cara
/ˈka.ɾɐ/Brazil, masculine
In Portuguese, the English phrase "dude" is translated as cara. Wiktionary also lists tipo.
Meaning: colloquial: man (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cara | /ˈka.ɾɐ/ (Brazil) /ˈka.ɾɐ/ (Portugal) |
Brazil, masculine |
| tipo | /ˈt͡ʃi.pu/ (Brazil) /ˈti.pu/ (Portugal) |
Portugal, masculine |
cara is used colloquially to refer to a person, such as in the phrase "a nice dude" or as a direct address to someone, such as "Hey, dude".
What does it mean word for word?
The word cara literally means "face" in Portuguese.
Which one should you use?
While cara is a common way to say "dude", the word tipo is used in Portugal to mean the same thing.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
cara is an informal term. Another informal way to say "dude" is véi, which is mainly used in Brazil.
Is it said differently in some regions?
cara is used in Brazil, whereas tipo is used in Portugal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of cara is caras.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈka.ɾɐ/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The Greek ancestor of cara was actually the word for 'skull', meaning the word for 'dude' has traveled from the bone to the face and finally to a person.
- Using véi to mean 'dude' is an example of a common Brazilian linguistic trend where words for age are used to establish informal kinship regardless of the person's actual age.
- In highly informal Brazilian speech, véi is often used as a punctuation mark rather than a noun, appearing at the end of sentences even when no one is being addressed.
Examples in context
- Eu sou um cara legal.I'm a nice dude.This sentence uses cara to show how to describe a person.Tatoeba #5346830 by ToinhoAlam, translation #4296662 by DarkHollow
- E aí, cara?What's up, dude?This sentence uses cara as a direct address.Tatoeba #1810505 by alexmarcelo, translation #1806291 by Spamster
- Relaxa, cara!Chill out, dude!Tatoeba #7908357 by piterkeo, translation #7908273 by User83551
- Oi, amigo!Hey, dude!
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Beatriz are talking about a new coworker.
- GabrielVocê conheceu o novo cara?Did you meet the new guy?
- BeatrizSim, ele parece ser legal.Yes, he seems to be nice.
- GabrielO cara é muito gente boa.The guy is a really good person.
- BeatrizQue bom saber disso.That's good to know.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dude” translations and entries cara, tipo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cara, tipo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
