela published false statement damaging a person's reputationNot | libeloa written and articulated indictment stating what will be proven against a defendant; also defamatory writing or libelNot | #partial overlapA translator handling a criminal file who renders libelo as libel turns a prosecutor's formal charging document into a defamation claim. |
| librarya place that lends and holds booksNot | livrariaa bookstoreNot | #A student sent to the 'livraria' for a reserved text ends up at a bookstore instead of the library. |
| licenseofficial permission or a permitNot | licenciaturaan undergraduate degree qualifying one to teachNot | #An HR screener who reads 'licenciatura' as a license overlooks that it is a completed teaching degree. |
| lightnot heavy; the opposite of dark; illuminationNot | lighta food or drink with at least 25 percent less of some nutrient or caloriesNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian yogurt labeled light is a regulated reduced-calorie product, a stronger and more specific claim than an American shopper assumes from the loose word light. |
| liminalrelating to a transitional or threshold stageNot | liminara preliminary injunction or interim court orderNot | #A litigation associate translating a docket described a liminal order, when the Brazilian court had actually granted an urgent injunction. |
| limpto walk lamely; lacking firmness, floppyNot | limpocleanNot | #An American who sees limpo on a Brazilian kitchen sign should read clean, not assume something is limp or floppy. |
| liquidationwinding up a business and converting assets to cashNot always liquidaçãoCorrect Portuguese: liquidação (de empresa), dissolução | liquidaçãoa clearance sale at reduced prices, or settlement of a debt; also corporate winding upNot | #partial overlapA shopper who reads liquidação in a Brazilian store window as a company going under will miss that it simply advertises a clearance sale. |
| liquordistilled alcoholic spirits, hard liquorNot | licora sweet flavored liqueurNot | #partial overlapA customs declaration for liquor is understated when a translator writes licor, which names only sweet cordials and not spirits in general. |
| lividextremely angry; furious; also bluish, bruised, ashen, or pallidNot | lívidopale, ashen, or leaden in colorNot | #partial overlapA nurse charting that a Brazilian patient looks lívido means the patient is pallid and possibly in shock, not enraged. |
| livingthe present participle of to live; a livelihoodNot | livingthe combined living and dining room of a homeNot always livingCorrect English: living room; lounge area | #A Brazilian real estate listing praising the spacious living means a large lounge area, not something about how the residents earn a living. |
| localbelonging to a nearby area, or a nearby resident or pubNot always localCorrect Portuguese: local (adjetivo), da região | locala place, site, or venueNot | #partial overlapAn event planner who writes that the local was confirmed meaning the venue is booked will confuse English readers who expect a person or a neighborhood. |
| locationa place or positionNot | locaçãorental, lease, or hiringNot | #A real estate translator who reads contrato de locação as a location contract misses that it is a lease. |
| logoa graphic symbol identifying a brandNot | logosoon or shortly; also thereforeNot | #A brand manager reading a Brazilian brief that says 'logo entregamos' as 'logo we deliver' misses that it means the team delivers soon. |
| looka glance; the general appearance of someone or somethingNot | looka complete styled outfit or ensembleNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian fashion post that says put together a fall look means assemble a whole outfit, treating look as a countable garment set an American would not. |
| lunaticinsane; wildly foolish or recklessNot | lunáticomoody, temperamental, whimsical; also insane or crazyNot | #partial overlapDescribing a Brazilian client as 'lunático' reads as moody or temperamental, not the raving lunatic an English speaker means. |
| lunchthe midday mealNot | lanchea snack or light mealNot | #Inviting a colleague to a 'lanche' offers a quick snack, not the full lunch an English speaker expects. |
| luxurygreat comfort and expense, or an indulgenceNot | luxúrialust or lecheryNot | #A brochure touting a luxury resort promises comfort and opulence, not the deadly sin of lust. |
| M | ||
| magazinea periodical publicationNot | magazinea large department storeNot | #A translator who reads magazine in a Brazilian store name as a magazine misses that it names a department store. |
| majora student's principal field of study; also main or greaterNot | maiorbigger, greater; older; of legal ageNot | #partial overlapAn admissions officer who reads 'maior' as an academic major misses that it just means bigger or older. |
| mandatean official order or authorization; a term of elected officeNot | mandadoa judicial order, warrant, or writNot | #partial overlapA federal officer read a Brazilian mandado de prisão as a political mandate, missing that it was an arrest warrant issued by a judge. |
| mandatean authoritative command; a commission to act; a term of officeNot always mandatoCorrect Portuguese: mandato; ordem, determinação, incumbência | mandatoa power of attorney or agency relationship; an elected term of officeNot always mandateCorrect English: power of attorney, agency; term of office; mandate | #partial overlapA litigator reading 'mandato' should check whether it means a power of attorney or an elected term of office before choosing mandate. |
| manifestationa sign or symptom that something existsNot | manifestaçãoa public protest or street demonstration; also expression, sign, statement, or formal legal submissionNot | #partial overlapA news report about a manifestação in São Paulo means a street protest, not a ghostly manifestation. |
| marto spoil, damage, or detract from somethingNot | marthe sea or oceanNot | #An American editor who writes that a typo will mar the report confuses Brazilian readers who only know mar as the sea. |
| marginalminor, insignificant, at the edgeNot always marginalCorrect Portuguese: marginal (secundário), insignificante, periférico | marginala criminal, outlaw, or thug who lives outside the law; also peripheral, minor, or at the marginNot | #partial overlapA journalist who describes a suspect as a marginal in English coverage will be read as calling him minor rather than branding him an outlaw. |
| marital statusformal civil status such as single, married, divorced, or widowedNot | situação maritalone's conjugal or cohabitation situation, not the official civil statusNot | #partial overlapA form that asks for 'situação marital' instead of estado civil may collect cohabitation details rather than the official civil status. |
| marmaladea citrus preserve, usually made from orangesNot | marmeladaquince jam; also slang for a rigged or sweetheart dealNot | #A food importer who labels Brazilian marmelada as marmalade mislabels a quince product and confuses every American shopper expecting oranges. |
| mascaraa cosmetic applied to darken and thicken eyelashesNot | máscaraa maskNot | #A cosmetics label translator who renders mascara as máscara has shoppers looking for a face covering instead of eyelash color. |
| massa large amount; physical mass; a religious serviceNot always massaCorrect Portuguese: grande quantidade; massa (física); missa | massadough; pasta; (slang) great, cool; also physical mass or a large body or amountNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian restaurant serving massa is bringing pasta, which trips up an American who reads it as physical mass. |
| matriculationthe act of formally enrolling at a universityNot always matrículaCorrect Portuguese: matrícula (ato de se inscrever), ingresso | matrículaan enrollment or student ID number; a property record number at the land registry; also the act of enrollingNot | #partial overlap'Matricula n. 2019103455' on a transcript is the student number, and 'matricula do imovel' is the land registry record for a property. Both are identifiers; matriculation names the act of enrolling, so it cannot carry a number. |
| matrixa rectangular array of numbers or a surrounding mediumNot always matrizCorrect Portuguese: matriz (matematica), meio | matrizthe headquarters or parent company relative to its branches; also a mathematical matrixNot | #partial overlapA consultant reading matriz on a Brazilian org chart as a spreadsheet grid will miss that it names the head office controlling every filial. |
| matterphysical substance; an issue or subject to deal withNot always matériaCorrect Portuguese: matéria (física/substância), assunto, questão | matériaa news story or article; a school subject; material or substanceNot | #partial overlapA journalist who calls their article a matter in English leaves editors guessing, because the Portuguese matéria means a news story. |
| mayorthe elected head of a city or town governmentNot | maiorbigger, larger, greater; of legal ageNot | #A consular clerk reading maior as the mayor missed that the applicant was simply of legal age, which is what maior de idade records. |
| mediamass communication channels; plural of mediumNot | médiaaverage or mean; a medium coffeeNot | #A PR analyst who reports strong média results confuses American clients who read the average of something rather than press coverage. |
| mediationa neutral third party's intervention to help settle a disputeNot | meaçãoa spouse's one-half share of jointly owned marital propertyNot | #In a Brazilian divorce or estate file meação is the spouse's half of the assets, so translating it as mediation invents a proceeding that is not there. |
| medicinea drug, or the science of healingNot always medicinaCorrect Portuguese: remédio; medicina | medicinathe field or profession of medicine only, not a drugNot always medicineCorrect English: medicine as a field | #partial overlapA pharmacist who reads medicina as medicine may look for a drug when the text meant the medical profession. |
| mediummiddle in size or degree, or a means of communicationNot always médioCorrect Portuguese: médio (tamanho), meio (de comunicação) | médiomiddle or average; and in 'ensino medio', secondary schoolNot always mediumCorrect English: average, medium; and (ensino medio) high school, secondary education | #partial overlap'Ensino medio' is high school, the final three years before university, and a US registrar reading medium education cannot place the applicant. The size and average senses are ordinary cognates, so only the schooling phrase is the trap. |
| memberan owner of an LLC; a member of a group or governing bodyNot always membroCorrect Portuguese: sócio (de LLC), associado, membro (de órgão) | membroa member of a group or body; a limb of the bodyNot always memberCorrect English: member, limb | #partial overlapCalling an LLC member just a membro can hide the fact that this person actually owns a stake in the company. |
| metaself-referential or about its own categoryNot | metaa goal, target, or finish lineNot | #A management consultant translating 'as metas do trimestre' as 'the meta of the quarter' should write 'the targets for the quarter'. |
| ministerto attend to someone's needs; to give care or aidNot | ministrarto teach or deliver a class, course, or lecture; to administer (medicine, formal)Not | #A course catalog translator who reads 'ministrar aula' as 'minister' misses that a professor is teaching the class. |
| minutesthe official written record of a meetingNot | minutaa draft of a documentNot | #A paralegal who files a minuta when asked for the minutes hands over a rough draft instead of the official meeting record. |
| miserygreat unhappiness or emotional sufferingNot | misériaextreme poverty and destitution; also a pittance; also wretchedness, unhappiness, or sufferingNot | #partial overlapAn aid report that translates viver na miséria as living in misery softens a statement about crushing poverty into mere sadness. |
| moisturedampness, small amounts of waterNot | misturaa mixture or blendNot | #A food label translator who reads mistura as moisture reports dampness where the text listed a blend. |
| molea small burrowing mammal; a skin blemish; a planted spyNot | molesoft, mushy; (slang) easyNot | #A Brazilian cook saying the avocado is mole means it is soft, which confuses an American who pictures the burrowing animal. |
| molestto sexually assault, especially a childNot always molestarCorrect Portuguese: abusar sexualmente de, molestar | molestarto bother, annoy, or harass; to disturbNot | #criticalpartial overlapA witness statement saying someone was molestado may describe mere harassment, so translating it as molested can invent a sex crime that never happened. |
| molestto bother, or to assault sexuallyNot | moléstiaa disease or illnessNot | #A clinician who reads moléstia in a Brazilian chart as molestation will gravely misread a note that simply records a patient's illness. |
| mootno longer requiring a decision because it has no practical effect; hypothetical (moot court)Not | discutíveldebatable, arguable, open to discussionNot | #Telling a client their claim is moot means the court will not hear it, not that it is merely open to debate. |
| moral damagesin civil-law English, non-pecuniary damages; in US practice the phrase is not usedNot always dano moralCorrect Portuguese: dano moral, dano extrapatrimonial | dano moralnon-pecuniary harm: injury to feelings, reputation or dignity rather than to propertyNot always moral damagesCorrect English: non-economic damages, non-pecuniary damages; moral damages (standard rendering of a Brazilian judgment); pain and suffering where that is the claim | #partial overlapA claims adjuster who reads dano moral as damage to someone morals misses that the claim is for injury to feelings, reputation or dignity. |
| morosegloomy, sullen, ill-temperedNot | morososlow, sluggish, prone to delayNot | #A lawyer describing a Brazilian court as moroso means it is slow, but an American reader hearing morose thinks the court is depressed. |
| motea tiny speck of dustNot | motea theme or short verse used as a starting point; a mottoNot | #A columnist who takes a quote as the mote of an article is using it as the theme, not describing a speck of dust. |
| motela roadside hotel for travelersNot | motela pay-by-the-hour hotel for sexual encountersNot always motelCorrect English: love motel | #partial overlapA travel writer who books a motel in Brazil for a family sends them to a sex hotel. |
| motiona formal application asking a court to rule on something; a proposal put to a deliberative body; movementNot always moçãoCorrect Portuguese: petição, requerimento (ao juízo); moção (em assembleia); movimento | moçãoa formal proposal or resolution put to a deliberative assemblyNot always motionCorrect English: motion (in an assembly), resolution | #partial overlapA lawyer who files a moção in a US court instead of a motion is reaching for a legislative resolution rather than a request for a ruling. |
| motorista person driving a private car, as opposed to a pedestrianNot always motoristaCorrect Portuguese: motorista, condutor, automobilista | motoristaa driver, including a professional driver or chauffeurNot | #partial overlapAn accident report that calls a professional bus driver a mere motorist can understate that driving was actually the person's job. |
| mottoa slogan or guiding maximNot | motomotorcycleNot | #An American who spots moto in a Brazilian ad is looking at a motorcycle, not a company motto. |
| mundanedull, ordinary, routineNot | mundanoworldly, secular, of high societyNot | #A columnist who translates vida mundana as a mundane life turns a glamorous socialite existence into something boring. |
| N | ||
| naturalnessthe quality of being natural or unaffectedNot always naturalidadeCorrect Portuguese: naturalidade (espontaneidade), espontaneidade | naturalidadea person's place of birth; also naturalness or ease of mannerNot always naturalnessCorrect English: place of birth; naturalness | #partial overlapA clerk who reads naturalidade on a Brazilian ID as naturalness will miss that the field actually states where the person was born. |
| nervousanxious, worried, or apprehensiveNot | nervosooften angry, irritated, or worked up; also anxious, worried, or nervousNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian client who says esta nervoso is usually saying he is angry, so treating him as merely nervous can misread a tense negotiation. |
| no breaka lack of pause or interruptionNot | nobreakan uninterruptible power supply battery backupNot | #A Brazilian IT tech who says the server needs a nobreak is ordering a UPS battery unit, not talking about skipping a coffee break. |
| nominationthe act of proposing someone as a candidate for election or an awardNot | nomeaçãothe act or instrument of appointing someone to an office, post or roleNot | #partial overlapA credentials examiner treated a termo de nomeacao as a nomination and recorded the officer as merely proposed, when the document appointed him. |
| notary publica US official who witnesses signatures and administers oathsNot always tabeliãoCorrect Portuguese: notary public; tabelião (equivalência imperfeita) | tabeliãoa civil-law notary who drafts and authenticates deeds and legal instrumentsNot | #partial overlapAssuming a US notary public can do what a Brazilian tabelião does leads clients to expect deeds and authentications the American officer cannot provide. |
| notea short written record; a musical toneNot always notaCorrect Portuguese: anotação, nota (musical), bilhete | notaa school grade or mark; a banknote; an invoice (nota fiscal); also a written note and a musical noteNot | #partial overlapA transcript that turns a student's nota into a note erases the grade the record was meant to show. |
| notebooka bound set of blank pages for writing by handNot | notebooka laptop computerNot | #partial overlapA purchase order for a notebook may bring a paper pad in the US and a laptop in Brazil, throwing off the budget line entirely. |
| notesshort written records, or annotationsNot | notasgrades or marks for coursework; also written notes, annotations, musical notes, banknotes, and in notas fiscais, invoicesNot always notesCorrect English: grades, scores; notes, annotations; invoices (notas fiscais); banknotes | #partial overlapA parent uploading a school record labelled the notas column as notes, and the US registrar could not find the grades. In a company file the same word on notas fiscais means invoices. |
| noticea formal notification or warning; to perceiveNot | notícianews; a piece of newsNot | #Serving a notícia instead of a notice means a party gets a news blurb where the law demanded a formal notification. |
| notoriousfamous or well known for something badNot | notóriowidely known or evident, with neutral or positive connotationNot | #partial overlapDescribing an expert as notorious in English brands them a scandal, even though the Portuguese notório was praising how well known they are. |
| novela long work of prose fiction; (adjective) new and originalNot | novelaa soap opera or serialized TV drama; a novellaNot | #partial overlapA rights contract for a novela covers a soap opera, not the novel an English reader assumes they are licensing. |
| O | ||
| obsequiousexcessively eager to please or obey, fawningNot | obséquioa favor, kindness, or courtesyNot | #A guest who asks a Rio hotel clerk for an obséquio is politely requesting a favor, not accusing the staff of being fawning. |
| officea room or building where administrative or professional work is doneNot | oficinaa workshop or garage for repairs and manual workNot | #A logistics manager who tells a Brazilian vendor to deliver the parts to the oficina will have them routed to the repair garage instead of the head office. |
| officea position or role; a place where work is doneNot | ofícioan official letter or dispatch; a trade or craft; also an office, function, duty, or religious serviceNot | #partial overlapAnswering a court that requested an ofício with details about an office sends information about a workplace instead of the official letter demanded. |
| office boya junior worker doing minor in-house office tasksNot | office boyan external errand runner and courier for a companyNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian firm sending the office boy to the bank means an outside courier running errands around town, not an intern filing papers at a desk. |
| officera company executive; a police or military officerNot always oficialCorrect Portuguese: administrador, diretor (de empresa); policial; oficial (militar) | oficiala military officer; a court bailiff (oficial de justiça); (adjective) officialNot always officerCorrect English: military officer, court bailiff; official | #partial overlapIntroducing a corporate officer as an oficial can suggest a bailiff or army rank rather than a company executive. |
| officiousintrusively offering unwanted help or asserting petty authorityNot | oficiosounofficial, informal, semi-official, off the recordNot | #A diplomat who reports an oficioso statement as an officious one turns a helpful off the record briefing into a description of a meddling bureaucrat. |
| onusa burden or responsibilityNot always ônusCorrect Portuguese: ônus, encargo, responsabilidade | ônusa burden; a legal encumbrance or charge on property; the burden of proofNot | #partial overlapA title report that lists an ônus is flagging a lien on the property, not just an informal burden. |
| orationa formal public speechNot | oraçãoa prayer, or a grammatical sentence or clauseNot | #A translator subtitling a graduation oration slips into religion if the word lands as oração, a prayer. |
| ordinaryusual, normal, commonplaceNot | ordináriovulgar, despicable, of low quality; (formal) regular or ordinaryNot always ordinaryCorrect English: vulgar, despicable, base; (formal) ordinary, regular | #partial overlapPraising a supplier's work as ordinário in Brazil calls it cheap and contemptible, the opposite of the routine quality the English speaker meant. |
| outdoorlocated or happening outsideNot | outdoora large roadside billboardNot | #An ad agency brief that keeps the Portuguese outdoor as English outdoor loses that it means a billboard buy. |
| P | ||
| panea single sheet of glass in a windowNot | panea sudden mechanical breakdown or failureNot | #A maintenance report noting a pane on the assembly line reads to a Brazilian engineer as a full equipment breakdown, not a broken window glass. |
| panela flat board or section; a group of experts or a discussionNot | panelaa cooking pot or panNot | #A Brazilian chef asking for the panela wants a cooking pot, not a panel of judges. |
| paradea public procession or marchNot | paradaa stop, halt, or bus stop; also a parade or processionNot | #partial overlapA tourist told to wait at the parada should look for the bus stop, not for a parade to pass by. |
| parcela wrapped package; a plot of landNot | parcelaan installment payment; a portion or shareNot | #partial overlapA finance clause that promises to pay a parcela commits the client to an installment, not to delivering a parcel. |
| parenta mother or fatherNot | parentea relative or kin of any kindNot | #A benefits form that lists a parente as a parent may enroll a distant cousin as if they were the applicant's mother or father. |
| parentsone's mother and fatherNot | parentesrelatives, kinNot | #Inviting the applicant's parentes when the form asked for parents opens the door to every relative instead of just mother and father. |
| particularspecific; individual; fussy about detailsNot | particularprivate, personal, privately owned; also specific or particular, including em particularNot | #partial overlapAsking a Brazilian for a particular document may get you a private one, since particular there means personal rather than specific. |
| partnera co-owner or member of a business firmNot | parceiroa collaborator, teammate, or companion; also a business or romantic partnerNot always partnerCorrect English: collaborator, partner (informal), companion | #partial overlapCalling a mere parceiro a partner can imply firm ownership and profit sharing that the collaboration never included. |
| partnershipa business partnership, a legal form of jointly owned entityNot | parceriaa collaboration or alliance between partiesNot always partnershipCorrect English: collaboration, alliance, partnership (informal) | #partial overlapSigning a parceria when a partnership was intended creates a loose alliance rather than the jointly owned legal entity. |
| partya person or entity in a contract or lawsuit; a political party; a social celebrationNot always partidoCorrect Portuguese: parte (contratante ou no processo); partido (político); festa | partidoa political party; (past participle) split or brokenNot always partyCorrect English: political party; broken, split | #partial overlapTranslating a contract's party as partido drags a political party into an agreement that only meant the signing side. |
| passagea way through, a section of text, or the act of passingNot always passagemCorrect Portuguese: passagem (corredor), trecho, travessia | passagemalso a travel ticket or fare; also corridor, textual passage, transit, or journeyNot | #partial overlapA travel agent who tells an English client the passagem is confirmed meaning the plane ticket is booked may be misread as talking about a corridor or a text excerpt. |
| passiveaccepting or allowing what happens without active responseNot always passivoCorrect Portuguese: passivo (que sofre ação), inerte | passivoin accounting, the liabilities side of a balance sheet; also passive or inactiveNot | #partial overlapAn auditor who reads passivo as passive behavior will misread a Brazilian balance sheet where it lists everything the company owes. |
| pastaan Italian food made from dough, such as noodlesNot | pastaa folder or file folder; a briefcase; a ministerial portfolioNot | #An email asking a Brazilian colleague to send the pasta wants a folder of files, not lunch. |
| pastela pale, soft color, or a chalky art crayonNot always pastelCorrect Portuguese: tom pastel, cor suave, giz pastel | pastela deep fried savory pastry turnoverNot | #partial overlapA caterer who lists pastel on an English menu expecting to signal a color scheme will instead be promising a plate of fried snacks. |
| pastora Christian minister in charge of a congregationNot always pastorCorrect Portuguese: pastor (religioso) | pastora shepherd; also the German shepherd dog breedNot | #partial overlapThe ad offered a filhote de pastor, meaning a German shepherd puppy, which an English reader misread as a young clergyman. |
| patentan exclusive legal right to an inventionNot always patenteCorrect Portuguese: patente (de invenção) | patentea military rank or officer's commissionNot | #partial overlapThe veteran mentioned his patente, meaning his military rank, not a patent he had filed at the office. |
| patrimonyan estate inherited from one's father or ancestorsNot always patrimônioCorrect Portuguese: herança, patrimônio herdado | patrimônioa company's or person's total net worth or equityNot | #partial overlapA financial reviewer who reads patrimônio líquido as inherited estate will miss that it means shareholders equity on the statements. |
| patrona regular customer or a sponsor of an institutionNot | patrãoan employer or bossNot | #A marketing translator who calls loyal patrons patroes suddenly makes every customer the company owner. |
| pena writing instrument; an enclosure for animalsNot | penafeather; pity; a criminal penalty or sentenceNot | #partial overlapA tourist asking a Brazilian shopkeeper for a pena instead of a caneta may get a puzzled look since pena means feather or pity. |
| pen drivenot a standard English term; sounds like a drive shaped like a penNot always pen driveCorrect Portuguese: pen drive não e termo inglês corrente | pen drivea USB flash driveNot | #A Brazilian who asks to borrow your pen drive wants a USB flash drive, a term an American would more naturally call a thumb drive. |
| pensiona regular payment made to a person after retirementNot always pensãoCorrect Portuguese: aposentadoria, pensão de reforma | pensãoa boarding house or guesthouse; also alimony or a survivor's benefitNot | #partial overlapA relocation agent who books a client into a pensão thinking of retirement income will actually be reserving a room in a small boarding house. |
| per stirpesinheritance distribution by branch, where a deceased heir's share passes to their descendantsNot always estirpeCorrect Portuguese: por estirpe, por representação | estirpelineage, stock, or family branchNot | #Reading per stirpes as a simple mention of estirpe can hide that a deceased heir's share must pass down to their own children. |
| perioda full stop punctuation mark, also menstruationNot | períodoa span or stretch of timeNot always periodCorrect English: period of time, era | #partial overlapAn American teacher telling a Brazilian kid to end the sentence with a period should say ponto final, because período only names a stretch of time. |
| personagean important or distinguished personNot | personagema fictional character in a story or playNot | #A screenwriter describing a personagem means a fictional character, not some grand personage attending a gala. |
| personalbelonging to or affecting one particular person, privateNot always pessoalCorrect Portuguese: pessoal, particular, privado | pessoalas a noun, the staff or personnel of an organization; as an adjective, personalNot always personalCorrect English: staff, personnel (noun); personal (adjective) | #partial overlap'O pessoal da empresa' is the company's staff, and 'departamento pessoal' is the HR or personnel department, not a personal department. The adjective is a true cognate, so only the noun is a trap. |
| petulantchildishly sulky, peevish, bad-temperedNot | petulanteinsolent, cheeky, arrogant, cockyNot | #An HR manager who calls a candidate petulante meaning brazen and arrogant will mislead English colleagues who picture a merely sulky, pouting person. |
| phosphorusthe chemical element PNot always fósforoCorrect Portuguese: fósforo (elemento) | fósforoa match or matchstick; also phosphorusNot always phosphorusCorrect English: match, matchstick; phosphorus | #partial overlapA Brazilian asking for a fósforo to light the grill wants a matchstick, not the chemical element phosphorus. |
| phrasea small group of words forming a unit, or a set expressionNot | frasea complete sentenceNot | #A linguistics translator who equates phrase with frase blurs the grammatical line between a phrase and a full sentence. |
| physical personnot an English legal term; reads as a person who is physicalNot always pessoa físicaCorrect Portuguese: não se aplica; use pessoa física | pessoa físicaa natural person, a human being, as opposed to a companyNot | #partial overlapA bank compliance officer reading pessoa fisica as a physical person paused over a category that does not exist in US law, where the applicant is simply an individual. |
| physiciana medical doctorNot | físicoa physicist; (adjective) physical; one's physiqueNot | #A hospital form that lists a físico as the treating physician has recorded a physicist where a medical doctor belongs. |
| pipea tube or a smoking pipeNot | pipaa kite, and also a large wine caskNot | #A kid on a Recife beach flying a pipa is flying a kite, so do not expect any plumbing or tobacco. |
| plaintiffthe party who brings a lawsuitNot | planoa plan; (adjective) flat or levelNot | #Mistaking plaintiff for a lookalike such as plano leaves a translator unsure who filed the suit, when the word simply names the party bringing the case. |
| planta living organism or an industrial facilityNot always plantaCorrect Portuguese: planta (vegetal), fábrica, usina | plantaa floor plan or architectural blueprintNot | #partial overlapAn engineer asked for the planta of a building who delivers landscaping or a factory will miss that the client wanted the floor plan. |
| plaquea commemorative plate or a deposit on teeth or arteriesNot always placaCorrect Portuguese: placa comemorativa, placa (dentária) | placaa board, panel, sheet, sign, or license plateNot | #partial overlapA hardware buyer who reads placa-mae as some kind of plaque will miss that it is the motherboard of a computer. |
| pleadto make a formal statement in court, such as to plead guilty; to beg earnestlyNot | pleitearto apply for, seek, or contend for somethingNot | #partial overlapA brief that says the client will pleitear guilt misfires, since pleitear means to seek or apply for, not to enter a plea. |
| pleadinga formal written submission filed in a lawsuitNot | pleitearto apply for, seek, or contend for somethingNot | #partial overlapConfusing the noun pleading with the verb pleitear can turn a filed court document into a vague act of requesting something. |
| polemica strong verbal or written attack on an opinionNot | polêmicaa controversy or heated public debateNot | #partial overlapCalling a report a polemic in English marks it as a one-sided attack, while the Portuguese polêmica just flags a public controversy. |
| policya guideline or course of action; an insurance contractNot | policiala police officer; (adjective) police-related; the crime or detective genreNot | #A catalog that files a romance policial under company policy mixes a detective novel into the compliance manual. |
| policya guideline or course of action; an insurance contractNot | políciathe police forceNot | #An insurance email about a policy read as polícia sends a client looking for the police instead of their coverage terms. |
| pomadea scented greasy dressing used to style the hairNot always pomadaCorrect Portuguese: pomada para cabelo, brilhantina | pomadaa medicinal ointment or salve applied to the skinNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian at a US pharmacy asking for pomade for a rash gets pointed to the hair aisle, because in English pomade grooms your hair while pomada in Portuguese is the healing cream you rub on skin. |
| porta harbor, or a fortified wineNot | portaa doorNot | #partial overlapA translator who reads porta as port turns a doorway into a shipping harbor. |
| possea group deputized to help, or an informal gang or crewNot | possethe act of taking office, an inauguration; also possession or tenureNot | #News from Brasilia announced the governor's posse, and a US editor imagined an armed posse rather than a swearing in ceremony. |
| potencystrength, efficacy, or virilityNot always potênciaCorrect Portuguese: potência (forca), eficacia | potênciapower output measured in watts or horsepowerNot | #partial overlapA buyer reading potência do motor as engine potency will miss that the spec states the motor's power output in watts. |
| prayera formal request, especially the part of a pleading asking the court to grant reliefNot | precea religious prayer or supplicationNot always prayerCorrect English: prayer, supplication | #partial overlapA Brazilian lawyer reading an American complaint may take the prayer for relief as a religious invocation instead of the section listing what the plaintiff wants from the court. |
| precatoryexpressing a wish or recommendation rather than a binding commandNot | precatórioa court order requiring a government entity to pay an adjudicated debtNot | #Calling a clause precatory tells a court it is only a suggestion, so a translator who links it to a Brazilian precatório wrongly implies an enforceable payment order. |
| preclusionthe act of preventing or shutting outNot | preclusãoloss of a procedural right for failing to exercise it within the legal windowNot | #partial overlapA civil procedure specialist who treats preclusão as generic prevention misses that a Brazilian party has permanently forfeited a step by missing its deadline. |
| prefecta supervisory or administrative official; in schools, a senior student given authorityNot | prefeitothe elected head of a municipality; a mayorNot | #Rendering prefeito as prefect can strip an elected mayor of his actual office in an official bio or a news report. |
| prefecturea regional administrative division, as in Japan or FranceNot always prefeituraCorrect Portuguese: prefeitura (divisao administrativa regional) | prefeiturathe city hall or municipal government of a Brazilian townNot | #partial overlapA reporter covering Brazil who writes that a decision came from the prefeitura is describing the local city hall, not a sprawling provincial prefecture like Japan's. |
| prejudiceharm or detriment to a legal right; also an unfavorable biasNot always preconceitoCorrect Portuguese: prejuízo (dano jurídico); (sentido de viés) preconceito | preconceitoan unfavorable bias against a person or groupNot always prejudiceCorrect English: prejudice, bias, bigotry | #partial overlapTranslating dismissed with prejudice as anything about preconceito hides that the plaintiff can never refile the same claim. |
| prejudicea preconceived bias, or in law harm or detriment to legal rightsNot always prejuízoCorrect Portuguese: preconceito; (jur.) prejuízo a direitos | prejuízofinancial loss, damage or detrimentNot always prejudiceCorrect English: financial loss, damage, detriment; and in "sem prejuízo de", without prejudice to | #criticalpartial overlapA contract clause opening sem prejuizo de is saying without prejudice to, not that anyone holds a bias, and prejuizo elsewhere is plain financial loss. |
| prescribeto order a medicine or lay down a ruleNot | prescreverto lapse or become time-barred; also to prescribe medicine, and to lay down a ruleNot always prescribeCorrect English: to lapse, to become time-barred; also to prescribe (medicine), to lay down (a rule) | #criticalpartial overlapA paralegal reading a pretensao prescreveu as a doctor prescribing something missed that the claim had become time-barred. |
| prescriptiona doctor's written order for medicineNot | prescriçãothe statute of limitations; loss of a right by lapse of time; also a medical prescriptionNot | #partial overlapA litigation translator wrote that the crime had a prescription, confusing the American lawyer who did not realize the case was barred by the statute of limitations. |
| presentlysoon or shortly; in American usage also currentlyNot | presentementeat the present time; currentlyNot | #partial overlapA status update saying a fix will ship presently can be read as already done rather than coming soon, throwing off a project timeline. |
| presentsin legal usage, the present document, as in by these presents; in everyday use, giftsNot always presentesCorrect Portuguese: o presente instrumento, este documento; (comum) presentes, dádivas | presentesgifts; or the people who are presentNot always presentsCorrect English: gifts, presents; those present | #partial overlapIn a power of attorney, know all men by these presents refers to the document itself, not to any gifts the grantor is handing out. |
| preservativea substance that keeps food from spoilingNot | preservativoa condomNot | #A food label translator who renders sem conservantes using preservativo claims the product contains no condoms. |
| pressthe news media; also to pushNot | pressahurry, hasteNot | #A press officer who writes that the pressa is waiting outside makes American editors picture urgency rather than a crowd of reporters at the door. |
| presumedassumed or supposed to be true without proofNot | presuntoham (salted and cured pork)Not | #A tourist reading a Brazilian sandwich menu might expect something legal-sounding when 'presunto' just means the ham slices inside the bread. |
| pretendto feign or make believeNot | pretenderto intend, plan, or aim to do somethingNot | #A statement saying the party pretende to appeal means it intends to, so writing pretends flips a firm plan into fakery. |
| prevaricateto speak or act evasively, to avoid telling the truthNot | prevaricarfor a public official to betray the duties of office, a specific crimeNot | #criticalA prosecutor who translates prevaricou as the official prevaricated softens a criminal breach of public duty into mere evasive testimony. |
| preventto stop something from happeningNot | prevenirto warn in advance, to forewarn; also to preventNot always preventCorrect English: to warn, to forewarn; to prevent | #partial overlapA neighbor who calls to prevenir you is warning you in advance, not preventing you from doing something. |
| principalthe person who grants authority to an agent; the main sum of a loan; a school headNot always principalCorrect Portuguese: outorgante, mandante (procuração); capital/principal (dívida); diretor (escola) | principalmain, chief, or primary; the main thingNot always principalCorrect English: main, chief, primary, principal | #partial overlapIn a power of attorney the principal is the person granting authority, not the main clause, and mixing this up misassigns who is bound. |
| printto produce text or images on paper; a printed copyNot | printa screen capture, a screenshotNot | #A Brazilian coworker who tells you to send the print of the error is asking for a screenshot on your phone, not a paper copy from the office printer. |
| prizean award or reward for victory or excellenceNot | preçoprice or costNot | #A marketing brief that swaps prize and preço can turn a giveaway award into a price tag and confuse the whole promotion. |
| probatethe court process of proving a will and administering an estateNot | provarto prove, to test, or to taste foodNot | #Assuming probate simply means to prove leads a translator to miss that it is the court process of validating a will and settling an estate. |
| processto handle, deal with, or treat data or materialsNot always processarCorrect Portuguese: processar (dados); tramitar | processarto sue or prosecute; also to processNot | #partial overlapA legal translator reading 'a empresa vai processar o fornecedor' as 'the company will process the supplier' misses that the company will sue the supplier. |
| processa series of steps; in law, the summons or writ by which a court asserts jurisdiction (service of process)Not always processoCorrect Portuguese: processo (procedimento); (service of process) citação, mandado | processoa lawsuit or legal case; the case file; a procedureNot always processCorrect English: lawsuit, legal case, proceedings; process | #criticalpartial overlapService of process is the delivery of a summons, so equating it with the entire processo can misstate whether a defendant was ever properly notified. |
| procuratora manager or agent acting for another; in some systems a public prosecutor or fiscal officerNot always procuradorCorrect Portuguese: procurador (agente/administrador); (Escócia) promotor | procuradoran attorney-in-fact or legal representative; a public prosecutor (Procurador da República)Not | #partial overlapA procurador can be a private attorney-in-fact or a public prosecutor, and guessing the wrong one can misidentify a party's role in a filing. |
| procureto obtain or acquire, especially with effortNot | procurarto look for, to seek, to searchNot | #A procurement clause that says the vendor will procure goods promises delivery, not merely a search, unlike procurar. |
| professora senior academic rank at a universityNot always professorCorrect Portuguese: professor universitário titular, catedrático | professora teacher at any level, from primary school through universityNot always professorCorrect English: teacher, instructor; (university) professor | #partial overlapListing a Brazilian high school professor as a university professor inflates credentials on an academic CV. |
| profferto offer or put forward for acceptanceNot | proferirto utter or pronounce aloud, to deliver a rulingNot | #A judge who will proferir a sentence is going to pronounce it aloud, not proffer a settlement offer. |
| prolean insulting term for a working-class person, short for proletarianNot | proleone's offspring or descendantsNot | #A Brazilian proud of his prole is talking about his kids, not disparaging the working class. |
| promotera person who organizes or funds an event or ventureNot | promotora public prosecutor (in Brazil)Not | #partial overlapA journalist covering a Brazilian trial called the promotor an event promoter, when the man was the public prosecutor arguing the case. |
| promotionadvancement in rank; a marketing campaignNot always promoçãoCorrect Portuguese: promoção (cargo), campanha | promoçãoa sale or discount offerNot | #partial overlapA retail manager who emails American HQ that the store is in promoção usually means a clearance sale, not that someone got a job title bump. |
| proofevidence that establishes a truthNot always provaCorrect Portuguese: prova, comprovação | provaa school test or exam, and also a race or a fittingNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian student who is nervous about her prova tomorrow means an exam, not gathering legal proof. |
| propagandabiased or misleading information promoting a political cause or viewpointNot always propagandaCorrect Portuguese: propaganda política, propaganda ideológica, doutrinação | propagandaadvertising, commercials, or publicityNot | #partial overlapA media buyer who reads propaganda as neutral advertising misses that the English word carries a manipulative, political charge. |
| properappropriate, correct, or fittingNot | próprioone's own, belonging to oneselfNot | #partial overlapA style guide demanding proper formatting gets muddled when a translator writes próprio, which points to ownership rather than correctness. |
| propertysomething owned; real estate; an attribute or characteristicNot always propriedadeCorrect Portuguese: propriedade (bem), imóvel, atributo | propriedadeownership or property; an attribute; also appropriateness or aptness (falar com propriedade)Not always propertyCorrect English: property, ownership; property, attribute; appropriateness, aptness | #partial overlapPraise that someone spoke com propriedade means aptly and with authority, not that they discussed real estate. |
| propitiateto appease or placate someoneNot | propiciarto provide, favor, or enable somethingNot | #partial overlapAn American translator seeing propiciar in a Brazilian text usually means to enable or provide, not the narrow English sense of propitiate meaning to appease. |
| proprietaryprivately owned and controlled, exclusive to one companyNot | proprietáriothe owner of something, a property holderNot | #partial overlapA software vendor translating a spec into English who calls the account holder the proprietary instead of the owner will confuse every reader of the licensing terms. |
| prospecta potential customer; an outlook or likelihoodNot | prospectoa brochure, leaflet, or prospectusNot | #partial overlapA sales director who asks a Brazilian team to log every prospecto will collect stacks of brochures instead of leads on potential buyers. |
| protocola set of rules or diplomatic etiquetteNot always protocoloCorrect Portuguese: protocolo (regras) | protocoloan official filing receipt or registration number for a documentNot | #partial overlapA clerk who tells an American applicant to keep the protocolo means the office filing number, not some formal set of diplomatic rules. |
| providencethe protective care of God or nature, or prudent foresightNot always providênciaCorrect Portuguese: providência divina, previdência, prudência | providênciaa measure or step taken to resolve a matterNot | #partial overlapA court clerk who tells a foreign lawyer the judge ordered providence rather than that specific measures were taken will leave the lawyer waiting for divine intervention. |
| provisiona clause or stipulation in a legal document; also a supply of necessitiesNot | provisãoa stock, supply, or reserve; an accounting reserveNot always provisionCorrect English: supply, stock, reserve; (accounting) provision | #partial overlapA contract provision is a clause, so translating it as provisão points a reader to inventory or reserves instead of the binding term. |
| proxyauthority to act or vote for another; a person so authorized; a network intermediary serverNot | próximonext; nearby; closeNot | #A shareholder proxy grants voting authority, and confusing it with próximo can obscure who is actually casting the vote. |
| publicitypublic attention or media exposure, often unpaidNot | publicidadepaid advertisingNot | #A Brazilian marketer who reports a big publicidade budget confuses American clients who assume free press coverage rather than the paid ad spend actually meant. |
| pullto draw something toward oneselfNot | empurrarto push or shove, moving something away from oneselfNot | #Empurrar means push, so a door sign or a UI label translated from it as pull sends users in exactly the wrong direction. |
| pullto draw something toward oneselfNot | pularto jump, hop, or skipNot | #A safety sign reading pull the lever tells you to draw it toward you, not to jump. |
| pulsethe beat of the heart felt in an artery; a rhythmic throbNot | pulsowrist; also pulse or pulsationNot always pulseCorrect English: wrist; pulse | #partial overlapA Brazilian doctor pointing at your pulso means your wrist, so an American who only thinks of a heartbeat looks at the wrong spot. |
| punctualarriving or happening at the appointed timeNot always pontualCorrect Portuguese: pontual (no tempo certo) | pontualon time, but also one-off, isolated, or specific in scopeNot | #partial overlapA manager who calls a Brazilian project a 'medida pontual' means a targeted one-off action, so translating it as 'punctual measure' baffles an American reader. |
| pushto press or move something away from oneselfNot | puxarto pull or draw something toward oneselfNot | #A developer told to puxar the latest code should pull it, not push, and the mix-up can overwrite a shared branch. |
| Q | ||
| qualificationa credential, a degree, or a condition that makes someone eligibleNot | qualificaçãothe identifying particulars of a party: full name, nationality, marital status, occupation, ID number and address; also a professional credentialNot always qualificationCorrect English: identifying particulars, identifying information, particulars of the parties; also qualification where a credential is meant | #partial overlapA recruiter reading the qualificacao block on a Brazilian deed for the signatory qualifications found a name, nationality, marital status, occupation and address instead. The credential sense of the word is live in Portuguese too, so read the document type. |
| qualification of the partiesreads as the parties' credentials or eligibilityNot always qualificação das partesCorrect Portuguese: não se aplica; use qualificação das partes | qualificação das partesthe block listing each party's full name, nationality, marital status, occupation, ID number and addressNot | #partial overlapAn associate skimming a Brazilian deed for the parties qualifications found none, because the qualificacao das partes block lists who they are: name, nationality, marital status, occupation and address. |
| quarterone fourth; a district of a city; a 25 cent coinNot | quartelmilitary barracksNot | #partial overlapThe guide pointed to the old quartel on the hill, and a visitor from Ohio expected a historic quarter of town instead of an army barracks. |
| quartera three-month fiscal period, a fourth, or a city districtNot always quartoCorrect Portuguese: trimestre; quarto como fração; bairro | quartoa room or bedroom, and also a fourthNot | #partial overlapAn earnings release citing results for the quarter means the fiscal trimester, not a room. |
| quitto leave, resign, or stop doing somethingNot | quitarto pay off or settle a debt in fullNot | #A statement that a debt was quitada means it was paid off in full, and reading it as quit erases the proof of settlement. |
| quotaa fixed proportional share or limitNot always cotaCorrect Portuguese: cota, quota (parcela) | cotaa dimension or elevation marked on a technical drawingNot | #partial overlapA drafter reading a Brazilian blueprint who takes cota as a quota will miss that it labels the measured elevation or dimension of a point. |
| R | ||
| rangeto vary within limits, or a spreadNot | rangerto creak, grind, or gnashNot | #A translator who reads ranger as range writes about a variation when the text described a creaking sound. |
| rationa fixed allowance of food or suppliesNot always raçãoCorrect Portuguese: ração (porção), cota, quinhão | raçãoanimal feed or pet foodNot | #partial overlapAn aid worker who orders ração for a shelter expecting emergency food rations may receive pallets of dog and livestock feed instead. |
| realizationthe moment of understanding or becoming awareNot | realizaçãoaccomplishment or fulfillment; also the making of a filmNot | #partial overlapWhen a Brazilian talks about realização pessoal they mean personal fulfillment, not suddenly realizing something. |
| realizeto become aware of; in finance, to convert an asset or gain into cashNot always realizarCorrect Portuguese: perceber, dar-se conta; (finanças) realizar (lucro) | realizarto carry out, accomplish, perform, or hold (an event)Not | #partial overlapA report saying a goal was realizado usually means it was carried out, not that someone suddenly understood it. |
| receiptwritten proof of payment or of goods receivedNot | receitaa recipe; revenue or income; a medical prescriptionNot | #partial overlapReceita on a financial statement is revenue, so treating it as a receipt can misread a company's income figures. |
| recipienta person who receives somethingNot | recipientea container, vessel, or receptacleNot | #A shipping form asking for the recipiente wants the container, while the recipient is the person receiving the parcel. |
| recitalsin law, the introductory whereas clauses stating a contract's background; in music, a solo performanceNot always recitalCorrect Portuguese: considerandos, preâmbulo, premissas; (música) recital | recitala musical or poetry recital or performanceNot | #partial overlapThe recitals of a contract are its background whereas clauses, not a musical recital, and skipping them can drop key context on the parties' intent. |
| reclaimto recover or get something backNot | reclamarto complain or file a grievanceNot | #A lawyer reading that a party reclamou as reclaimed turns a formal complaint into a recovery of property. |
| reclamationthe recovery of land or material for reuseNot | reclamaçãoa complaint or grievanceNot | #A Brazilian customer filing a reclamação is lodging a complaint, not reclaiming swampland. |
| reclusionthe state of living in seclusion or isolationNot always reclusãoCorrect Portuguese: isolamento, reclusão voluntária | reclusãoa form of imprisonment defined under the penal codeNot | #partial overlapA sentencing clerk translated reclusão as reclusion, leaving the American judge unsure that the Brazilian term named a specific type of prison term. |
| recognition of firmnot an English term; reads as recognising a companyNot always reconhecimento de firmaCorrect Portuguese: não se aplica; use reconhecimento de firma | reconhecimento de firmaa notary's certification that a signature is genuineNot | #partial overlapA notary clerk asked to arrange recognition of firm was looking for a company, when the Brazilian stamp certifies that a signature is genuine. |
| recollectto remember or recallNot | recolherto gather, collect, take in, or withdrawNot | #Testimony that a witness could not recollect an event is about memory, not about recolher or gathering anything. |
| recordto set down in permanent form; the official file or documentation of a caseNot | recordarto remember or recallNot | #The record in a case is the official file, so linking it to recordar turns a documentary reference into an act of remembering. |
| recoverto regain something lost; to get well again; in law, to obtain by judgment (recover damages)Not | recobrarto regain or recover, as in consciousness or strengthNot always recoverCorrect English: to regain, to recover, to get back | #partial overlapTo recover damages is to win them by judgment, a sense that plain recobrar does not carry. |
| rectora member of the clergy in charge of a parishNot always reitorCorrect Portuguese: pároco, vigário, reitor (de igreja) | reitorthe president or head of a universityNot | #partial overlapA study abroad coordinator who tells American students the reitor will sign their diplomas as the rector may leave them expecting a priest rather than the university president. |
| recurto happen or appear againNot | recorrerto appeal a ruling; to resort toNot | #When a Brazilian lawyer says the client will recorrer, they plan to appeal the ruling, not that the problem will recur. |
| recurto happen or appear againNot | recuarto move back, retreat, or back downNot | #When a Brazilian negotiator says he refuses to recuar, he means he will not back down, not that something will recur. |
| recurrentoccurring repeatedlyNot always recorrenteCorrect Portuguese: recorrente, repetitivo | recorrentethe appealing party in a lawsuit; also recurrentNot always recurrentCorrect English: appellant, appealing party; recurrent | #partial overlapIn a Brazilian appeal the recorrente is the appealing party, not merely something recurrent. |
| redactionthe act of censoring or blacking out parts of a document before releaseNot | redaçãothe writing or wording of a text, a school essay, or a newspaper's editorial officeNot | #A paralegal who promises the client a clean redação of the contract may find the attorney expected careful drafting, not the blacking out of sensitive clauses. |
| reforma change made to improve a system or institutionNot always reformaCorrect Portuguese: reforma (de sistema) | reformaa building renovation or remodel; also retirement from work or the militaryNot | #partial overlapThe shop's sign read em reforma, and a tourist from Denver thought of policy reform instead of a remodel in progress. |
| reformto improve by changing behavior or systemsNot always reformarCorrect Portuguese: reformar (instituições); melhorar | reformarto renovate or remodel a building; to retire from serviceNot | #partial overlapA real estate translator reading 'vamos reformar o apartamento' as 'we will reform the apartment' should write 'we will renovate the apartment'. |
| refrainto hold oneself back from doing something; as a noun, a recurring chorusNot | refrearto curb, restrain, or rein in impulses or passionsNot | #partial overlapAn injunction ordering a party to refrain from an act commands abstention, which is stronger and narrower than merely curbing it. |
| refrigeranta cooling substance used in machinesNot always refrigeranteCorrect Portuguese: fluido refrigerante | refrigerantea soft drink or sodaNot | #A menu translator who reads refrigerante as refrigerant offers diners a cooling chemical instead of a soda. |
| regencythe period or office of a regent ruling for a monarchNot always regênciaCorrect Portuguese: regência (governo de um regente) | regênciathe act of conducting an orchestra, or grammatical government of words; also a regencyNot | #partial overlapA music student in Sao Paulo enrolled in a regência course is learning to conduct an orchestra, not studying the reign of a royal regent. |
| regenta person who rules for an absent monarch, or a governing board memberNot always regenteCorrect Portuguese: regente (soberano) | regentean orchestra or choir conductorNot | #partial overlapThe concert notes praised the regente, and a visitor from New York pictured a royal regent rather than the conductor on the podium. |
| regimenta large military unitNot always regimentoCorrect Portuguese: regimento (militar), tropa | regimentothe internal rules or bylaws governing a body such as a legislature or courtNot | #partial overlapA translator who turns regimento interno da casa into house regiment instead of house rules of procedure makes a legislative rulebook sound like an army unit. |
| registryan official office or book where records are keptNot always registroCorrect Portuguese: cartório, ofício de registro, registro (órgão ou livro) | registrothe act or entry of registration; a record or logNot | #partial overlapA registry is the office that keeps records, so calling a single registro entry a registry blurs the institution and the individual filing. |
| relapsea return of illness or a slide back into bad behaviorNot | relapsonegligent, careless, or laxNot | #An oncology chart that flags a relapse gets dangerously softened if a translator writes relapso, which merely calls the patient careless. |
| relateto connect things, or to identify and empathize withNot | relatarto report, recount, or give an account ofNot | #partial overlapA subtitler who translates the English line 'I can relate' as 'eu relato' turns an expression of empathy into a promise to file a report. |
| relationa connection between things, or a relative by blood or marriageNot always relaçãoCorrect Portuguese: relação (conexão), vínculo; parente | relaçãoa list, schedule or itemized statement; also a connection or relationshipNot | #partial overlap'Relacao de documentos' is a list of documents and 'relacao de bens' is a schedule of assets. Both senses are common in the same document, so check whether the source is naming a connection or enumerating items. |
| relativea member of one's familyNot | relativorelative, pertaining to something (adjective)Not always relativeCorrect English: relative, related (adjective) | #partial overlapExact as an adjective; the divergence is the English NOUN 'relative', which is parente. |
| relatora private person on whose behalf a legal action is brought, as in ex relNot | relatorthe reporting judge or rapporteur assigned to draft a decisionNot | #A legal translator who renders the ministro relator as the relator makes the reporting justice of a court sound like the private whistleblower behind a qui tam suit. |
| reliefin law, the remedy a party asks the court to grant; more generally, the easing of pain or distressNot always alívioCorrect Portuguese: tutela, provimento jurisdicional, pedido; (geral) alívio | alíviorelief from pain, distress, or worryNot always reliefCorrect English: relief, comfort, easing | #partial overlapThe relief a plaintiff seeks is the court remedy, not emotional alívio, and mislabeling it can hide what is actually being requested. |
| remedyin law, a means of enforcing a right or redressing a wrong; also a cureNot always remédioCorrect Portuguese: medida judicial, reparação, via de tutela; (cura) remédio | remédioa medicine or medication; also a remedy or solutionNot always remedyCorrect English: medicine, medication, drug; remedy | #partial overlapA contractual remedy is a legal means of redress, so reading it as remédio points a client to medicine instead of enforcement. |
| renderto provide or give; to cause to become; to generate an image; in law, to deliver a verdictNot | renderto yield or produce income; to last or go far; render-se means to surrenderNot always renderCorrect English: to yield, to produce, to bring in; (render-se) to surrender | #partial overlapIn graphics work render means to generate an image, while the Portuguese verb usually means to yield income or to surrender. |
| renta payment for the use of propertyNot | rendaincome; rent; or lace, depending on contextNot always rentCorrect English: income, rent, lace | #partial overlapA contract clerk who maps 'renda' to rent may miss that the same word covers investment income or even lace goods. |
| repairto fix or restore something damagedNot always repararCorrect Portuguese: consertar, reparar | repararalso to notice or pay attention, as in reparar emNot | #partial overlapWhen a Brazilian witness says não reparei, an interviewer should read it as I did not notice rather than I did not repair. |
| reportagefactual journalistic reporting as a wholeNot always reportagemCorrect Portuguese: reportagem, jornalismo | reportagema single news report or segmentNot | #partial overlapA TV reportagem is one specific news story or segment, narrower than the English sense of reportage as a whole journalistic style. |
| reposea state of rest or relaxationNot | reporto replace, to restock, to restoreNot | #A store clerk who needs to repor the shelves is restocking them, not settling in for a repose. |
| reproveto scold or express disapproval of behaviorNot | reprovarto fail a student or exam; to rejectNot | #partial overlapA registrar translating 'o aluno foi reprovado' as 'the student was reproved' hides that the student actually failed the course. |
| requireto need or to demand something as necessary or obligatoryNot | requererto formally request, petition, or apply for; also to require or call forNot always requireCorrect English: to request, to petition, to apply for; to require | #partial overlapA brief that says a party requereu relief is petitioning for it, which is not the same as saying the law requires it. |
| requirementsomething needed or mandatedNot | requerimentoa formal petition or application formNot | #An immigration clerk who reads requerimento as requirement mistakes an applicant's petition for a mandatory condition. |
| residuaryin law, relating to what remains of an estate after debts and specific giftsNot | resíduoresidue, waste, or leftover matterNot | #The residuary estate is what remains for the heirs after gifts and debts, and reading it as waste can misdirect an entire inheritance. |
| resignto quit a job or positionNot | resignarto accept passively, resign oneselfNot always resignCorrect English: to resign oneself, to be resigned | #partial overlapAn American manager reading that a Brazilian employee will se resignar should not assume a resignation, because it means the person will simply accept the situation. |
| resolutiona formal decision adopted by a body; firm determination; the detail level of an imageNot always resoluçãoCorrect Portuguese: deliberação (do conselho); determinação; resolução (de imagem) | resoluçãoa regulation or normative act; screen resolution; personal resolveNot always resolutionCorrect English: regulation, normative act; resolution (image); resolve | #partial overlapA board resolution is a formal decision, so treating it as a Brazilian regulatory resolução can misstate who issued it and how binding it is. |
| resourcean available asset, supply, or meansNot always recursoCorrect Portuguese: recurso (bem, meio) | recursoa legal appeal; a software featureNot | #partial overlapA product manager who tells American engineers a recurso was filed means a feature request to them, while the lawyer in the room heard a court appeal. |
| respitea short rest or reprieveNot | respeitorespectNot | #An American who reads com respeito in a Brazilian letter is seeing a courteous nod of respect, not a plea for a respite. |
| respondentthe party against whom an appeal or petition is broughtNot | respondentea person who answers a survey or questionnaireNot always respondentCorrect English: survey respondent, participant | #partial overlapIn a court filing, calling a survey respondente the 'respondent' can wrongly cast a neutral participant as the opposing party to an appeal. |
| restto relax, to cease activityNot | restarto remain, to be left overNot | #partial overlapWhen a receipt says restam three installments, it means three payments remain, not that anything is at rest. |
| resumeto begin again or continue after a pauseNot | resumirto summarize or sum upNot | #A project manager who writes that work will 'resumir' next week is saying it will be summarized, not restarted. |
| resumea CV, or to continue after a pauseNot | resumoa summary or abstractNot | #partial overlapA recruiter who reads resumo as resume expects a full CV but receives only a short summary. |
| retireto stop working; to withdrawNot | retirarto remove, take away, or withdrawNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian who says the equipment was 'retirado' means it was removed, not that it was retired from service. |
| retiredhaving stopped working, in retirementNot | retiradoremoved, withdrawn, or secludedNot | #partial overlapAn HR translator who reads funcionário retirado as retired employee may miss that the person was removed, not retired. |
| retributionpunishment inflicted as vengeance or justiceNot | retribuiçãoa reward, repayment, reciprocation, or remunerationNot | #criticalA sentencing memo invoking retribution argues for punishment, so reading it as a reward flips the intent completely. |
| reuniona gathering of people after a long time apartNot | reuniãoa business or work meetingNot | #An executive who accepts a Brazilian invitation to a reunião expecting a nostalgic reunion will walk into an ordinary business meeting. |
| revelto celebrate in a lively, noisy wayNot | reveliaa defendant's failure to answer a suit within the deadline, resulting in defaultNot | #Revelia marks a defendant who never responded and is now in default, the opposite of anyone reveling. |
| revolvera handgun with a revolving cylinderNot always revolverCorrect Portuguese: revolver (arma de fogo) | revolverto stir, turn over, or rummage throughNot | #partial overlapThe firearm is the same word in both languages, so a revolver on an inventory is exactly that. The trap is the Portuguese verb revolver, to stir or rummage. |
| rimthe outer edge or border of something roundNot | rimkidney (the organ)Not | #An American nurse charting a patient in Brazil could badly misread rim as the edge of something when the Portuguese note actually means the kidney. |
| romancea love affair; a genre of idealized adventure fictionNot always romanceCorrect Portuguese: romance (caso amoroso), história de amor | romancea novel, a long work of prose fictionNot | #partial overlapA literary agent who bills a Portuguese romance as a 'romance novel' may promise a love story when the author wrote general fiction. |
| rudeimpolite or bad-manneredNot | rudecoarse, rough, unpolished, or uneducatedNot | #partial overlapDescribing a Brazilian craftsman's work as rude in the Portuguese sense means it is rough and unfinished, not that the man was impolite. |
| ruinthe destroyed remains of something, or to spoilNot | ruimbad, poor in quality, unpleasantNot | #A reviewer who reads um produto ruim as a product in ruin mistakes a quality complaint for physical wreckage. |
| S | ||
| salsaa spicy tomato sauce; also a Latin danceNot always salsaCorrect Portuguese: molho picante; dança salsa | salsaparsley, the culinary herbNot | #partial overlapA chef who orders salsa for a Brazilian recipe will receive fresh parsley rather than the spicy dip on the menu. |
| savagefierce, brutal, or cruelNot | selvagemwild, untamed, of the wildernessNot | #partial overlapAn animal described as selvagem is simply wild or untamed, not necessarily savage or vicious. |
| scalea graduated measuring system or relative sizeNot always escalaCorrect Portuguese: escala (de medida) | escalaa work-shift roster, or a stopover on a flightNot | #partial overlapA crew planner who reads escala on a Brazilian roster as map scale will miss that it means the shift schedule assigning workers to hours. |
| scenarioa hypothetical sequence of events or a situationNot always cenárioCorrect Portuguese: situação hipotética, hipótese, cenário | cenárioscenery, a stage set, or a backdrop and settingNot | #partial overlapA risk memo modeling a worst-case scenario means a hypothetical outcome, not a theater backdrop. |
| scholara learned person; an academicNot | escolarrelating to school; scholasticNot | #Labeling a visiting scholar as 'escolar' on a Brazilian invitation downgrades an expert to a mere school-related item. |
| school historythe study or record of a school's past, or history as a subjectNot | histórico escolarthe official document listing a student's courses and gradesNot | #Asking a Brazilian university for a student's 'school history' instead of the histórico escolar can get you a narrative rather than the official transcript. |
| scriptoriuma room in a monastery for copying manuscriptsNot | escritórioan office; a workplace or law firmNot | #A client who says they are heading to the escritório means the office, not a medieval copying room, and a literal rendering looks absurd in a business email. |
| scripturesacred or religious writingsNot always escrituraCorrect Portuguese: escritura sagrada, escrituras | escrituraa notarized deed or legal contract documentNot | #partial overlapA title company clerk assumed a Brazilian escritura was a religious document, when it was the notarized property deed needed to close the sale. |
| sealan official seal or stamp; a wax seal; the animalNot always seloCorrect Portuguese: selo (oficial), carimbo, lacre, chancela | seloa postage stamp; a seal or labelNot always sealCorrect English: stamp (postage), seal, label | #partial overlapAssuming a document needs a 'seal' when a Brazilian form asks for a selo can send you hunting for a wax stamp instead of a postage stamp. |
| seata thing to sit on; the location or center of somethingNot always sedeCorrect Portuguese: assento, cadeira, sede (de governo) | sedea company's headquarters or registered officeNot | #partial overlapConfusing a company's sede with an ordinary 'seat' can misstate the registered office that determines where a lawsuit is properly filed. |
| secretaryan administrative assistant, or a government ministerNot | secretáriaa female secretary, and also a desk or an answering machineNot always secretaryCorrect English: female secretary; desk; answering machine | #partial overlapA dispatch about the Secretary of State refers to a cabinet minister, not to an office assistant. |
| self-serviceany arrangement where customers serve themselvesNot | self-servicea pay-by-weight buffet restaurantNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian who suggests a self-service for lunch means a specific type of buffet restaurant where you weigh your plate, not a gas station or vending setup. |
| senioran elderly person; higher in rankNot | senhormister, sir, gentlemanNot | #An American who hears o senhor in a Brazilian shop should read it as a polite sir, not as a label for a senior citizen. |
| sensiblehaving or showing good judgmentNot | sensívelsensitive; delicate; perceptible or significantNot | #Describing a market drop as 'sensible' when you mean the Portuguese sensível understates a significant loss as merely reasonable. |
| sensiblyin a practical, reasonable, wise mannerNot | sensivelmentenoticeably, appreciably, considerably; also approximatelyNot | #A researcher who writes that results improved sensibly meaning noticeably will be read by English peers as saying the improvement was merely reasonable. |
| sensitiveeasily affected; responsive to feelings or stimuliNot | sensatosensible, reasonable, level-headedNot | #Marking a file as 'sensato' when you mean sensitive data leaves confidential records sounding merely reasonable rather than restricted. |
| sentencea grammatical sentence, or a criminal penaltyNot | sentençaa judge's decision that resolves a caseNot always sentenceCorrect English: judgment, ruling, court decision; (criminal) sentence | #partial overlapRendering a civil sentença as a 'sentence' implies a criminal penalty when the court merely issued a ruling. |
| sequela book or film that continues an earlier oneNot | sequelaa lasting medical after-effect of an injury or illnessNot | #partial overlapA physician who reads sequela in a Brazilian chart and writes sequel documents a movie follow-up instead of permanent damage from the illness. |
| seriesa set of related things in sequence; a TV seriesNot always sérieCorrect Portuguese: série (sequência), seriado (TV) | sériea school grade or year level; also a seriesNot always seriesCorrect English: grade, year (in school); series | #partial overlapIn a transcript, translating a Brazilian série as a 'series' hides that the number refers to the student's grade level. |
| servicethe formal delivery of legal process; also service, work, function or assistance in the ordinary senseNot | serviçoa service; work or a job or taskNot always serviceCorrect English: service, work, job, task | #criticalpartial overlapA process server asked to arrange servico was offered general assistance, when service of process in Brazil is citacao. |
| severalmore than a few, several; in law, separate and individual, as in joint and several liabilityNot | váriosseveral, various, manyNot always severalCorrect English: several, various, many | #criticalpartial overlapA creditor reading jointly and severally liable as varios devedores misses that each debtor can be pursued for the whole amount, not a share. |
| severancemoney and benefits paid to a dismissed employee; a separationNot | severidadeseverity, strictness, harshnessNot | #A worker who hears 'severance' and thinks of severidade may expect a harsh review instead of a termination payout. |
| shapethe outline or form of somethingNot | shapea muscular toned physique (slang); also the wooden deck of a skateboardNot | #When a Brazilian gym buddy says he is working on his shape, he means building a ripped physique, not adjusting the outline of anything. |
| shoppingthe activity of buying goods in storesNot | shoppinga shopping mall, the buildingNot always shoppingCorrect English: shopping mall; mall | #When a friend in Sao Paulo says meet me at the shopping, an American waiting for a person carrying grocery bags will be standing at the wrong place; they mean the mall itself. |
| showa television program, broadcast, or general performanceNot | showa live music concert; also slang for excellentNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian who says he is going to a show tonight means a live music concert specifically, and saying that dinner was show means it was awesome. |
| signala sign, gesture, or indicatorNot always sinalCorrect Portuguese: sinal | sinalalso a down payment or earnest deposit; a mole on the skinNot | #partial overlapA real estate agent who hears the buyer will leave a sinal and translates it as a signal misses that the client is putting down an earnest deposit. |
| siliconthe chemical element SiNot | siliconesilicone, the synthetic polymerNot | #A tech reporter who writes silicone when covering silicon chips confuses the semiconductor element with the material in caulk and implants. |
| sinisterevil, threatening, or ominousNot always sinistroCorrect Portuguese: sinistro, ameaçador | sinistroan insurance loss or claim event; an accidentNot | #partial overlapAn insurance analyst who translates registrar um sinistro as recording something sinister misses that the client is simply filing a claim for a loss. |
| sitea website; a location or placeNot always sítioCorrect Portuguese: site, sítio (web); local | sítioa small rural property or country farm; also a military siegeNot | #partial overlapMy host said we would spend the weekend at his sítio, and I assumed a web project before realizing he meant a little country farm. |
| skateto glide on ice skates or roller skates; a flat cartilaginous fishNot | skatea skateboard, the board itselfNot | #A Brazilian kid who asks for a skate for a birthday wants a skateboard, so an American shopping for ice skates has the wrong gift. |
| slipto slide accidentally; a woman's undergarment worn under a dressNot | slipa style of close-fitting men's briefsNot | #A Brazilian menswear site selling cueca slip is offering men's briefs, not the women's petticoat an American associates with the word slip. |
| smokingthe act of inhaling tobacco smoke; the gerund of to smokeNot | smokinga formal dinner jacket, a tuxedoNot | #criticalA Brazilian wedding invitation that says the dress code is smoking is asking American men to show up in a tuxedo, not to light a cigarette. |
| soapa bar or liquid for washingNot | sopasoupNot | #criticalA tourist in Sao Paulo who asks the waiter for more soap when he wants more soup will get a very puzzled look. |
| social capitalthe value of social networks and community relationshipsNot always capital socialCorrect Portuguese: capital social (sociologia), redes sociais | capital socialthe share capital of a company, the amount subscribed by its membersNot | #partial overlapExact in sociology, where English 'social capital' really is capital social. The trap is the corporate sense: on articles of association it is share capital. |
| social contractthe philosophical theory of the agreement underlying societyNot always contrato socialCorrect Portuguese: contrato social (filosofia), pacto social | contrato socialthe constitutive document of a limited companyNot | #partial overlapCiting a company's contrato social as the philosophical 'social contract' turns a firm's founding charter into a Rousseau reference. |
| social reasonnot an English business term; reads as a reason that is socialNot always razão socialCorrect Portuguese: não se aplica; use razão social | razão socialthe registered legal name of a company, as filed with the commercial registryNot | #partial overlapA vendor onboarding form came back asking for the company social reason, which is simply the razao social, its registered legal name. |
| societya community or social organizationNot always sociedadeCorrect Portuguese: sociedade (comunidade) | sociedadea business partnership or incorporated companyNot | #partial overlapA lawyer who refers to the client's sociedade as a society leads American counsel to picture a club rather than the limited company on the contract. Ivy (sworn translator) ruling 2026-09-09: a civil or educational sociedade / maintaining entity (mantenedora) is an ASSOCIATION, not a society and not a company. |
| solemnizeto formally perform a marriage or ceremonyNot | solenizarto make solemn; to add formality or ceremony toNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian who says a ceremony was 'solenizada' means it was made more formal, not that a marriage was legally performed. |
| solicitationthe act of asking for money or illicit servicesNot | solicitaçãoa formal request or applicationNot | #A Brazilian office solicitação de compra is just a purchase request, with none of the seedy or fundraising overtones of solicitation. |
| soloa performance by one person aloneNot always soloCorrect Portuguese: solo (música) | solosoil, ground, or the floor surfaceNot | #partial overlapThe agronomy report analyzed the solo, meaning the soil, though an English reader first pictured a musical solo. |
| sorta kind or type, or to arrange in orderNot | sorteluck, fortune, or fateNot | #A database spec that says sort the records turns to superstition when a translator writes sorte, wishing the records good luck. |
| spareto refrain from harming; to give from surplus; extraNot | esperarto wait; to hope; to expectNot | #A Brazilian who hears 'spare me a minute' and thinks of esperar may wait for you instead of giving you the time. |
| spectacleseyeglasses for correcting visionNot | espetáculosshows, performances, or grand displaysNot always spectaclesCorrect English: shows, spectacles, performances | #partial overlapAn optometry order for spectacles gets absurd when a translator writes espetáculos, booking stage shows instead of eyeglasses. |
| spoilsgoods seized by force; plunder; the benefits of winningNot | espóliothe property and rights left by a deceased personNot | #partial overlapTranslating an espólio as 'spoils' turns a deceased person's estate into plunder from a battlefield. |
| stagea phase of a process, or a raised platform for performanceNot | estágioan internship or supervised professional training periodNot | #partial overlapA recruiter who reads estágio as stage instead of internship can misclassify a student intern as a mere project phase on the org chart. |
| stampa postage stamp or ink markNot | estampaa printed pattern or design on fabricNot | #A textile buyer who asks an American supplier about the stamp instead of the estampa gets quoted for postage or a rubber seal, not the printed fabric design. |
| standingthe right to bring or take part in a lawsuitNot | standing(loanword) social status or prestigeNot always standingCorrect English: status, prestige, social standing | #partial overlapA litigator who reads legal standing as mere social standing can overlook whether a plaintiff even has the right to sue. |
| stationa stopping place for trains or buses; a fixed postNot always estaçãoCorrect Portuguese: estação, posto | estaçãostation; also a season of the yearNot always stationCorrect English: station; season | #partial overlapA Brazilian saying the rain comes in this estação may mean the season of the year, not a train station. |
| stationerywriting materials and paper goodsNot | estacionáriostationary, not moving, unchangingNot | #A procurement translator who reads estacionário as stationery orders office paper when the text meant something motionless. |
| statutea written law enacted by a legislatureNot | estatutothe internal governing charter or bylaws of an organizationNot | #partial overlapCalling a company's estatuto a 'statute' confuses internal bylaws with a law passed by the legislature. |
| staya suspension of legal proceedings; to remainNot | estarto be (in a temporary state or location)Not | #Mapping a court-ordered stay onto estar leaves a reader thinking about a state of being rather than a halt in proceedings. |
| stockshares or capital stock of a company; or inventoryNot always estoqueCorrect Portuguese: ações, capital social; estoque (inventário) | estoqueinventory; a supply of goods on handNot always stockCorrect English: inventory, stock (of goods) | #partial overlapReporting a firm's stock as estoque can turn its share capital into a warehouse of unsold goods. |
| stovea cooking appliance with burners or an ovenNot | estufaa greenhouse, an incubator, or a warming cabinetNot | #An appliance manual for the stove covers the kitchen range, not a greenhouse. |
| strangera person one does not knowNot | estrangeiroa foreigner; foreignNot | #Warning children about a 'stranger' but writing estrangeiro tells them to fear foreigners rather than unknown people. |
| stupidlacking intelligence, foolishNot | estúpidorude, coarse, or ill-mannered (Brazilian usage)Not | #partial overlapCalling someone estúpido in Brazil accuses them of rudeness, not low intelligence, so a translator who assumes stupid can slander the wrong trait. |
| subjecta school subject; a topic; the grammatical subject; (subject to) conditional onNot always sujeitoCorrect Portuguese: matéria, disciplina, assunto, tema; (subject to) sujeito a | sujeitoa fellow or individual; the grammatical subjectNot always subjectCorrect English: guy, fellow, individual; (grammar) subject | #partial overlapA registrar who lists a sujeito instead of the subject may record a person where a course name belongs. |
| subpoenaa compulsory order to testify or produce documentsNot | penaa penalty or punishment; a feather; pityNot | #A Brazilian lawyer who parses subpoena as sub plus pena may think it is a reduced penalty rather than a compelled order to testify. |
| subscribeto sign at the foot of a document; to sign up for a serviceNot | inscreverto enroll, register, or sign upNot | #partial overlapTelling a signer to subscribe a power of attorney while thinking of inscrever-se may send them to enroll somewhere instead of signing at the foot. |
| succeedto achieve a desired aim or resultNot | sucederto happen, to follow, or to come afterNot always succeedCorrect English: to happen, to follow, to succeed in sequence | #partial overlapA translator who renders o que sucedeu as what succeeded instead of what happened can invert the meaning of a Brazilian incident report. |
| suita lawsuit; also a set of matching clothesNot | suítea suite: a hotel room with private bath, or a setNot | #A hotel that reads a legal suit as a suíte prepares a room when a lawsuit has actually been filed. |
| summonsa document calling a party to appear in courtNot | súmulaa court's condensed statement of settled case lawNot | #Mistaking a summons for a súmula can make a defendant treat a court's precedent as if it were an order to appear. |
| supportto back, uphold, provide for, or hold upNot | suportarto bear, endure, tolerate, or withstandNot | #partial overlapWriting that a manager will 'support' a proposal when a Brazilian means suportar can flip endorsement into barely tolerating it. |
| surgea sudden large increase or powerful forward movementNot | surgirto appear, emerge, or arise suddenlyNot | #partial overlapA news translator who renders 'novos casos surgiram' as 'new cases surged' overstates the data when it only means new cases appeared. |
| sustainto uphold or allow; to maintain; to suffer an injuryNot | sustentarto hold up, maintain, provide for, or argue and assertNot | #partial overlapWhen a judge sustains an objection, rendering it with sustentar can make it sound like the lawyer argued the point rather than the court allowing it. |
| swornbound by oath; officially swornNot | juradoa member of a jury; also sworn (under oath)Not always swornCorrect English: juror; (adjective) sworn | #partial overlapTranslating os jurados as 'the sworn' instead of the jurors can erase the jury from a trial record. |
| syllabusan outline of topics and requirements for a courseNot | sílabaa syllableNot | #A transcript evaluator who confuses syllabus with sílaba turns a full course outline into a single syllable of a word. |
| sympatheticshowing understanding or compassionNot | simpáticonice, friendly, likeable, pleasantNot | #Calling a witness 'sympathetic' but writing simpático says the jury found them likeable rather than moved to compassion. |
| sympathizeto feel or express compassion, to condoleNot | simpatizarto take a liking to someoneNot | #A letter that says we sympathize with your loss goes cold when a translator writes simpatizamos, which merely says we find you likable. |
| sympathycompassion, condolences, or shared feelingNot | simpatiafriendliness, likability, or charm, and also a folk charmNot | #A condolence card expressing sympathy conveys shared grief, not that the sender finds you charming. |
| syndica business agent or civil magistrate acting for othersNot | síndicocondominium building manager; bankruptcy trusteeNot | #An American reading síndico on a Brazilian condo notice is seeing the building manager, not a syndic acting as some corporate agent. |
| syndicatea group of people or businesses combined for a venture, or an organized crime groupNot always sindicatoCorrect Portuguese: consórcio, sindicato do crime | sindicatoa labor or trade unionNot | #partial overlapA due diligence analyst flagged a sindicato as a possible criminal syndicate, when the entity was just the workers' labor union. |
| T | ||
| tablea piece of furniture with a flat top; or a grid of dataNot | tabuleiroa game board, a baking tray, or the deck of a bridgeNot | #A localization editor who turns 'tabuleiro' into 'table' can make a board game manual read like nonsense. |
| tableta pill; or a flat touchscreen deviceNot | tabletea rectangular bar of a solid substance such as chocolateNot | #partial overlapA pharmacist who reads tablete on a Brazilian order may reach for a chocolate bar instead of a pill. |
| talona sharp hooked claw of a bird of preyNot | talãoa receipt, a stub, or the heel of the foot or a shoeNot | #A store clerk in Rio who hands you the 'talão' is giving you the receipt stub, not anything resembling an eagle's talon. |
| taxa compulsory levy imposed by a governmentNot | taxaa fee, rate, or charge for a service or as a percentageNot | #A finance analyst who reads Brazilian 'taxa' as 'tax' can misclassify a service fee as a government levy in the books. |
| tempothe speed or pace of a piece of music or an activityNot | tempotime; weatherNot | #A Brazilian musician telling an American bandmate to check the tempo actually wants to talk about the weather or the time, not the beat. |
| temporalrelating to time; worldly; of the temple of the skullNot always temporalCorrect Portuguese: temporal (do tempo); mundano | temporala violent rainstorm; (adjective) relating to timeNot always temporalCorrect English: storm, tempest; temporal | #partial overlapA Brazilian weather report warning of a temporal means a violent storm, which puzzles an American expecting something about time. |
| tenanta person who rents property from a landlordNot | tenentea military lieutenantNot | #A property manager who greets a Brazilian tenente as a tenant is actually addressing an army lieutenant, not a renter. |
| tenderan offer or bid; also soft or gentleNot always tenroCorrect Portuguese: oferta/proposta (licitação), oferecer (pagamento), tenro (macio) | tenrosoft or tender (of food); affectionateNot always tenderCorrect English: tender, soft (food), affectionate | #partial overlapAn English reader who sees 'tenro' and thinks of a tender bid misses that it simply describes soft meat or a gentle manner. |
| tennisthe racket sport played on a courtNot always tênisCorrect Portuguese: tênis (o esporte) | tênis(Brazil) sneakers, trainers; also the sport tennisNot always tennisCorrect English: sneakers, trainers; tennis | #partial overlapA Brazilian telling you to grab your tênis before the trip means sneakers, not a tennis racket. |
| tensiona pulling force or mental strainNot always tensãoCorrect Portuguese: tensão (física), estresse | tensãoelectrical voltage measured in voltsNot | #partial overlapAn electrician reading alta tensão as high stress will miss that the sign warns of high voltage lines. |
| terma fixed period of time; a condition or clause; a technical wordNot always termoCorrect Portuguese: prazo/vigência, cláusula/condição, termo (tecnico) | termoa formal written statement of record; a technical word; a boundaryNot always termCorrect English: formal record/statement, term (technical word), boundary | #partial overlapA contract translator who maps 'termo' to 'term' as in duration can obscure that it names a formal written statement of record. |
| terminateto bring to an end, especially a contract or employmentNot always terminarCorrect Portuguese: rescindir, resolver, extinguir; terminar | terminarto finish or come to an endNot | #partial overlapA lawyer who writes 'terminar o contrato' for 'terminate' can understate the formal act of rescission the English intends. |
| terrificexcellent or wonderfulNot | terrívelterrible, dreadful, awfulNot | #A marketing writer who calls a launch 'terrível' thinking it means terrific will announce a disaster instead of a triumph. |
| testamenta will; or, figuratively, proof or evidence of somethingNot always testamentoCorrect Portuguese: testamento; prova/demonstração (sentido figurado) | testamentoa will, the legal document setting out last wishesNot always testamentCorrect English: will, testament | #partial overlapA reporter who reads English 'a testament to her skill' as the legal 'testamento' will invent a will that does not exist. |
| testatorthe person who makes a willNot | testamenteirothe executor who carries out a willNot | #An estate lawyer who treats 'testamenteiro' as the testator confuses the executor with the person who actually made the will. |
| timethe ongoing sequence of hours, minutes, and secondsNot | timea sports teamNot | #A sports editor who reads o time brasileiro as the Brazilian time instead of the Brazilian team will garble the whole match report. |
| tissuebiological tissue, or a paper handkerchiefNot always tecidoCorrect Portuguese: tecido biológico; lenço de papel | tecidofabric or cloth, and also biological tissueNot always tissueCorrect English: fabric, cloth; also tissue | #partial overlapA lab note asking for a tissue sample means biological material, and a reader who pictures fabric misses the point. |
| titlethe name of a work, a rank, or legal ownership of propertyNot always títuloCorrect Portuguese: título (de obra, de posse), direito de propriedade | títuloa negotiable instrument, bond or security; also a voter registration card, and the name of a workNot always titleCorrect English: instrument, negotiable instrument, security, bond; voter registration card; also title of a work or title to property | #partial overlap'Titulo de credito' is a negotiable instrument and 'titulo de eleitor' is a voter registration card. The lookalike is correct for the name of a work and for title to property, so read which one the source meant. |
| tossto throw something lightlyNot | tossea coughNot | #An American at a Brazilian clinic who hears tosse should think cough, not imagine someone tossing an object. |
| traduceto speak falsely or maliciously about someone, to defameNot | traduzirto translate from one language into anotherNot | #Traduce is a defamation verb and never means to translate. A translator writing 'the document was traduced' says it was slandered. Rare in English, which is exactly why it slips past a reader who assumes it is the ordinary word. |
| trafficmovement of vehicles on roadsNot | tráficoillegal trade, especially in drugs or peopleNot | #An American tour guide in Rio who warns clients about the tráfico instead of the tráfego will scare them into thinking the neighborhood is run by drug gangs rather than just clogged with cars. |
| trama streetcar that runs on rails in the streetNot | trema trainNot | #A transit map marking a tram line means a streetcar route, not the intercity train. |
| transcriptan academic record of courses and grades; also a written copy of spoken wordsNot always transcriçãoCorrect Portuguese: histórico escolar (acadêmico); transcrição (de fala) | transcriçãoa written copy of spoken audio; the copying of a recordNot always transcriptCorrect English: transcription (of audio), transcript (of speech) | #partial overlapA registrar who sends a 'transcrição' when an American school asks for a transcript delivers an audio log instead of a grade record. |
| transitthe act of passing through or being carried across a placeNot always trânsitoCorrect Portuguese: trânsito (passagem), transporte | trânsitoroad traffic; goods or people in transit; and in trânsito em julgado, the point at which a decision can no longer be appealedNot always transitCorrect English: traffic; in transit, customs transit; and (of a judgment) final and no longer appealable | #partial overlapTwo senses, neither of them the English one. 'Transitou em julgado' means the decision became final and unappealable. On a driving record or CNH the word is ordinary road traffic. Only the goods-in-passage sense justifies the lookalike. |
| transit in judgmentnot an English legal term; reads as movement through a judgmentNot always trânsito em julgadoCorrect Portuguese: não se aplica; use trânsito em julgado | trânsito em julgadothe point at which a decision can no longer be appealedNot | #criticalAn immigration officer told a decision had transited in judgment could not tell whether it was final. Transitou em julgado means it can no longer be appealed. |
| tremendousvery great in amount; excellentNot | tremendohuge or intense, which can be positive or negative; dreadfulNot always tremendousCorrect English: huge, tremendous, dreadful | #partial overlapA reviewer who reads 'um tremendo erro' as merely 'tremendous' can miss that it flags a huge mistake. |
| trepidationa feeling of fear or apprehensionNot | trepidaçãovibration, shaking, tremorNot | #partial overlapA traveler who says he felt trepidation before the flight will be misheard in Brazil as describing physical shaking rather than dread. |
| trespassto enter someone's property unlawfullyNot | trespassarto pierce through; to transfer a business or leaseNot | #partial overlapA lawyer who reads trespassar in a Brazilian commercial contract and writes trespass confuses the sale of a business lease with unlawful entry. |
| trusta fiduciary arrangement holding property for beneficiaries; also confidenceNot | trustea business trust or cartel, an anticompetitive combination of firmsNot always trustCorrect English: trust (cartel/monopoly combination) | #partial overlapAn estate lawyer who reaches for 'truste' to translate a family trust accidentally invokes an antitrust cartel. |
| trusteethe person who holds and administers trust propertyNot | trustea business trust or cartel, an anticompetitive combination of firmsNot | #A banker who renders 'trustee' as 'truste' swaps the fiduciary who manages the assets for a monopolistic cartel. |
| tunaa large edible saltwater fishNot | tunaa costumed university student music ensemble; also idlenessNot | #A campus tuna in the Portuguese-speaking world is a costumed student music group, not a can of fish. |
| turna rotation, a change of direction, or one's goNot | turnoa work shift or an electoral roundNot | #partial overlapAn HR translator reading turno da noite as night turn misses that it means the night shift. |
| turnoverrevenue (British English), or the rate at which staff leave or stock is soldNot | turnoa work shift or period of dutyNot | #An HR analyst who reads 'turnover' as the Portuguese 'turno' confuses staff attrition with a simple work shift. |
| tutora private teacher for one student or a small groupNot | tutora legal guardian of a minor or wardNot | #In a custody file a translator who leaves tutor untouched can promote a hired teacher into a court appointed guardian. |
| U | ||
| ultimatelyin the end; finally; fundamentallyNot | ultimamentelately, recentlyNot | #A legal writer who reads 'ultimamente' as 'ultimately' swaps 'lately' for 'in the end' and reverses the timeline. |
| uniqueone of a kind, unmatchedNot | únicoonly, single, soleNot | #partial overlapA translator who reads filho único as unique child misses that it simply means an only child. |
| urbanesuave, sophisticated, and refined in mannerNot | urbanourban, relating to the cityNot | #partial overlapA travel writer who calls a Brazilian district urbano means it is a city area, not that it is elegant or worldly the way urbane sounds in English. |
| urndecorative vase, especially for a cremated person's ashesNot always urnaCorrect Portuguese: urna (funerária); vaso | urnaballot box, including the Brazilian electronic voting machine; also a funeral urnNot | #partial overlapOn Brazilian election night the anchor kept saying urna, and an American reporter pictured a funeral vase rather than the electronic ballot box. |
| V | ||
| vacancyan unfilled job position or an available roomNot | vacânciathe state of a post or property being vacant; a vacancy periodNot always vacancyCorrect English: vacancy (of an office/property), vacant period | #partial overlapA recruiter who translates a job 'vacancy' as 'vacância' names an empty post rather than the open role candidates apply to. |
| vagabonda wanderer with no fixed homeNot | vagabundoa lazy idler, bum, or scoundrel; also shoddy goodsNot | #partial overlapCalling a Brazilian employee vagabundo accuses him of being a lazy good for nothing, not a romantic wanderer. |
| vagueunclear, imprecise, or indefiniteNot always vagoCorrect Portuguese: vago, impreciso | vagoalso vacant, empty, or unoccupiedNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian job posting for a cargo vago is advertising a vacant position, not a vaguely defined one. |
| vasea decorative container for flowersNot always vasoCorrect Portuguese: vaso, jarra | vasoa pot, vessel, or toilet bowl in vaso sanitárioNot | #partial overlapA designer who orders a vaso for a Brazilian bathroom may receive a toilet bowl rather than the decorative vase intended. |
| vegetablean edible plant or part of a plant used as foodNot | vegetalrelating to plants; plant-based; plant matterNot always vegetableCorrect English: plant, vegetable matter, plant-based (adjective) | #partial overlapA menu translator who renders 'vegetable' as 'vegetal' points diners to plant matter in general rather than the greens on the plate. |
| vegetablesedible plants such as greens and legumesNot | vegetaisplants in general or plant-based matterNot | #partial overlapA menu translator who reads óleo vegetal as vegetable oil is fine, but treating vegetais as vegetables can wrongly narrow plants to edible greens. |
| vehiclea means of transportNot always veículoCorrect Portuguese: veículo (transporte) | veículoalso a media outlet or communication channelNot | #partial overlapA Brazilian publicist who calls the newspaper a veículo confuses American colleagues who picture a car rather than the press outlet running the story. |
| venturea risky business undertakingNot | venturagood fortune, happiness, or chanceNot | #An investor pitch about a joint venture loses all meaning when a translator writes ventura, promising shared happiness instead of a shared enterprise. |
| verba word expressing actionNot | verbaan allocated sum of money or fundsNot | #In a Brazilian budget meeting the word verba refers to the money set aside for a project and never to grammar. |
| verdurethe fresh green color of healthy growing plants; lush greeneryNot | verduraleafy vegetables and greens sold as foodNot | #partial overlapAt a Brazilian market a sign reading verduras points you to lettuce and kale for dinner, not to any poetic description of the surrounding greenery. |
| versea line of poetry or a stanzaNot always versoCorrect Portuguese: verso, estrofe | versothe back side of a sheet or page; also a line of verseNot | #partial overlapThe form said to sign on the verso, meaning the back of the sheet, not to add a line of poetry. |
| vicea moral fault or bad habitNot always vícioCorrect Portuguese: vício (moral) | vícioan addiction, or a legal defect voiding a contract or productNot | #partial overlapA contracts lawyer who reads vício redibitório as moral vice will miss that it means a hidden defect letting a buyer rescind the deal. |
| viciouscruel or savagely violentNot | viciosoaddicted or full of vice; (circulo vicioso) vicious circleNot | #partial overlapA journalist who reads 'vicioso' as 'vicious' turns an addict into a violent brute. |
| vigilancewatchfulness; careful attention to dangerNot | vigênciathe period during which a law or contract is in forceNot | #A contracts reviewer who reads 'vigência' as 'vigilance' misses the clause setting how long the agreement stays in force. |
| villagea small rural settlementNot | vilaa town, or a lane of small city housesNot | #partial overlapA journalist translating vila as village may shrink a sizable town into a hamlet. |
| vindicateto clear of blame or prove right; also assert or enforce a rightNot | vindicarto claim or recover something that belongs to you but is held by anotherNot | #partial overlapAn attorney who reads vindicar a propriedade as clearing someone's name will miss that the client is suing to recover an asset held by another. |
| vitaminan organic nutrient essential in small amounts in the dietNot always vitaminaCorrect Portuguese: vitamina (nutriente) | vitamina(Brazil) a fruit and milk smoothie; also vitaminNot always vitaminCorrect English: fruit smoothie; vitamin | #partial overlapA Brazilian offering you a vitamina at breakfast is handing over a fruit smoothie, not a pill. |
| volubletalkative, speaking fluently and at lengthNot | volúvelfickle, changeable, inconstantNot | #An American describing a witness as voluble means chatty, but a Brazilian called volúvel is being labeled fickle and unreliable. |
| vulgarcrude or obscene; or common (as in Vulgar Latin)Not always vulgarCorrect Portuguese: grosseiro, obsceno; vulgar (comum, vernaculo) | vulgarcommon, ordinary, or commonplace; also crudeNot always vulgarCorrect English: common, ordinary, commonplace; vulgar | #partial overlapA biologist who reads 'nome vulgar' as an obscene name misses that it simply means the species' common name. |
| W | ||
| wagona four-wheeled cart or a child's toy wagonNot | vagãoa railroad car or carriageNot | #An American parent shopping in Sao Paulo who asks for a vagão for the kids gets pointed toward the train platform instead of the toy aisle. |
| warda person under legal guardianship; a hospital ward; an electoral districtNot | guardacustody or safekeeping; a guardNot | #A family lawyer who reads 'guarda' as 'ward' confuses the grant of custody with the child who is its subject. |
| warranta court order or authorization; or to justify or vouch for somethingNot | garantiaa guarantee, warranty, or security/collateralNot | #partial overlapA litigator who reads 'garantia' as a 'warrant' swaps a product guarantee for a court order to search or arrest. |
| willa testamentary document; also volition; or the future-tense auxiliaryNot always vontadeCorrect Portuguese: testamento, ultima vontade; vontade/determinação; (aux.) futuro | vontadewill, desire, or volition (a wish or determination)Not always willCorrect English: will, desire, willingness, volition | #partial overlapAn estate planner who reads 'vontade' as an English 'will' mistakes a person's general resolve for the signed testamentary document. |
| windowan opening in a wall or vehicle; also, figuratively, a limited period of time in which something can be doneNot always janelaCorrect Portuguese: janela (a abertura); prazo, período (uma janela de tempo não existe em português) | janelaan opening in a wall, a vehicle or a screen, and nothing else; it is never a period of timeNot always windowCorrect English: window (the opening) | #partial overlapThe two words match on the opening in a wall and part company on time. English lets you answer within a 30-day window; Portuguese does not, and janela reads as a pane of glass. The word for a period you have to act in is prazo. Caught on our own Portuguese pages, where seven sentences told readers they had a janela to respond to USCIS. |
What is a false friend?
A false friend is a pair of words in two languages that look or sound alike but mean different things. English and Brazilian Portuguese share thousands of Latin roots, so the two languages are full of them: actually looks like atualmente but means "in fact", pretend looks like pretender but means "to fake". Some pairs are fully false, and some are partial: the words share one sense and split on another, which is where even fluent speakers slip.
Is a false friend the same as a false cognate?
Strictly speaking, no. A false cognate is a pair that looks related but comes from different roots, while most false friends are true cognates whose meanings drifted apart. In Brazil the everyday term is falsos cognatos, and nearly every published list uses the two labels interchangeably. This list covers both, because what matters in practice is the same: the word does not mean what it appears to mean.
Why false friends matter in legal documents
In a contract, a court filing, or an immigration packet, a false friend does not read as an error. It reads as a different fact. Translating injúria as "injury" turns a defamation offense into a bodily harm claim, and translating prejuízo as "prejudice" turns a financial loss into a bias claim. That is why USCIS requires a certified translation with a signed accuracy certificate, and why machine output on a procuração or an escritura deserves a professional review. Our plain-English guide to the USCIS translation requirements covers what the rule actually asks for.
Why false friends matter in journalism
Quotes are where these traps hurt most. A Brazilian source who says eventualmente means "occasionally", but the English word "eventually" promises a final outcome, so a literal rendering has the source predicting something they never said. The same goes for atualmente, discussão, and polêmica. When a quote will run under someone’s name, check every lookalike word against this list before it prints.
Does this list work for European Portuguese?
Almost entirely, yes. False friends come from shared Latin roots, so the great majority of these pairs behave the same way in Brazil and Portugal. A few famous words diverge between the two, and since our translator works in Brazilian Portuguese, Brazil is the reference here: constipação is a common cold in Portugal but usually means constipation in Brazil, propina is a university tuition fee in Portugal but a bribe in Brazil, rapariga is a neutral word for a young woman in Portugal but can be pejorative in Brazil, and comboio is a train in Portugal but a convoy in Brazil. For USCIS translations of Brazilian documents, the Brazilian sense is the one that governs.
How this list was built
The list started as the working trap database of a professional Portuguese translation practice and was expanded by sweeping published false-friend lists, linguistics papers, translator glossaries, and learner references, then checking every pair against Priberam, Michaelis, Merriam-Webster, and Cambridge. Pairs that turned out to be true cognates, archaic words, or register differences were cut. We also run it on our own work: before any page of this site’s Portuguese edition publishes, the copy is scanned against these pairs so a false friend never slips into our own writing. Found a pair we missed? Tell us and we will verify it and add it.
Updated August 7, 2026. 803 pairs. Brazilian Portuguese is the reference.
To cite this page: Brazil USA Translations, Portuguese-English False Friends, updated August 7, 2026. https://brazilusatranslations.com/tools/portuguese-english-false-friends/
© 2026 Brazil USA Translations. The wording, notes, and selection in this list are original work. Quote pairs freely with a link to this page; please do not republish the list wholesale.