Brazilian Portuguese Road Traffic Vocabulary

Portuguese English
Acostamento Road shoulder
A bateria Battery
A buzina Horn
A chave The key
Amarelo Yellow light
Ar condicionado Air conditioning
A porta-luvas Glove compartment
área de descanso Rest area
Arrancar o carro To start the car
Atropelar To run over
Auto-atendimento Self service
Berma Verge of a road
Buzinar To honk
Carteira de motorista Driver’s license
Carteira de motorista internacional International driver license
Condução autorização Driving permit
Conheces aquele caminho You know that road
Contramão Wrong way
Dar no pé To run away, take off
Desvio Detour
Direção hidráulica Power steering
Dobrar / virar To turn
Encruzilhada Cross-road
Engatar To shift gears, into a gear
Engarrafamento Traffic jam
Encha o tanque, por favor Fill it up, please
Esse é o caminho certo That is the right road
Estacionamento Parking lot / parking
Estepe Spare tire
Estrada pavimentada Paved road
Estrada pedagiada Toll road
Estrada de terra Unpaved road or dirt road
Estacionamento proibido No parking
Enxingar To yell and curse at someone
Eu estou na estrada I'm on the road
Faixa Lane
Farol Headlights
Faróis Headlights
Fazer a volta / dar meia volta To make a U-turn
Gasolina comum Regular gasoline
Gasolina de alta octanagem Super gasoline
Gasolina sem chumbo, antipoluente Unleaded gasoline
Graxa The grease or oil that mechanics use
Guinchar To tow
Highway Highway
Infração de trânsito Traffic violation
Internacional de tradução de dirigir autorização International translation of driving permit
Limite de velocidade Speed limit
Licença de condução internacional International driving permit
Locadora Rent-a-car agency
Maçaneta da porta Door handle
Mapa Map
Mecânico Mechanic
Milhagem, quilometragem Mileage
Não polua Don’t litter
O acelerador Accelerator
O capô The hood (of a car)
O cinto de segurança / o cinto Seatbelt
O espelho The mirror
O ficina mecânica / just oficina Repair shop
O freio The breaks
O limpador do pára-brisa Windshield wipers
O motor The engine
O pára-choque The bumper
O pneu Tire
O retrovisor Rearview mirror
O volante Steering wheel
Pare Stop
Pára-brisa Windshield
Paralama Mud flap
Pasarella Overpass
Pegágio Toll
Permitir Permit
Pneu furado Flat tire
Posto de gasolina Gas station
Porta-malas Trunk
Quebra mola or, lombada Speed bump
Retorno U-turn
Rodar To turn, spin, tour, travel, drive, walk around
Rua Road
Rua de mão única One-way street
Saída Exit
Seguro Insurance
Sinais Signs
Sinal aberto Green light / open light
Sinal fechado Red light / closed light
Sinal de pisca Blinker
Sinal / semáforo Stoplight
Sinal vermelho Red light
Sinal verde Green light
Tampa do tanque Fuel tank door
Teto solar Sun roof
Trânsito Traffic
Ultrapassar To pass/go around another car on the road
Via / caminho / estrada Road
Viela, beco Alley

PORTUGUESE ROAD VOCABULARY

rua - road
quebra mola or, lombada – speed bump
trânsito - traffic
engarrafamento - traffic jam
pasarella - overpass (also means ”runway” in the fashion industry)
viela, beco - alley
pegágio – toll
faixa – lane
sinal or semáforo – stoplight
sinal vermelho/amarelo/verde - red/yellow/green light
* To express red or green, it is also common to say “sinal fechado” - literally:
“closed light” or “sinal aberto” - literally: “open light”.
rua de mão única - one-way street
contramão – wrong way
desvio – detour
saída – exit
retorno – u-turn
acostamento – road shoulder
área de descanso (nas highways) – rest area
highway – highway
estrada pavimentada – paved road
estrada de terra – unpaved road or dirt road
infração de trânsito – traffic violation
estacionamento – parking lot, parking
direção hidráulica – power steering
ar condicionado – air conditioning
seguro – insurance
map - mapa
locadora – rent-a-car agency
milhagem, quilometragem – mileage
carteira de motorista – driver’s license

placa pare - brazilian stop sign

TRAFFIC SIGNS IN PORTUGUESE

“não polua” – don’t litter
“pare” - stop
“estacionamento proibido” – no parking
limite de velocidade – speed limit
VERBS
guinchar – to tow
dobrar – to turn (just like “virar” but used more colloquially)
engatar – to shift gears, into a gear
“arrancar o carro“- to start the car
atropelar- to run over (someone, something)
buzinar- to honk
enxingar – to yell and curse at someone (think: road rage)
rodar - to turn, spin, tour, travel, drive, walk around…
“fazer a volta” (or: “dar meia volta“) – to make a u-turn
“dar no pé” – to run away, take off
ultrapassar- to pass/go around another car on the road
PORTUGUESE DRIVING SLANG
“lata velha“ – (literally: “old can”) humorously used to refer to an old crappy car
(but can be used to describe almost anything that is old, out dated, or falling apart
such as a cell phone.)You could also say:
“meu carro esta caindo aos pedaços” – literally: my car is falling in pieces.
“dar um rolê”, or “dar uma volta” – commonly used slang phrases, meaning “to
go for a walk or drive”, “to take a ride” or “to take a spin”
REPAIR
borracha/borracharia – “borracha” literally means rubber, a “borracharia” is
like an auto-parts shop that sells tires (“pneus“- pronounced almost like “pey-neus”
are tires). You will see these EVERYWHERE in Brazil, even in the middle of nowhere
if you are taking a bus ride across country, for example, you will notice one about
every 3 minutes. To own a Borracharia is a good way to make money in Brazil –
driving long distances, travelers will be facing face some challenging roads and it is
good to know that there is almost always a Borracharia around- just don’t let them rip
you off.
farol (pl. “farois“) – headlights (also, means “lighthouse” strangely enough
pneu furado – flat tire
estepe – spare tire
oficina mecânica (or just oficina)- repair shop
mecânico – mechanic
graxa - the grease or oil that mechanics use
PORTUGUESE GAS STATION VOCABULARY
posto de gasolina – gas station
“encha o tanque, por favor” – “fill it up, please”
auto-atendimento - self service
gasolina de alta octanagem – super gasoline
gasolina comum – regular gasoline
gasolina sem chumbo, antipoluente – unleaded gasoline
ADJECTIVES
“carro blindado“- an armored (or bulletproof) car, (often driven by rich people
in Rio de Janeiro.)
CAR PARTS IN PORTUGUESE
o pneu – tire
o volante – steering wheel
o retrovisor – rearview mirror
a porta-luvas – glove compartment
o motor – the engine
o freio – the breaks
o cinto de segurança (or just ”o cinto”) – seatbelt
o limpador do pára-brisa - windshield wipers
pára-brisa – windshield
a buzina - horn
faróis - headlights
o acelerador – accelerator
a bateria – battery
o capô – the hood (of a car)
a chave – the key
o espelho – the mirror
o pára-choque – the bumper
maçaneta da porta – door handle
porta-malas – trunk
paralama – mud flap
tampa do tanque – fuel tank door
teto solar – sun roof
sinal de pisca - blinker (*piscar – to blink)