macaco
/maˈka.ku/masculine
The English word booger is translated into Portuguese as macaco. Wiktionary also lists catota and meleca.
Meaning: a piece of solid or semi-solid mucus (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| macaco | /maˈka.ku/ (Brazil) /mɐˈka.ku/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| catota | /kaˈtɔ.tɐ/ (Brazil) /kɐˈtɔ.tɐ/ (Portugal) |
feminine |
| meleca | /meˈlɛ.kɐ/ (Brazil) /mɨˈlɛ.kɐ/ (Portugal) |
Brazil, feminine |
| monco | /ˈmõ.ku/ (Brazil) /ˈmõ.ku/ (Portugal) |
Brazil, masculine |
| tatu | /taˈtu/ (Brazil) /taˈtu/ (Portugal) |
Brazil, South Brazil, colloquial, masculine |
This refers to a piece of solid or semi-solid mucus.
Which one should you use?
Catota and meleca are feminine, whereas macaco, monco and tatu are masculine.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
macaco and catota are informal. Tatu is also noted as being colloquial.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, meleca is the most widely used term for both boogers and general slime or mucus. In Southern Brazil, the colloquial regionalism tatu is used to refer to a booger.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /maˈka.ku/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- While macaco is used for 'booger', its literal meaning in Portuguese is 'monkey'.
- Some linguists believe macaco may have originated from a language in Madagascar, specifically words used to describe lemurs.
Examples in context
- Você tem uma meleca no seu cabelo.You've got a booger on your hair.This sentence is useful for identifying the presence of a meleca in someone's hair.Tatoeba #2817472 by akilez, translation #2816104 by mervert1
- Cuidado, você tem uma meleca no narizBe careful, you have a booger in your nose
Example conversation
Juliana notices something on Lucas's face.
- JulianaLucas, você está com um macaco no nariz.Lucas, you have a booger in your nose.
- LucasOnde? Eu não estou vendo nada.Where? I don't see anything.
- JulianaEstá bem aí, limpa logo isso.It's right there, clean it up quickly.
- LucasNossa, que nojo! Obrigado por avisar.Wow, how gross! Thanks for letting me know.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “booger” translations and entries macaco, catota, meleca, monco, tatu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries macaco, meleca, monco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
