chifrar [she ’frah]: to be unfaithful to your lover or spouse.
chinelos [she ’neh loos]: slippers, flip-flops, go-aheads.
chocante [show ’kun tche]: see alucinante.
chopp [’showp] or choppinho: draft beer.
Cidade Maravilhosa [see ’dah gee mah rrah vee ’lyoh zah]: Marvelous City; synonymous with Rio de Janeiro.
dançar [dun ’sah]: 1. to dance; 2. to get caught by the police doing something you are not supposed to.
dar um rolé [dah oon hoh ’leh]: go for a ride with no particular destination.
É mérino [eh ’meh moo]: Really? No kidding?
Falou [fah ’low]: All right, OK.
fio dental [’fee yoh den ’tahl]: 1. dental floss; 2. string bikini.
Fique numa boa [fee kee noo mah ’bow ah]: Stay cool.
flanelinha [flah neh ’lee nyah]: dubious looking individual who will insist on watching your car for you while you are parked. A source of great irritation for the Carioca.
galera [gah ’leh rah]: the group or crowd.
gata [’gah tah]: nice-looking woman.
gatinha [gah ’tchee nyah]: nice-looking girl (fifteen years old or less).
gatão [gah ’town]: nice-looking man.
gato [’gah too]: nice-looking guy (thirty years old or less).
Gaúcho [gah ’oo shoo]: local from the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Male gaúchos tend to think of themselves as very macho.
grana [’grruh nuh]: money; cash.
guardador [guah dah ’doh]: see flanelinha.
Havaianas [ah vahe ’vah nush]: brand name synonymous with rubber sandals. See chinelos.
jeitinho [jay ’tchee nyoo]: the Brazilian knack of getting around anything.
kanga [’kun guh]: rectangular piece of material used by Carioca women as a bikini cover-up.
malhar [mah ’lyah]: to work out by doing physical exercise.
Maneiro… [mah ’ney rroo]: Interesting…
Macumba [mah ’koom bah]: «meal» consisting of a dead chicken, rice and toasted manioc flour, accompanied by a bottle of liquor and a half-smoked cigar. Served by candlelight, Macumbas are placed on street corners as offerings to the spirits, and will remain there untouched until a car or dog eventually runs across it making a real mess.
mermão [merh ’mown]: my brother/buddy/pal/friend. (As in «Aí, mermão, não pode fumar aqui.»: «Hey buddy, you can’t smoke here.») Usually preceded by the term aí.
mesada [may ’zah dah]: allowance given by parents to their kids which is intended to last a month’s time but is spent in a week.
Me vê aí [mee ’veh ah ’ее]: Give me. (As in «Mê vê aíuma caipirinha»: «Give me a caipirinha»)
Mineiro [mee ’nay rroo]: local from the state of Minas Gerais. Males are known for doing away with their wives to save their honor and defend their short calibers.
novela das oito [no ’veh la dah ’zoy too]: soap opera that Cariocas watch from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. every night of the week. Favorite topic of conversation among many Cariocas.
Num dá pra dá um jeitinho [noon ’dah prrah ’dah oon jay ’tchee nyoo]: Isn’t there a way around this?
Oi [’oooo ееее]: Hi! (A casual greeting among Cariocas; precedes a hand shake or some kissing.)
Olha só [’oh lvah ’saw]: Look. (Term used at the beginning of ninety percent of the conversations spoken by a Carioca.)
O negócio é o seguinte… [oh nay ’gaw seeyoo eh oh say ’geen tche]: The story is the following… (This term usually precedes a lie or a very complicated story simply put.)
pa caralho [pah kah ’rrah lyoo]: a lot. (As in «Tá chovendo pa caralho»: «It’s raining a lot.») Cariocas use this term pa caralho (all the time).
pagar um mico [pah ’gah oon ’mee koo]: to do something foolish.
parafina [pah rrah ’fee nah]: someone with bleached blond hair.
paraíba [pah rrah ’ее bah]: a hick.
Paulista [pow ’leesh tah]: a local from the state of São Paulo. Very sallow skinned, always seen in business attire speaking Portuguese with an irritating accent. Paulistas tend to address each other with the term «O meu»: «Hey, dude.»
pentelho [pavn ’tavh lyoo]: 1. an irritating person; 2. a pubic hair.
pentelho encravado [payn ’tayh lyoo avn krah ’vah doo]: 1. an exceptionally irritating person; 2. an ingrown pubic hair.
P.F. [peh ’ehff] (prato feito): botequim’s plate of the day, inevitably consisting of white rice, black beans, manioc flour, and beefjerky.
pirralho [pee ’rrah lyoo]: 1. irritating child; 2. people of short stature.
pisar na bola [pee ’zah nah ’baw lah]: to blow it.
pivete [pee ’veh tche]: thief under sixteen years of age.
Pô, aí [’poh ah ’ее]: C’mon. (As in politely, «Pô, aí, dá pra acertar depois?»: «C’mon, can I pay you later?») This term usually precedes a question or some whining.
pochete [poh ’sheh tche]: device worn by Cariocas around the waist to carry pocket money, keys, and identification cards.
Pô, que saco [kee ’sah koo]: Boy, what a hassle! What a drag!
Qualé [quah ’leh]: What’s up? (As in «Qualé, mermão?»: «What’s up, buddy?»; also «Qualé a tua?»: «What’s the matter with you?»)
Que gostosa [kee gosh ’taw zah]: How delicious! (Term often uttered by men when a woman passes his way.)
rango [’hun goo]: food; also rangar: to eat.
ratear [ha tchee ’ah]: to steal from or fool someone.
rato [’ha too]: thief or schemer (male).
rato de praia [’ha too gee ’prah yeah]: beach thief.
saco [’sah koo]: 1. something that tests your patience; 2. a sack, specifically testicular.
sapatão [sah pah ’town]: 1. a big shoe; 2. a woman who prefers the company of other women.
simpatia [seen pah ’tchee yah]: a blessing used as a cure-all.