palavrão
The English word 'profanity' is translated into Portuguese as palavrão.
palavrão refers to obscene, lewd or abusive language. If you want to describe the action of using profanity, you can use the verbal phrase falar palavrão.
Meaning: obscene, lewd or abusive language (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word palavrão is a form derived from palavra, which means 'word'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of palavrão is palavrões.
Did you know?
- The suffix -ão in palavrão is an augmentative, meaning it literally transforms 'word' into 'big word'. This implies that profanity is not just a type of word, but a word with an oversized or aggressive impact.
- There is a stark difference between the palavrões used in Portugal and those in Brazil, with some common swear words in one country being completely meaningless or harmless in the other.
- While palavrão is the general term, Portuguese has a specific category of 'sacrilegious' profanity involving the name of God or saints, which is often viewed more severely in traditional Catholic circles than purely vulgar terms.
Examples in context
- Ele disse um palavrão durante o jogo.He said a profanity during the game.
- Não use esse palavrão na frente das crianças.Don't use that profanity in front of the children.
Example conversation
Juliana and Felipe are talking about a movie they just watched.
- JulianaEsse filme tem muito palavrão.This movie has too much profanity.
- FelipeSim, a linguagem é bem pesada.Yes, the language is quite strong.
- JulianaAcho que não serve para crianças.I don't think it is suitable for children.
- FelipeConcordo, Felipe não deixaria o filho ver.I agree, Felipe wouldn't let his son watch it.
