Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bolacha | /boˈla.ʃɐ/ (Brazil) /buˈla.ʃɐ/ (Portugal) |
feminine |
| crocante | /kɾoˈkɐ̃.t͡ʃi/ (Brazil) /kɾɔˈkɐ̃.tɨ/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
bolacha is a feminine noun used to refer to crispy baked bread that is usually salty or savoury. If you want to refer specifically to a saltine-style cracker, use the phrase bolacha água e sal.
Which one should you use?
While bolacha is a common term for a cracker, it can also mean a sweet cookie or biscuit. In some regions of Brazil, people use bolacha to cover both sweet and salty varieties, whereas in other parts of Brazil, the word biscoito is the standard term for both cookies and crackers.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The choice between using bolacha or biscoito often depends on the region of Brazil you are in. In many parts of Brazil, bolacha is the standard word for both sweet cookies and salty crackers, while biscoito is used for the same items in other regions.
How does it change in a sentence?
Note that crocante is an adjective meaning crispy or crunchy used to describe the texture of a food. It is not a noun used to name the cracker itself.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /boˈla.ʃɐ/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The debate between using bolacha and biscoito is so intense in Brazil that it has become a lighthearted cultural meme and a common topic of social rivalry between different states.
- In Portuguese, bolacha is formed by taking the word bolo 'cake' and adding the suffix -acha, which typically denotes a diminished or derivative version of the original object.
- Beyond food, bolacha can be used colloquially in some contexts to describe something flat and round, such as a thick disc of metal or a large coin.
Examples in context
- Hoje eu comi algumas bolachas no café da manhã.Today I ate some crackers for breakfast.
- Você pode me passar os biscoitos de água e sal, por favor?Can you pass me the water and salt crackers, please?
- Eu gosto de comer bolacha com queijo.I like to eat a cracker with cheese.
- Esta bolacha está muito salgada.This cracker is very salty.
- Você quer uma bolacha para acompanhar o chá?Do you want a cracker to go with the tea?
Example conversation
Camila and Gabriel are having a snack in the living room.
- CamilaGabriel, você quer uma bolacha?Gabriel, do you want a cracker?
- GabrielSim, por favor. Eu estou com fome.Yes, please. I am hungry.
- CamilaEsta bolacha é bem crocante.This cracker is quite crispy.
- GabrielEla é deliciosa, Camila.It is delicious, Camila.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cracker” translations and entries bolacha, crocante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bolacha, crocante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
