10 Portuguese Words You Can’t Translate to English

Learning Portuguese is not just about mastering verbs and grammar rules — it’s about discovering a new way of seeing and feeling the world. Some Portuguese words carry emotions, values, and nuances that simply don’t exist in English.

Here are ten beautiful, untranslatable words that reveal the heart and soul of the Portuguese-speaking world.

1. Saudade

Perhaps the most famous Portuguese word of all. Saudade is more than nostalgia — it’s a deep emotional state of longing for something or someone that may never return.

You can feel saudade for your childhood, for a place you once lived, or even for a person you’ve never met. It’s not sadness; it’s a kind of beautiful melancholy that makes people appreciate what was once good.

The Portuguese often say that saudade is part of who they are — a feeling that defines their relationship with life and love.

2. Desenrascanço

This word describes the unique Portuguese ability to find a quick and creative solution when things seem impossible.

Imagine your phone dies, you forget your charger, and somehow you make it work with tape and luck — that’s desenrascanço.

It’s like improvisation, but with charm and resourcefulness. The Portuguese take pride in this “art of getting out of trouble,” which says a lot about their adaptability.

3. Cafuné

Softly running your fingers through someone’s hair to show affection — that’s cafuné.

It’s a word filled with tenderness, often used in Brazil to express gentle, loving care.

There’s no single English word that fully captures this gesture, which shows how love in Portuguese isn’t just spoken — it’s felt and expressed through small, intimate actions.

4. Fado

Literally meaning “fate,” fado is also the name of Portugal’s traditional music genre.

Fado songs are full of emotion, longing, and, yes, saudade. They tell stories of love, loss, and destiny, accompanied by the haunting sound of the Portuguese guitar.

To understand fado is to understand how the Portuguese turn sadness into beauty.

5. Ginga

More than a movement, ginga is an attitude.

It’s the rhythm, grace, and adaptability that make Brazilians move effortlessly — in dance, in conversation, in life.

To have ginga is to flow through challenges with creativity and confidence. It’s the opposite of rigidity — it’s flexibility with flair.

6. Mimos

Mimos are small acts of affection — a hug, a surprise coffee, a kind word.

They are the gestures that show love without the need for grand declarations.

Portuguese people, especially families, often use mimos to show care and warmth in everyday life.

7. Vergonha alheia

This one is both funny and relatable. Vergonha alheia literally means “someone else’s shame.”

It’s that secondhand embarrassment you feel when watching someone do something awkward or cringe-worthy — like singing terribly in public or tripping on stage.

The fact that Portuguese has a word for this shows how empathetic and socially aware its speakers can be.

8. Malandro

A malandro is a charming trickster — clever, funny, maybe a little lazy, but always likable.

He bends the rules not to harm others, but to survive with grace and humor.

The concept of the malandro is deeply rooted in Brazilian culture, often appearing in music, cinema, and folklore as the symbol of street-smart intelligence.

9. Jeitinho

Closely related to desenrascanço, the jeitinho brasileiro is the “little way” of solving problems through creativity, relationships, and a touch of improvisation.

It can be positive — finding alternative solutions when the system doesn’t work — or negative, when it bends rules too far.

Either way, it reveals the human side of Portuguese-speaking cultures: flexible, emotional, and pragmatic.

10. Lusofonia

Finally, lusofonia describes the global community of Portuguese-speaking countries — Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, East Timor, and others.

It’s more than just a linguistic connection; it’s a shared identity across continents, united by history, culture, and the beauty of the Portuguese language.

Final Thought

These ten words are just a small glimpse into how rich and emotional Portuguese can be.

They reflect a language that values connection, feeling, and creativity.

Learning Portuguese isn’t only about speaking differently — it’s about thinking and feeling differently too.

If you’d like to explore more of this beautiful language, visit Portuguesenative.com for free lessons, cultural insights, and resources designed for learners at every level.

Written by Gilberto Sapalo, a Portuguese language tutor helping learners worldwide fall in love with Portuguese.