Looking up the nota meaning in Portuguese? Here's the short answer: it depends on the context. Here in Brazil, nota can be a bill (as in paper money), a receipt (the famous nota fiscal), a school grade, a musical note, an official statement and even part of an expression that means something cost a fortune. One little word, seven different meanings, and that's exactly why it confuses so many people learning Portuguese.
Some of these uses are close to English, like the musical note or nota as a "banknote". Others catch everyone off guard: when someone here tells you "me passa uma nota de cinquenta", they want a 50-reais bill, and if the cashier asks "nota fiscal com CPF?", they're asking whether you want your Brazilian tax ID number printed on the receipt. If you're wondering what a nota fiscal is and what CPF stands for, I break it down in the most common Brazilian acronyms.
And then there's the one that surprises everyone: "custar uma nota preta". It has nothing to do with the color black. The nota preta meaning is "a small fortune", just like when you say something cost an arm and a leg. If you like this kind of expression, check out all the ways to talk about money in Portuguese, because we Brazilians have a lot of them.
Below I'll walk you through the 7 meanings of nota in Portuguese, each with example sentences and their English translation. Take notes (or as we say in Brazil, "anota aí") and come back to review them whenever you want.
Video: Different ways to use NOTA in Portuguese
In this video I explain, with everyday examples, the most common uses of nota in Portuguese: the bill, the nota fiscal, the grade, the musical note and the expression "nota preta". Hit play and then practice with the sentences below.
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NOTA - Sentences to practice
Nota in Portuguese has 7 main meanings depending on the context: money, receipt, grade, music, noticing something, official statement and the expression "nota preta". For each one, here's a short explanation plus practice sentences with their English translation.
NOTA (DINHEIRO)
In Portuguese, nota is a bill, as in paper money: "uma nota de cinquenta" is a fifty-reais bill. In Brazil we say nota much more often than cédula, and for small change we say "trocado" or "miúdo". And for that friend who never lets go of a single nota, we have plenty of ways to say stingy in Portuguese.
We also say cédula (more formal)
When you want to buy something that costs 3 reais and you pay with a 50, they might ask you:
- Você tem mais trocado? / Você tem mais miúdo? (Do you have anything smaller? / Do you have smaller bills?)
Words and expressions related to money in Portuguese
NOTA FISCAL
A nota fiscal is the official receipt (or invoice) for a purchase in Brazil. You'll need it to exchange a product or make a warranty claim, and you'll almost always be asked if you want it "com CPF", with your Brazilian taxpayer ID number. Keep it somewhere safe in case something breaks or stops working and you need to file a complaint.
Será que a empresa autorizada vai aceitar ajeitar o celular na garantia sem a nota fiscal? (Do you think the authorized repair shop will fix the phone under warranty without the receipt?)
- Nota fiscal com CPF ou CNPJ? (Do you want the receipt with your CPF or CNPJ, your personal or business tax ID?)
Acronyms and abbreviations in Portuguese
NOTA COLÉGIO
Nota is also a grade at school or college. In Brazil the scale usually goes from 0 to 10, so "nota 10" means excellent (think of it as an A+), and to say you got a grade we use the verb tirar: "tirei uma nota boa" (I got a good grade). Check out more expressions with the verb tirar in Portuguese.
- Com essas notas no colégio não é à toa que ele só consegue passar de ano se arrastando. (With grades like those, no wonder he barely scrapes by to pass each year.)
NOTA MUSICAL
In Brazil we name musical notes with the solfège system, so instead of C, D, E, F, G, A, B we say dó, ré, mi, fá, sol, lá, si, the same "do-re-mi" scale you may know from music class, just with accents on dó, ré, fá and lá. If you want to train your ear with Brazilian music, try these Brazilian songs to learn Portuguese.
- Nota dó, ré, mi, fá, sol, lá, si. (The notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B.)
NOTA / NOTAR ALGO
Notar in Portuguese means to notice or realize something: "notei" means "I noticed". From the same family you get "tomar nota" or "anotar" (to take note, to write something down) and "nota-se que" (you can tell that). Another verb we use a lot with this meaning is reparar, and if you get tangled up with the verbs for seeing, I explain the difference between olhar, ver and enxergar.
- Nem notei que você tirou o aparelho. (teeth) (I didn't even notice you got your braces off.)
Extra: Nem reparei nisso. (verb REPARAR) (I didn't even notice that.)
NOTA / COMUNICADO DE ESCLARECIMENTO
A nota can also be an official statement: "nota oficial" or "nota de esclarecimento" is the text a company, the government or a celebrity publishes to clear something up. In Brazil you see it all the time when a soccer club announces a new signing or a player's exit, so it's also part of soccer vocabulary in Portuguese.
- A empresa publicou uma nota esclarecendo o mal-entendido. (The company released a statement clearing up the misunderstanding.)
NOTA PRETA
Nota preta means a lot of money, a fortune. "Custar uma nota preta" means to cost a fortune, and it has nothing to do with the color of the bill. It's one of those Brazilian slang expressions you hear every day but almost never find in textbooks.
- Nossa cara, você ganhou na loteria? Esse carro deve ter custado uma nota preta né? (Wow dude, did you win the lottery? That car must have cost a fortune, huh?)
How do you say nota in English?
It depends on the meaning: nota in Portuguese can translate as bill, receipt, grade, musical note, statement or fortune. Here's each use with its English equivalent for a quick review.
- Nota (dinheiro): bill, banknote
- Nota fiscal: receipt, invoice
- Nota (colégio): grade
- Nota musical: musical note
- Notar: to notice, to realize
- Nota oficial: official statement
- Nota preta: a fortune, a lot of money
Other words with multiple meanings in Portuguese
Nota isn't the only word that changes meaning depending on the context. If you enjoyed this lesson, check out these others that confuse a lot of Portuguese learners:
More resources to Learn Portuguese Faster
- [PDF] Learn Brazilian Portuguese – Complete Guide and Study Path
- How to Learn Brazilian Portuguese Faster (Practical Tips)
- How to Understand Spoken Portuguese More Easily
- How to Speak Portuguese with Confidence
- How to Read in Portuguese and Improve Comprehension
- How to Write in Portuguese Step by Step
- How Long Does It Take to Learn Portuguese?
