Below I have collected some funny mistakes not only foreigners do while trying to speak Portuguese. Let me know in comments what were your mistakes 🙂 Have fun!
- “Tentáculo de polvo” vs “testículo de polvo“
This was probably my funniest mistake I have experienced so far. While I was in one of my favorite restaurants ordering one of my favorite meals, I asked for “testículo de polvo” instead of “tentáculo”. Yes, “testículo” means in Portuguese a testicle, while “tentáculo de polvo” means an octopus tentacle. You can imagine the waiter’s shocked, but still professional and not laughing face 😀 And yeah, I try avoiding this restaurant since then 🙂
- “Cortar o cabelo” vs “cortar a cabeça”
Another time at the hairdresser, I have mentioned “cortar a cabeça” instead of “cortar o cabelo”. “Cortar o cabelo” means to cut the hair while “cabeça” means a head… 🙂 And no, she did not follow my request 🙂
- “Sumo de maça” vs “sumo de massa”
This happens to me constantly, that I confuse “maça” meaning an apple with “massa” meaning a pasta. And then funny stories happen, e.g. instead of an apple juice one asks for a pasta juice 🙂
- “Chá preto” vs “chá perto”
Be careful when asking for a black tea (“chá preto”) as it might be easily confused with “chá perto” – a “nearby” tea 🙂
- “Pão” vs “pau”
One of the first places where I started to practice Portuguese was the bakery. Everyone for sure already asked at least once for the fresh bread, meaning in Portuguese “pão”. Be careful with the pronunciation, because if the nasal is not properly pronounced, it may easily turn to “pau” having a very different meaning (stick, however also being used to refer to one of the “dirty words” with sexual context).
- “Coco” vs “cocó”
When asking for a coconut, pronunciation matters, too! “Coco” means already mentioned coconut, while “cocó” means a poop 🙂
- “Constipado”
The last funny mistake is related to the Portuguese word “constipado” that might seem to refer to be “constipated” in English. However, when Portuguese say they are “constipados”, they usually mean they have a cold. In English being “constipated” means you have a difficulty to go to the toilet.. 🙂 Btw, even Google Translate translates Portuguese “constipado” into an English as “constipated”, so be careful 🙂
Imagine my horror as I read the pão não pau section no wonder I get funny looks In the bakery! Oh and when I first went to the hairdressers I asked for “um cor para minha cabeça brancos”
You are doing well, Sheridan 🙂 I asked to have my head cut 😀