Which one should you use?
While legal is a common way to express the slang sense of 'cool', you should use frio if you are actually referring to a low temperature. For a sense of something being 'incredible' or 'amazing', you might also use incrível.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In Brazil, legal is a very common colloquialism used to mean 'cool', 'nice' or 'great'. Other options include the slang term massa and the synonym bacana.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the slang word massa is widely used and the term maneiro is frequently used in Rio de Janeiro to express 'cool'. In Portugal, the word fixe is used primarily to convey this meaning.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, legal is invariable in gender, meaning it remains legal whether it modifies a masculine or feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/leˈɡaw/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse the literal meaning of 'legal' (relating to law) with its colloquial meaning (cool/nice) in Portuguese. However, in a social context, legal is almost always understood as 'cool'.
Did you know?
- In certain parts of Brazil, you might hear someone describe something as massa to mean 'cool'. This word literally translates to 'dough' or 'mass', but functions as high praise in slang.
- The word legal shares a common ancestor with the English word 'legal' through the Latin 'lēgālis', which refers to things pertaining to law.
- The word bacana is another way to say 'cool' and is often used to describe someone who is refined or has good taste.
Examples in context
- É legal, não é?It's cool, isn't it?This sentence is useful for confirming if something is cool using legal.Tatoeba #3490252 by piterkeo, translation #2548183 by CK
- Sua mãe é legal.Your mom is cool.This sentence uses legal to describe a person.Tatoeba #3433624 by piterkeo, translation #3431205 by CK
- Tom é tão legal.Tom is so cool.This sentence uses legal to express how cool someone is.Tatoeba #5609431 by bill, translation #2649095 by CK
- 90 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juliana and Lucas are talking about the weather inside a room.
- JulianaO ar condicionado deixa o quarto legal.The air conditioning makes the room cool.
- LucasSim, está bem refrescante aqui dentro.Yes, it is very refreshing in here.
- JulianaVocê prefere a temperatura assim, legal?Do you prefer the temperature like this, cool?
- LucasSim, eu gosto quando não está quente.Yes, I like it when it is not hot.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry legal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries legal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
