Southern Brazilian Expressions

Southern Brazilian Slang: Sound Like a Local!

Learning Portuguese is more than just grammar; it's about understanding the culture. And in Brazil, the accent and slang can change a lot depending on the region. The South of Brazil is known for its distinct expressions, many of them influenced by its border with Argentina and Uruguay. Get ready to sound like a true gaúcho, catarinense, or paranaense!

Common Expressions from the South

You'll hear these words everywhere in the Southern states:

• Bah! 🎧 (An exclamation
  of surprise,
  frustration, or
  admiration.
  It’s a very
  versatile word!)
• Tri 🎧 (Great, awesome,
  very. Used to
  intensify adjectives.)
• Tchê 🎧 (Similar to "dude"
  or "man," used
  to refer to a person.)
• Guri / Guria 🎧 (Boy / Girl.
  Very common in
  Rio Grande do Sul
  and Santa Catarina.)
• Piá 🎧 (Boy. Most used in Paraná.)

More Regional Words

Some words have a completely different meaning in the South:

• Bergamota 🎧 (The word for
  Tangerine. In most
  of Brazil, this is
  "mexerica" or "tangerina".)
• Cacetinho 🎧 (A small bread roll,
  the same as "pão
  francês" elsewhere.)
• Pila 🎧 (A slang word
  for money, or
  Brazilian Reais.)
• Lagartear 🎧 (To sunbathe, or
  just hang out
  and enjoy the sun,
  like a lizard.)
• Vina 🎧 (The word for
  hot dog sausage
  in Paraná. In
  other places, it’s "salsicha".)
• Chimarrão 🎧 (A traditional hot
  beverage made with
  yerba mate, a symbol of
  friendship and hospitality.)
• Pinhão 🎧 (The edible seed
  of the Araucaria pine
  tree, a traditional
  winter delicacy.)
• Sagu 🎧 (A sweet dessert
  made with small tapioca
  pearls and red wine.)
• Canjica 🎧 (In the South, this
  is a dish made from white
  corn kernels cooked with
  milk and spices, different
  from the yellow corn version
  in other regions.)

Typical Southern Verbs

Some verbs also have a different meaning or are more commonly used here:

• Resbalar 🎧 (To slip or slide,
  used in place of
  "escorregar".)
• Cadear 🎧 (To lock with
  a padlock.)
• Chavear 🎧 (To lock with
  a key.)

Useful Phrases

Here are some examples of how to use these words in a sentence:

1. Bah! Que frio! 🎧 (Wow! It's so cold!)

2. Aquele filme é tri legal. 🎧 (That movie is really cool.)

3. Tchê, vamos comer um churrasco? 🎧 (Dude, should we eat some barbecue?)

4. Onde está o piá? 🎧 (Where is the boy?)

5. Cuidado para não **resbalar** na água. 🎧 (Be careful not to slip on the water.)

6. Não esquece de **chavear** a porta. 🎧 (Don't forget to lock the door.)

---

Practice with Flashcards!

Fill in the blank with the correct Portuguese word. Hover over the card to see the answer!

1. This movie is **awesome**!

tri

2. The **girl** is talking to the **boy**.

guria / guri

3. I need to buy a **tangerine**.

bergamota

4. How much does it cost, **dude**?

Tchê

5. **Wow!** That's a great car!

Bah!

6. Can you give me 10 **Reais**?

pila

7. Let's go to the beach to **sunbathe**.

lagartear

8. I'm going to buy a hot dog with **sausage**.

vina

9. The **boy** is playing in the park.

piá

10. I'll eat a **bread roll** for breakfast.

cacetinho

Did you know any of these words? Tell us in the comments what your favorite Southern expression is!