chocante
/ʃoˈkɐ̃.t͡ʃi/
The English word "shocking" is translated to Portuguese as chocante.
The term is used to describe something that is startling or inspires shock.
Meaning: inspiring shock, startling (adj)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, chocante is the most commonly used term for "shocking" across formal and informal contexts. In Portugal, the term espantoso is often used to express shock.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in number with the noun it modifies, changing from chocante to chocantes for plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable. The IPA is /ʃoˈkɐ̃.tʃi/.
Did you know?
- The verb chocar can also be used to describe a person 'laying eggs', which is a literal meaning that has nothing to do with being startled.
- The Portuguese term espantoso, used in Portugal for 'shocking', comes from the verb espantar, which also means to scare away birds or animals.
- While chocante describes a startling event, the verb chocar can also mean 'to collide' or 'to crash' in a physical sense, such as two cars hitting each other.
Examples in context
- O que Sami viu foi chocante.What Sami saw was shocking.This sentence is useful for describing something that was witnessed.Tatoeba #6151688 by Iwapedro, translation #6148978 by OsoHombre
- Os resultados foram chocantes.The results were shocking.This sentence shows how to use the term with plural results.Tatoeba #10323603 by heo598, translation #4501816 by CK
- O que eles escreveram sobre ela no jornal é chocante.It's shocking what they wrote about her in the newspapers.This sentence illustrates how the word can describe written content in a newspaper.Tatoeba #6468387 by heo598, translation #3451210 by AlanF_US
- As notícias foram chocantes.The news was shocking.
- A descoberta científica foi surpreendente.The scientific discovery was shocking.
- A cena do acidente foi impactante.The scene of the accident was shocking.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mariana and Lucas are discussing a recent news report.
- MarianaVocê viu aquela notícia?Did you see that news story?
- LucasAinda não, o que aconteceu?Not yet, what happened?
- MarianaFoi algo muito chocante.It was something very shocking.
- LucasSério? Agora estou curioso.Really? Now I'm curious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shocking” translations and entries chocante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
