legal
everyday, Brazil
The most common way to say "cool" in Brazil is legal. It works in almost every situation. It is also called bacana and massa.
Meaning: good, fun or great (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | Note |
|---|---|
| legal | everyday, Brazil |
| bacana | casual |
| massa | slang, Northeast |
| da hora | slang, São Paulo |
Que legal! means "how cool!" It also means "legal" in the legal sense, but the context makes the meaning clear.
Which one should you use?
Slang like massa and da hora can sound dated or regional to some Brazilians, while legal is safe everywhere.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Massa is typical of the Northeast and da hora is typical of São Paulo. Bacana is understood everywhere.
Did you know?
- Legal literally means "legal" and became the main word for "cool" in Brazilian speech.
Examples in context
- Que legal!How cool!
- Esse lugar é muito bacana.This place is really cool.
- Foi massa demais!It was so cool!
Example conversation
Bruno shows his new bike to Tati in Salvador.
- BrunoOlha minha bicicleta nova!Look at my new bike!
- TatiQue legal! Quanto custou?How cool! How much was it?
- BrunoFoi barata, achei massa.It was cheap, I think it is great.
