How to Say "Hug" in Portuguese

abraço

/aˈbɾa.su/masculine

The English word 'hug' is translated into Portuguese as abraço.

The noun abraço refers to an affectionate embrace. If you wish to express the action of embracing, you can use the related verb abraçar.

Meaning: affectionate embrace (noun)

Which one should you use?

While abraço is the standard term, you may use the informal variation Abração to specifically describe a big, warm and tight hug.

The plural form of abraço is abraços.

The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /aˈbɾa.su/.

The verb abraçar is used in the phrase abraçar o mundo, which literally means 'to hug the world' but describes a desire to travel everywhere.
In Brazil, people often sign off emails and letters with um abraço or abraços even if they are not close friends. It functions as a warm but standard professional closing similar to 'best regards'.
While 'abraço' is a warm gesture, it is common for Brazilian men to greet each other with a quick 'abraço' (a pat on the back or a brief hug) as a standard sign of friendliness.

Que tal um abraço?
How about a hug?
This sentence shows how to suggest a hug using abraço.
Tatoeba #4321233 by Ricardo14, translation #2871763 by CK
Você quer um abraço?
Do you want a hug?
This sentence is useful for asking if someone wants a hug with abraço.
Tatoeba #9081392 by Ricardo14, translation #2549166 by CK
Tom me deu um abraço.
Tom gave me a hug.
This sentence illustrates how to say someone gave you a hug using abraço.
Tatoeba #5046451 by bill, translation #3171478 by CK
Dê um abraço nele
Give him a hug.
Vem cá, vou te dar um abração!
Come here, I'm going to give you a big hug!
27 more sentences on Tatoeba

Camila and Lucas are saying goodbye after a long trip.

Sources

Wiktionary, “hug” translations and entries abraço, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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