How to Say Dude In Brazilian Portuguese

Dude! Man! Mate! Bro!

For many learners who are seeking to speak the informal Portuguese of Brazil, the following vocabulary items are an absolute ‘must.’ Though the terms vary from region to region, a firm grasp of these words will help the casual Portuguese speaker fit in and make friends in no time.

• Cara dude: Rio de Janeiro
• Meu Buddy: São Paulo
• Meu rei Lit: my king; buddy: Bahia
• Mano Bro: São Paulo (and beyond)
• Rapaz Guy: everywhere
• Broder, Brow Brother: Bahia, Ipanema and beyond
• Mané Dude (slightly aggressive): Rio de Janeiro
• Malandro Lit: street hustler; Dude: Rio de Janeiro
• Mermão Lit: my brother; Bro: Rio de Janeiro
• Cabra Lit: goat; Dude: Nordeste
• Vei Lit. old guy (from “velho”): Minas Gerais, everywhere
• Abençoado Lit: “Blessed” (sarcastic):
• Maluco, Maluquinho, Lit: crazy: Rio de Janeiro
• Doido, Doidão Lit: crazy: Rio de Janeiro
• Lek dude: Rio de Janeiro
• Fiel Lit: loyal:Rio de Janeiro (not as commonly used)
• Campeão Lit: champion: Rio de Janeiro (commonly used, often in a friendly way with strangers)
• Muleque kid, boy: Rio de Janeiro

Leave a comment below if you have heard any other ones! Thanks!

Addition: I just watched “Tropa de Elite II”, and I heard someone calling one of the characters “formoso” which literally means handsome, but it is said so sarcastically. But this is more like a nickname.