Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ardil | /aʁˈd͡ʒiw/ (Brazil) /aɾˈd͡ʒiw/ (São Paulo) |
masculine |
| artimanha | /aʁ.t͡ʃiˈmɐ̃.ɲɐ/ (Brazil) /aɾ.t͡ʃiˈmɐ̃.ɲɐ/ (São Paulo) |
feminine |
| lábia | /ˈla.bjɐ/ (Brazil) /ˈla.bjɐ/ (Portugal) |
feminine |
| treta | /ˈtɾe.tɐ/ (Brazil) /ˈtɾe.tɐ/ (Portugal) |
feminine |
| truque | /ˈtɾu.ki/ (Brazil) /ˈtɾu.kɨ/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| estrangeirinha | /is.tɾɐ̃.ʒe(j)ˈɾĩ.ɲɐ/ (Brazil) /es.tɾɐ̃.ʒe(j)ˈɾĩ.ɲɐ/ (Brazil) |
feminine |
The words in Portuguese describe an action intended to deceive. The term artimanha is often used to describe a clever or crafty way of achieving a goal, sometimes with a connotation of being 'crafty' rather than purely malicious.
Which one should you use?
While ardil refers to a general ruse or scheme, lábia specifically refers to using persuasive or deceptive speech to manipulate someone. Truque is used for a physical trick (like a magician's trick) or a clever shortcut, whereas ardil implies a more cunning or malicious deception. Treta is often used in colloquial Brazilian Portuguese to refer to a conflict, argument or a complicated situation, rather than a calculated ruse.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine noun artimanha can be used in its plural form artimanhas to describe a series of deceptive maneuvers or general trickery.
How do you pronounce it?
/aʁˈdʒiw/
Did you know?
- The term treta entered Portuguese from Spanish, which had previously borrowed it from the French word traite.
- The word manha within artimanha can also describe a child's temper tantrum or a 'trick' used to get attention.
- Using lábia to describe someone's persuasive skill is often a compliment to their charisma, even if the intent is deceptive.
Examples in context
- Ele sempre usa estratagemas para conseguir o que quer.He always uses ruses to get what he wants.
- A artimanha utilizada por ela foi extremamente engenhosa.The ruse she used was extremely clever.
- Os golpistas aplicaram uma fraude sofisticada para enganar os investidores.The scammers executed a sophisticated ruse to deceive the investors.
- Não caia nessa enganação! Eles estão apenas tentando te iludir.Don't fall for that ruse! They're just trying to deceive you.
- Ele usou um ardil para ganhar o jogo.He used a ruse to win the game.
- O plano era apenas um ardil.The plan was just a ruse.
- Não caia nesse ardil perigoso.Don't fall for this dangerous ruse.
Example conversation
Mariana and Lucas are discussing a surprising plot twist in a movie.
- MarianaVocê viu como ele enganou todos?Did you see how he fooled everyone?
- LucasSim, aquele ardil foi muito inteligente.Yes, that ruse was very clever.
- MarianaEu não esperava por essa reviravolta.I wasn't expecting that twist.
- LucasNem eu, Lucas ficou impressionado.Neither was I, Lucas was impressed.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ruse” translations and entries ardil, artimanha, lábia, treta, truque, estrangeirinha, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries artimanha, treta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
