Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pirralho | /piˈʁa.ʎu/ (Brazil) /piˈʁa.ʎu/ (Rio de Janeiro) |
masculine |
| mimado | /miˈma.du/ (Brazil) /miˈma.du/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| pirralha | /piˈʁa.ʎɐ/ (Brazil) /piˈʁa.ʎɐ/ (Rio de Janeiro) |
feminine |
The term is used to describe a child who is selfish, spoiled or unruly. While pirralho focuses on the unruly or annoying nature of a child, the adjective mimado specifically describes the aspect of being spoiled or overindulged. You can combine these ideas, such as in the phrase criança mimada, which literally means 'child spoiled'. If you want to describe the actual behavior of being a brat, you can use the noun pirralhice.
Which one should you use?
pirralho refers to the brat's unruly or annoying nature, whereas mimado is an adjective specifically describing the 'spoiled' quality of being overindulged.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
pirralho is an informal term. Depending on your tone, it can range from a mild, playful tease to a genuine insult. In Brazil, moleque is an informal term for a brat and peste is an informal term used mostly in Brazil to describe a bratty or troublesome person. In Portugal, the term birrento/a is used informally to describe someone who is grouchy, whiny or exhibits bratty behavior.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, moleque and peste are commonly used. In Portugal, the term birrento/a is used for bratty behavior and the expression pirralho/a is occasionally used to refer to a brat with a playful and affectionate tone.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form is pirralho and the feminine singular is pirralha. The masculine plural form pirralhos is used for a group of boys or a mixed-gender group of children. For the adjective, the masculine plural form is mimados, used to describe multiple spoiled individuals.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of pirralho is /piˈʁa.ʎu/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- The word peste is often used to describe a person who is a 'handful' or a 'nuisance', but it is also the literal word for 'plague' or 'pest'.
- While moleque can mean 'brat' in Brazil, it is also used as a compliment to describe a talented young athlete or a person with a clever, street-smart way of playing a game.
- In Portugal, the term birrento comes from birra, which refers specifically to a temper tantrum, meaning the person is defined by their habit of throwing fits.
Examples in context
- Você é um pirralho.You're a brat.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as a pirralho.Tatoeba #5690254 by bill, translation #5173877 by CK
- Tom estava se comportando como um garoto mimado.Tom was behaving like a spoiled brat.This sentence is useful for describing someone behaving like a mimado.Tatoeba #5906248 by bill, translation #2539335 by CK
- Você está se comportando como um pirralho mimado.You're behaving like a spoilt brat.This sentence is useful for describing someone behaving like a pirralho.Tatoeba #5901956 by sergiomelo, translation #5828396 by OsoHombre
- Aquele moleque não para de aprontar travessuras.That brat keeps causing mischief.
- Meu sobrinho é um verdadeiro pirralho, mas é impossível ficar zangado com ele.My nephew is a real brat, but it's impossible to be mad at him.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Camila are watching a child throwing a tantrum in a park.
- LucasAquele pirralho está gritando muito alto.That brat is screaming very loud.
- CamilaEle é muito mal-educado.He is very rude.
- LucasOs pais dele não fazem nada.His parents do nothing.
- CamilaÉ uma situação bem chata.It is a very annoying situation.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brat” translations and entries pirralho, mimado, pirralha, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
