27 Colombian Slang Words and Phrases and How We Say Them in Brazil

If you have Colombian friends, grew up in a Colombian family or spent some time in Bogotá or Medellín, you probably already use a lot of Colombian slang. Then you start learning Portuguese and the question shows up: "Phil, how do I say dar papaya, guayabo or qué pereza in Brazil?". I hear this all the time as a Portuguese teacher, so I put together this list of Colombian slang in Portuguese, with the Brazilian version of each expression.

Here you'll find 27 Colombian slang words and phrases, from the most common everyday ones (parchado, rumbear, camellar) to a few Colombian slang bad words like güevón or sapo, and what we say instead here in Brazil. It's not a literal translation: I show you how we actually talk in Brazil, so you sound natural instead of translating word for word.

Before we start, a quick answer on how to say Colombia in Portuguese: it's Colômbia, with a circumflex accent on the second "o". And Colombian in Portuguese is colombiano or colombiana, just like in Spanish. Now watch the video, go through the list and practice these Colombian slang phrases with the Brazilian version of each one.

Video: 27 Colombian Expressions in Portuguese

In this video I say all 27 Colombian expressions in Portuguese out loud, so you can hear how each Brazilian equivalent sounds with a Brazilian accent. Watch it first, then use the list below to review the meaning and the examples for each one.

List of Colombian Slang and the Brazilian Version

Here are 27 Colombian slang words with their Brazilian equivalent. Heads up: these aren't word-for-word translations, they're the expressions we use in Brazil in the same situation. For each one you'll see the Colombian slang meaning, how we say it in Brazil and a practical example, so you don't end up mixing both languages into Portuñol without noticing.

1. DAR PAPAYA

In Colombia, "dar papaya" means leaving yourself exposed or giving someone the chance to take advantage of you. In Brazil we say dar vacilo, and the careless person is a vacilão. By the way, the fruit papaya in Portuguese is mamão.

• DAR VACILO
• VACILÃO (the fruit: mamão)

• Example: "Não dá vacilo com o celular no ônibus, hein." (Don't leave your phone out in the open on the bus, okay?)

Fruits in Portuguese

2. GÜEVÓN, WEON HUEVÓN, GÜEBÓN, GÜEÓN, WEVÓN

"Güevón" is one of the most used Colombian bad words: it can be an insult (fool, idiot) or, among friends, an affectionate way to call each other. In Brazil, as an insult we use otário, babaca, mané or trouxa; among friends, the most natural is "cara" or "mano" (dude, bro). If you want to go further, check out the most common Brazilian Portuguese swear words and insults.

• OTÁRIO
• BABACA
• IDIOTA
• ESTÚPIDO
• MANÉ (Origin of the word "manezinho")
• PALERMA
• BANANA
• ZÉ RUELA
• TROUXA
• LAZARENTO

• Example: "Para de ser trouxa, cara! Ele tá te enganando." (Stop being such a fool, dude! He's playing you.)

How to Say "Güevón, Weon" in Portuguese and Other Insults

3. CONCHUDO

"Conchudo" is a shameless person who takes advantage of other people's trust without any embarrassment. In Brazil we say that person is cara de pau (literally "wooden face") or folgado, when they slack off and let everyone else do everything for them.

• CARA DE PAU
• FOLGADO

• Example: "Ele comeu meu lanche e ainda pediu mais. Que cara de pau!" (He ate my sandwich and still asked for more. What nerve!)

4. JUICIOSO

In Colombia, a "juicioso" person is responsible, hardworking and well behaved, like the student who always does their homework. In Portuguese we say aplicado, and in conversation you'll also hear "certinho" or "comportado".

• APLICADO

• Example: "Meu filho é muito aplicado, faz a lição de casa sozinho." (My son is very diligent, he does his homework on his own.)

5. TERCO

"Terco" is someone who won't change their mind no matter what, in other words, stubborn. In Portuguese we say teimoso or cabeça-dura (literally "hard head"). Careful: "terço" in Portuguese means a rosary or one third, so it's one of those Portuguese false friends that trip up anyone who speaks Spanish.

• TEIMOSO
• CABEÇA DURA

• Example: "Você é muito cabeça-dura, nunca aceita um conselho." (You're so stubborn, you never take advice.)

6. CHAMBONADA

A "chambonada" is a sloppy job or a makeshift fix that somehow works. In Brazil we have the perfect word for it: gambiarra, that creative fix made with tape, wire or whatever is lying around.

• GAMBIARRA

• Example: "Meu tio fez uma gambiarra pra consertar a TV." (My uncle rigged up a makeshift fix for the TV.)

Article in Portuguese: 25 gambiarras brasileiras de qualidade

Different ways to say something is broken or doesn't work

7. CHIVIADO

"Chiviado" is something fake, pirated or low quality, a knockoff. In Brazil we say it's falso, fajuto, fuleiro or, as a joke, that it's do Paraguai ("from Paraguay"). "Peba" is very common in the Northeast, like a lot of Northeast Brazil slang.

• FALSO
• PEBA
• DO PARAGUAI
• FRACO
• FAJUTO
• FULEIRO

• Example: "Esse relógio é do Paraguai, com certeza." (That watch is a knockoff, for sure.)

14 ways to say something is good in Portuguese

8. PARCHADO

Being "parchado" means being calm, relaxed, with no rush and no worries. In Brazil we say de boa or sossegado, two super common expressions in everyday informal Portuguese.

• DE BOA
• SOSSEGADO

• Example: "Hoje tô de boa em casa, sem fazer nada." (Today I'm just chilling at home, doing nothing.)

9. RUMBEAR

"Rumbear" means going out to party, dance and have a few drinks. In Brazil we say ir pra balada (the nightclub is the balada or the boate) or, for something more low-key, dar uma saída. And to invite someone, we use "bora" (let's go) a lot, a classic of informal Portuguese.

• IR PRA BALADA
• BOATE
• DAR UMA SAÍDA

• Example: "Bora pra balada na sexta-feira?" (Want to go out partying on Friday?)

Curiosities about Brazilian culture (according to foreigners)

10. GUAYABO

"Guayabo" is the awful feeling the day after drinking too much, a hangover. In Portuguese it's ressaca, and when someone is completely wrecked we say they're "só o caco" or "só o bagaço".

• RESSACA
• SÓ O CACO
• SÓ O PITO
• SÓ O BAGAÇO

• Example: "Bebi demais ontem, hoje tô de ressaca." (I drank too much yesterday, today I'm hungover.)

The stages of getting drunk in Portuguese

"Cachaça": Vocabulary and Expressions

11. CULEBREAR

"Culebrear" (from "culebra", snake) means weaving in and out of traffic, something motorcycles do all the time. In Portuguese we use the verb costurar (to sew), because the bike goes "sewing" its way between the cars.

• COSTURAR

• Example: "O motoboy foi costurando entre os carros." (The delivery rider went weaving between the cars.)

Traffic vocabulary: a motorcycle ride

12. CULICAGAO

"Culicagao" is a kid, a brat, or someone very young who thinks they're a grown-up. In Brazil we say moleque, pirralho or pivete. Watch out for "pentelho": it's used for an annoying kid, but it also has a vulgar meaning, so use it carefully.

• MOLEQUE
• PIRRALHO
• PIVETE
• PENTELHO

• Example: "Esse pirralho acha que sabe mais que todo mundo." (That brat thinks he knows more than everybody.)

13. ACHANTADO

Being "achantado" means feeling embarrassed, shy or a little down. In Portuguese we say encabulado or acanhado, exactly how a lot of students feel at the beginning. If that's you, see how to start speaking Portuguese without feeling embarrassed.

• ENCABULADO
• ACANHADO

• Example: "Ele ficou encabulado quando a professora elogiou o trabalho dele." (He got all shy when the teacher praised his work.)

14. GAMÍN

A "gamín" is a street kid, often linked to petty theft. In Brazil, the kid who steals on the street is the trombadinha, because they "dão uma trombada" (bump into you) to rob you.

• TROMBADINHA

• Example: "Cuidado com a bolsa, tem muito trombadinha por aqui." (Watch your bag, there are a lot of pickpockets around here.)

15. ECHAR CANTALETA

"Echar cantaleta" means scolding someone by repeating the same lecture over and over. In Brazil we say dar esporro (very informal) or dar carão, which is very common in the Northeast. You'll also hear "dar bronca".

• DAR ESPORRO
• DAR CARÃO

• Example: "Minha mãe me deu um esporro porque cheguei tarde." (My mom chewed me out because I got home late.)

How to lose the fear of speaking Portuguese

16. POLAS

In Colombia, "unas polas" are a few beers. In Brazil, beer has several nicknames: ceva, breja and gelada ("the cold one"), because here we drink it ice cold.

• CEVA
• BREJA
• GELADA
• CERVEJA

• Example: "Vamos tomar uma gelada depois do trampo?" (Want to grab a cold one after work?)

17. SAPO

In Colombia, a "sapo" is the gossip or snitch who tells what they shouldn't. In Portuguese we say fofoqueiro, fuxiqueiro, dedo-duro or X9. Heads up: in Portuguese, "sapo" is just the animal (a toad).

• FOFOQUEIRO
• FUXIQUEIRO
• DEDO DURO
• X9 (origin)

• Example: "Não conta nada pra ele, ele é dedo-duro." (Don't tell him anything, he's a snitch.)

18. TE CAIGO

"Te caigo" means "I'll come over to where you are" or "I'll swing by your place". In Brazil we say chego aí or passo aí, with the verbs chegar and passar.

• CHEGO POR AÍ
• PASSO POR AÍ

• Example: "Mais tarde eu passo aí na sua casa." (I'll swing by your place later.)

14 ways to use the verb CHEGAR in Portuguese

19. VERRACO / BERRACO

"Berraco" describes someone brave or admirable, or something impressive. In Brazil, for that meaning we say foda (vulgar, only with people you're close to). But if in Colombia you're "berraco" because you're furious, in Portuguese that's "tô bravo" or "tô puto" (also vulgar).

• FODA

• Example: "Esse cara é foda, terminou a maratona em três horas." (That guy is a beast, he finished the marathon in three hours.)

How to use FODA in Portuguese

20. PILLAR

"Pillar" means getting something or catching on ("¿me pillas?" = "you get me?"). In Brazil we say sacar ("sacou?" = got it?) and se ligar ("se liga" = pay attention). Check out all the uses of the verb sacar in Portuguese, because it doesn't mean the same as in Spanish.

• SE LIGA
• SACA

• Example: "Sacou o que eu quis dizer?" (Did you get what I meant?)

5 ways to use LIGAR

21. CAMELLAR - CAMELLO

"Camellar" means working hard, and "el camello" is your job. In Brazil, especially in São Paulo, we say trampar and trampo. Careful: "camelo" in Portuguese is the animal (a camel), and "camelô" is a street vendor.

• TRAMPAR
• TRAMPO

• Example: "Amanhã tenho que acordar cedo pra trampar." (Tomorrow I have to get up early for work.)

26 Portuguese expressions to use at work

22. CHICHARRÓN

A "chicharrón" is a tricky problem or a mess that's hard to sort out. In Brazil we say it's a pepino (cucumber) or an abacaxi (pineapple), and solving it is descascar o abacaxi (peeling the pineapple).

• PEPINO PRA RESOLVER
• DESCASCAR UM ABACAXI

• Example: "O chefe me deixou um abacaxi pra descascar." (My boss left me a mess to sort out.)

10 Portuguese expressions with fruits

23. HABLAR PAJA

"Hablar paja" means talking nonsense or saying things with no basis. In Brazil we say falar besteira or falar bobagem, and when someone tells a story that isn't true, we call it "papo furado" or "conversa fiada".

• CONVERSAR BESTEIRA
• CONVERSAR BOBAGEM
• CONVERSA MUITA ÁGUA

• Example: "Para de falar besteira, ninguém acredita nisso." (Stop talking nonsense, nobody believes that.)

24. QUE MAMERA / QUE PEREZA

"Qué mamera" or "qué pereza" is what you say when something is boring or you just can't be bothered. In Brazil we say que saco, que tédio or, in a chat, simply aff.

• QUE SACO
• QUE TÉDIO
• TÔ ENTEDIADO / ALGO ENTEDIANTE
• AFF

• Example: "Que saco, tenho que trabalhar no sábado." (Ugh, what a drag, I have to work on Saturday.)

Different ways to say "I'M BORED" in Portuguese

Sounds Brazilians make with their mouths

25. PAILA

"Paila" is what you say when something went wrong and there's nothing left to do. In Brazil we say dançou (from the verb dançar, to dance), and in conversation you'll also hear "se ferrou".

• DANÇA

• Example: "Perdeu o último ônibus? Dançou!" (Missed the last bus? Tough luck!)

26. YAAAA FUE

"Ya fue" means something is over, it's in the past, or it's better to just forget it. In Brazil we say já era, and for something long gone, as a joke, era uma vez ("once upon a time").

• ERA UMA VEZ
• JÁ ERA

• Example: "Aquele emprego? Já era, não me chamaram." (That job? Forget it, they didn't call me.)

27. GRILLA

In Colombia, "grilla" is a derogatory way to refer to a woman seen as vulgar or trashy. The Brazilian equivalent is piriguete, just as offensive, so it's good to understand it but better not to use it.

• PIRIGUETE

• Example: "Na novela, a vilã chamou a rival de piriguete." (In the soap opera, the villain called her rival trashy.)

For Colombians and Colombian Spanish Speakers Living in Brazil

If you live in Brazil or are about to move here, this Colombian slang in Portuguese is just the beginning. Besides the language, some customs are very different between the two countries, and understanding them will save you from more than one awkward moment.

• Cultural differences between Brazil and Colombia
• The Brazilian expressions you'll hear every day
• Brazilian slang to sound like a local
• Tricky Portuguese idioms that confuse foreigners