Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| shopping | /ˈʃɔ.pĩ/ (Brazil) /ˈʃɔ.pĩɡ/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| centro comercial | /ˈsẽ.tɾu ko.meʁ.siˈaw/ (Brazil, word by word) | masculine |
Both terms refer to an enclosed shopping centre. While English speakers use 'shopping' to describe the act of buying things, in Portuguese, shopping refers specifically to the physical building or the mall itself.
Which one should you use?
shopping is the most common way to refer to a mall in daily speech, whereas centro comercial is a more descriptive and formal term.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, centro comercial is commonly used to refer to a mall. In Angola, the word shopping is used for the same purpose.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word shopping can be pluralized by adding an 's' to become shoppings.
How do you pronounce it?
The word shopping is pronounced /ˈʃɔ.pĩ/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might mistakenly think shopping refers to the activity of shopping. However, in Portuguese, o shopping refers to the physical mall.
Did you know?
- The root of centro comes from the Ancient Greek word kéntron, which meant a 'sharp point' or a 'sting'.
- In Brazil, because shopping refers to the building, the act of shopping is called fazer compras, which literally means 'to make purchases'.
- The phrase centro comercial is used in Portuguese to describe any commercial hub, not just those with a roof and walls.
Examples in context
- Eu fui ao shopping.I've been to the mall.This sentence is useful for saying you have been to the mall using shopping.Tatoeba #3456856 by piterkeo, translation #31121 by CK
- O shopping está deserto.The mall is deserted.This sentence is useful for describing the mall as deserted using shopping.Tatoeba #5899061 by bill, translation #1418611 by Spamster
- Tom adora ir ao shopping.Tom loves going to the mall.This sentence is useful for saying someone loves going to the mall using shopping.Tatoeba #4760362 by bill, translation #3475846 by CK
- Desculpe, poderia me indicar onde fica o shopping center mais próximo?Excuse me, could you please tell me where the nearest shopping center is?
- Vamos ao shopping hoje?Shall we go to the mall today?
- Vou dar uma volta no centro comercial.I'm going for a walk at the mall.
- Encontro você no shopping?Shall I meet you at the mall?
- Gostaria de ir ao shopping neste fim de semana.I would like to go to the mall this weekend.
- Por favor, onde posso encontrar um shopping center aqui?Please, where can I find a shopping center around here?
- O shopping fica perto do centro da cidade.The mall is close to the city center.
- Vamos ao shopping ver um filme?Shall we go to the mall to watch a movie?
- Ela adora fazer compras no shopping.She loves shopping at the mall.
- Marcamos de nos encontrar no shopping.We arranged to meet at the mall.
- Preciso de ir ao centro comercial comprar roupas novas.I need to go to the mall to buy new clothes.
- Vem ao shopping comigo no sábado?Will you come to the mall with me on Saturday?
- Aquele shopping tem muitas opções de restaurantes.That mall has many restaurant options.
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Camila are planning their weekend activities.
- GabrielVamos ao shopping hoje?Are we going to the mall today?
- CamilaSim, o shopping é muito grande.Yes, the mall is very large.
- GabrielVocê quer comprar roupas no shopping?Do you want to buy clothes at the mall?
- CamilaNão, prefiro apenas passear no shopping.No, I prefer just to walk around the mall.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mall” translations and entries shopping, centro comercial, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (centro, comercial) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries centro, comercial, shopping, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
