MAS vs MAIS in Portuguese: What's the Difference

If you are learning Portuguese, let me warn you right away about the trap almost everyone falls into: you write mas thinking of mais (or the other way around), and suddenly you are saying something completely different. And don't worry, it is not just you: even we Brazilians get tangled up with this. Here I will settle the mas vs mais in Portuguese question once and for all, so you understand the difference between mas and mais and never confuse them again, whether you are speaking or writing.

Let us get straight to the point with the short answer: in Portuguese, mais is our "more" (quantity and intensity, like when I say "quero mais café"), while mas is our "but" (opposition, like saying "I wanted to go out, but it started to rain"). And heads up, because I still have a third character to introduce: más, which in Portuguese is the feminine plural of "má" (bad). They are three almost identical words with three meanings that have nothing to do with each other.

To make the difference stick, below I show you when I use mas or mais in each case, with practical examples, an explanation of what mais means and how to say "but" in Portuguese, plus phrases with audio so you can practice the pronunciation with me.

• Eu quero te ajudar, mas não sei o que fazer (I want to help you BUT I don't know what to do)

Don't forget: write it all down, because this is going to come up a lot.

Video: The Difference Between MAS and MAIS in Portuguese

In this video I calmly explain the difference between mas and mais in Portuguese, with the real pronunciation so you can train your ear.

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Portuguese Phrases with Audio to Practice

Now let us get to practice: here are Portuguese phrases with audio to practice the pronunciation of mas and mais, so you can train your ear to tell them apart when you hear them in a conversation.

MAS

In Portuguese, mas means "but": an adversative conjunction that signals opposition or contrast, just like "porém" or "contudo". Whenever you would say "but" in English, in Portuguese it is mas.

• Preciso terminar esse relatório mas já tá tarde e o sono tá me pegando.
• Eu tentei falar contigo mas quando liguei você não atendeu.
• Mas quando é que ele vai tomar vergonha na cara hein?

“Não sei se a vida é curta ou longa demais para nós, mas sei que nada do que vivemos tem sentido, se não tocarmos o coração das pessoas.”
― Cora Coralina

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MAIS

On the other hand, mais is our "more": I use it to talk about quantity, intensity, or to compare, like in "quero mais tempo". Every time you would use "more" in English, in Portuguese it is mais.

• Você vai querer comer mais?
• Quando eu tiver alguma notícia a mais sobre isso eu te aviso.
• A notícia que saiu foi que mais pessoas estão assinando o abaixo-assinado contra as novas regras.

How to react to positive and negative news in Portuguese.

MAS and MAIS in the Same Sentence

Here I show you how mas and mais live together in the same sentence, which is exactly where people get most tangled up. Notice how mais adds or compares and mas brings in the contrast, each one in its place.

• Eu gostaria de ficar mais tempo com vocês, mas é que tenho que acordar cedo amanhã e já vai dar meia noite.
• Ela pediu um visto pra ficar mais 3 anos morando na França, mas infelizmente foi negado.
• Mas você acha mesmo que se a gente chegar mais atrasado terá que pagar táxi mais caro?

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Extra: What Is MÁS in Portuguese?

"Más" in Portuguese is the plural of MÁ (bad).

In a sentence: "Essas mulheres são más, fique ligado" (these women are bad, stay alert)

• Eu vou fazer isso o mais rápido possível, mas claro que somente se eu não encontrar pessoas más no caminho.

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