feio
masculine
In Brazilian Portuguese "ugly" is feio for masculine nouns and feia for feminine ones. The plurals are feios and feias.
Meaning: unattractive (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | Note |
|---|---|
| feio | masculine |
| Feia | feminine |
It can describe people, objects or situations: um prédio feio, uma cor feia. In Brazil feio is also used for bad behavior, as in Que feio!
Which one should you use?
Calling a person feio is blunt. Brazilians often soften it with não é muito bonito ("is not very pretty").
When do people say it?
Que feio! is what adults say to scold a child who does something rude.
Did you know?
- A famous Brazilian fairy tale phrase is patinho feio, the "ugly duckling".
Examples in context
- Esse sofá é feio.This sofa is ugly.
- A cor da parede é feia.The color of the wall is ugly.
- Que feio, não faça isso!Shame on you, do not do that!
Example conversation
Helena shows her friend Otávio a new jacket in Campinas.
- HelenaGostou da jaqueta?Do you like the jacket?
- OtávioA cor é meio feia.The color is a bit ugly.
- HelenaEu gosto dela.I like it.
