If you've ever wondered how to say secret in Portuguese, here's the short answer: it depends on how you're using the word. When "secret" is a noun (the thing you keep to yourself), we say segredo in Brazil. When it's an adjective (a secret agent, a secret plan), we say secreto. English uses the same word for both, which is exactly why secret in Portuguese trips up so many learners.
So, what does segredo mean? Segredo in English is simply "secret" as a noun: "um segredo", "o segredo", "meu segredo". Secreto in Portuguese only describes something: "agente secreto", "amigo secreto". Here in Brazil we would never say "eu tenho um secreto". It just sounds off right away.
In this post I'll walk you through the segredo meaning, the difference between segredo and secreto, and how to use "secretamente" too, with a video, pronunciation audio, and real sentences to practice. By the end, the segredo vs secreto question won't catch you off guard, and you'll never have to stop and think "segredo or secreto?" again.
Video: How to Use SEGREDO and SECRETO
In this video I show you when to use segredo and when to use secreto in Portuguese, with examples we use every day here in Brazil. If you'd rather read, you'll find the same explanation below with sentences and pronunciation audio.
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Portuguese Sentences to Practice
The best way to stop mixing up segredo and secreto is to see them in context. Below I gave each word its own section with audio and real sentences, so you can hear the pronunciation and repeat out loud until it feels natural.
Segredo
Segredo is a noun and means "secret": a piece of information you keep to yourself and don't share. In Portuguese it always comes with an article or a possessive, like "um segredo" (a secret), "o segredo" (the secret), or "meu segredo" (my secret), and the plural is "segredos". Heads-up: it's spelled with an S and a G, never "cegredo".
- Essa informação é tão delicada que se tornou segredo de estado.
- Ela prometeu que nunca contaria esse segredo pra ninguém.
- O partido dele descobriu um segredo que fez com que a oposição perdesse as eleições.
“O segredo é não correr atrás das borboletas... É cuidar do jardim para que elas venham até você.”
― Mario Quintana
Secreto
In Portuguese, secreto is an adjective: it describes something hidden or confidential, like "agente secreto" (secret agent), "amigo secreto" (Secret Santa), or "senha secreta" (secret password). It changes with gender and number ("secreta", "secretos", "secretas"), but we Brazilians never use it on its own as a noun to say "a secret".
- Você ouviu falar sobre esse programa secreto do governo?
- Ele trabalhou na CIA durante 15 anos como agente secreto.
- Vocês vão participar do amigo secreto?
“Em cada um de nós há um segredo, uma paisagem interior com planícies invioláveis, vales de silêncio e paraísos secretos.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Article (in Portuguese): Amigo secreto diferente: 30 IDEIAS GENIAIS para brincar
Secretamente
Secretamente is the adverb and means "secretly" or "in secret": it describes how something is done. In Brazil we also say "em segredo" with the same meaning, for example "eles se encontravam em segredo" (they used to meet in secret).
- Vamos continuar nos reunindo aqui secretamente ou vamos assumir nossa relação publicamente?
- Eu estava secretamente planejando uma surpresa para a minha melhor amiga, mas ela descobriu tudo.
How to use TUDO and TODO in Portuguese.
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Um arquivo secreto que falava de segredos - Learn the Meaning
To see segredo, secreto, and secretamente working together in context, I wrote this mini story in Portuguese. Read it out loud and pay attention to the job each word does in the sentence.
Durante anos, ninguém no escritório sabia o que havia naquela gaveta trancada. Um dia, a estagiária encontrou a chave e abriu um arquivo secreto. Para a surpresa dela, não tinha nada de espionagem: era uma lista de segredos dos funcionários, escrita secretamente pelo antigo chefe. "O segredo do sucesso desta empresa é saber guardar um segredo", dizia a primeira página. Ela fechou a gaveta, devolveu a chave e prometeu que aquele arquivo secreto continuaria sendo um segredo.
Did you catch the difference? The arquivo (file) is secreto because that word describes it (adjective), what's inside are segredos (noun), and the boss wrote it secretamente (adverb). Keep that rule in mind and you'll never hesitate between segredo or secreto again.
Other Similar Portuguese Words That Confuse Learners
If segredo and secreto made you second-guess yourself, wait until you see these other pairs that even advanced learners struggle to tell apart. In some of them a single letter changes and the meaning is completely different.
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?
