Party Glossary
(From the Bahia-Online Carnival Pocket Guide 2004)

• • abadá: ah-ba-DAH; Carnival T-shirt and shorts which allow entrance to a bloco.
  
  • abraço: ah-BRAH-soo; hug
• 
  • afoxé: ah-fo-SHEY; an African Carnival group which marches to rhythms based in
  candomblé.
• 
  • axé: ah-SHEY; life force, but in Carnival terms this term usually refers to a musical style.
• 
  • bagunça: bah-GOOHN-sa; mess (can be used in the sense of a loud, noisy party)
• 
  • barulho: bah-ROO-lyou; noise
• 
  • batida: bah-TCHEE-da; a drink comprised of cachaça and a flavoring agent, very strong.
• 
  • beijo: BEY-jhoo; kiss!
• 
  • bloco BLO-koo; block, or Carnival group.
• 
  • briga: BREE-ga; fight.
• 
  • cachorro: ka-SHOW-hoh; dog (used for two-legged dogs too!)
• 
  • camarote: kah-mah-RO-tchee; a Carnival viewing stand, often complete with bar, food, and
  music.
• 
  • cerveja: seh-VEY-jha; beer.
• 
  • cordão: coh-DÃO; the big rope cordoning off a bloco.
• 
  • gata: GA-ta; literally “female cat”, slang for a beautiful woman.
• 
  • gatinha: ga-TEEN-ya; literally “female kitten”; slang for a cute girl.
• 
  • gato: GA-too; literally “male cat”; slang for a good-looking guy.
• 
  • gelada: jhe-LA-da; chilled or cold
• 
  • guaraná: gwa-ra-NA; an energy raising powder derived from the seeds of a berry.
• 
  • isopor: ee-zo-POR; styrofoam or styrofoam cooler, also something to keep a bottle of beer
  from warming.
• 
  • kapeta: ka-PEH-ta; literally “devil”, a drink which includes chocolate, guaraná, and usually,
  ground peanuts.
• 
  • ladrão: lah-DRÃO; thief.
• 
  • mamãe sacote: ma-MÃE sah-KO-tchee; pom pom.
• 
  • menina: meh-NEE-na; girl
• 
  • menino: meh-NEE-no; boy
• 
  • mentira: mehn-TCHEE-ra; lie
• 
  • muvuca: moo-VOO-ka; madness (like a Carnival crowd).
• 
  • pagode: pah-go-djee; a popular samba-based musical style.
• 
  • paquerar: pah-keh-RAH; flirt.
• 
  • pipoca: pee-PO-ka; literally “popcorn”, the (jumping and dancing) Carnival crowds outside
  the ropes cordoning off the blocos.
• 
  • Piriguete: pee-ri-GE-tchee; slang for “fast girl”; also the name for smallest can of beer (that’s
  what “fast girls” want, of course)
• 
  • polícia: po-LEE-see-a; police
• 
  • rapaz: hah-PAIZ; young man, but often idiomatically used like “man” in the sense “Oh man!”
• 
  • ressaca: heh-SAH-ka; hangover.
• 
  • roubo: HOH-bo; theft
• 
  • safado: sa-FAH-do; shameless guy
• 
  • trio elétrico: TREE-oo eh-LEK-tree-koo; Carnival soundtrucks with bands playing on top.

Some Handy Phrases in Portuguese

• • Oi! [oy] Hi!
  
  
• • Olá! [oh-LAH] Hello! (excluding on the telephone)
  
  
• • Alô! [ah-LOH] Hello! (on the telephone)
  
  
• • Tchau! [tchow] See you! Bye!
  
  
• • Bom dia! [bohm DJEE-ah] Good morning! (Good for anytime before noon)
  
  
• • Boa tarde! [boa TAHD-djee] Good afternoon!
  
  
• • Boa noite! [boa NOY-tchee] Good night! (Used as a greeting as well as to say goodbye or
  good night)
  
  
• • Tudo bem? [TOO-doo BENG] Everything well? (A common greeting)
  
  
• • Tudo bom? [TOO-doo BOHM] Everything good? (Another common greeting)
  
  
• • Como vai? [koh-mo vay] How’s it going?
  
  
• • Qual é? [kwal eh] What’s up? (very slangy)
  
  
• • Com licença. [kohm lee-SEHN-sa] Excuse me! (In the sense of perhaps asking somebody
  to let you by)
  
  
• • Desculpe! [djee-SHKOOL-pee] Sorry! (In the sense of having stepped on somebody’s foot)
  
  
• • Tem…? [teng…] Do you have…? …cerveja [seh-VEH-jha] beer? …Red Bull [HEH-djee
  BOO] Red Bull? …cigarros [see-GAH-hohs] cigarettes? …agua mineral [AH-gwa mee-neh-
  RAU] mineral water? …um refrigerante [oohm heh-free-jhehr-AHN-tchee] a soft drink?
  
  • ...comida [koh-MEE-da] food?
  
  
• • Por favor. [poh fah-VOH] Please.
  
  
• • Obrigado(a)! [oh-bree-GAH-do(a)] Thank you!
  
  
• • De nada! [djee NAH-da] You’re welcome!
  
  
• • Quanto é...? [KWAN-to eh] How much is...?
  
  
• • Quanto custa…? [KWAN-to KOOSH-ta] How much (does something) cost?
  
  
• • Meu nome é _______. [MEH-oh NO-meh eh ______.] My name is ______.
  
  
• • Como é o seu nome? [KOH-moh eh oh SEH-oo NOH-meh] What’s your name?
  
  
• • Prazer em conhecer-ló(á)! [prah-ZEH eng kohn-yeh-SEH-loh(ah)] It’s a pleasure to meet
  you! m(f)
  
  
• • Sou… [Sohj] I am… …italiano(a) [ee-tah-lee-AH-no(a)] Italian. …alemão [ah-leh-MÃO]
  German (m). ...alemã [ah-leh-MÃ] German (f). ...americano(a) [ah-meh-ree-KAHN-o(a)]
  American. ...holandês [aw-lahn-DEIZ] Dutch (m). ...holandesa [aw-lahn-DEIZ-a] Dutch
  (f). ...norueguês [noh-weh-GEIZ] Norwegian (m). ...norueguesa [noh-weh-GEIZ-a]
  Norwegian (f).
  
  
• • Quer dancar? [kehr dahn-SAH] Do you want to dance?
  
  
• • Posso te beijar? [PAW-soo tee bei-JAH] Can I kiss you?
  
  
• • Me dá um beijo! [me dah oohm BEY-jhoo] Give me a kiss!
  
  
• • Sim! [seehn] Yes!
  
  
• • Não! [nõw] No!
  
  
• • Cadê o banheiro? [kah-DEH o bahn-YEH-ro] Where’s the bathroom?
  
  
• • Eu quero ir para… [EH-oo KEH-roo ear PAH-ra...] I want to go to… …Barra [BAH-ha]. …
  Pelourinho [peh-loh-REEN-yo]. …Campo Grande [kahmpo GRAHN-djee]. ...Ondina [awn-
  DJEE-na].
  
  
• • Vamos para... [VAH-moos PAH-ra] Let’s go to...
  
  
• • Estou procurando... [eh-SHTOH pro-koor-AHN-do] I’m looking for...
  
  
• • Eu gosto de… [EH-oo GAW-shtoo djee] I like…
  
  
• • Muito! [MWEE-to] A lot!
  
  
• • Eu não entendi. [EH-oo nõw ehn-tehn-DJEE] I didn’t understand.