suspense
/susˈpẽ.si/masculine
The English word 'thriller' can be translated into Portuguese as suspense or thriller.
Meaning: genre of fiction (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| suspense | /susˈpẽ.si/ (Brazil) /suʃˈpẽ.si/ (Rio de Janeiro) |
masculine |
| thriller | /ˈtɾi.leʁ/ (Brazil) /ˈtɾi.leɾ/ (São Paulo) |
masculine |
The term refers to the genre of fiction. When you want to refer specifically to a thriller movie, it is common to use the phrase filme de suspense.
Which one should you use?
suspense is the standard term used to describe the thriller genre in Portuguese, whereas thriller is often used as a loanword for specific titles or in certain contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the word policial can be used to refer to thrilling stories specifically within the context of crime and detective work.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word suspense is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /susˈpẽ.si/. It has three syllables, and the stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- The Portuguese word suspense is actually a loanword from English, despite sounding like a natural Latin-based word.
- In Portuguese, the word suspense can describe both the overall genre and the specific 'cliffhanger' moment at the end of a scene.
- While suspense is the common word for the genre, it is also used as a noun to describe the feeling of anxiety or tension experienced during a wait, such as estar em suspense.
Examples in context
- É um filme de suspense.It's a thriller movie.This sentence shows how to use the phrase filme de suspense to describe a movie.Tatoeba #12238406 by carlosalberto, translation #12238401 by carlosalberto
- Eu adoro ler suspenses. Qual é o seu suspense favorito?I love reading thrillers. What's your favorite thriller?
- Vamos assistir a um suspense hoje? Ou prefere outro gênero?Shall we watch a thriller today? Or do you prefer another genre?
- Você já leu algum livro policial brasileiro? Eles são cheios de suspense!Have you read any Brazilian crime novels? They are packed with suspense!
- Eu adoro ler um bom suspense.I love reading a good thriller.
Example conversation
Camila and Lucas are deciding on a movie to watch.
- CamilaVocê prefere comédia ou suspense?Do you prefer comedy or thriller?
- LucasEu prefiro um suspense bem tenso.I prefer a very tense thriller.
- CamilaEntão vamos ver esse novo filme.Then let's watch this new movie.
- LucasBoa ideia, eu topo!Good idea, I'm in!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thriller” translations and entries suspense, thriller, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries suspense, thriller, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
