How to Say Stingy in Portuguese (Mão de Vaca and More)

The most common way to say stingy in Portuguese is "mão de vaca" (literally "cow's hand"), but we also say "pão duro", "muquirana", "mesquinho", "mão fechada" and "amarrado". They all describe that person who won't spend a cent no matter what, the one you'd call cheap, a tightwad or a penny-pincher in English.

Not all of them hit the same way, though. Among friends, calling someone mão de vaca or pão duro is just teasing; muquirana is a lot harsher, and mesquinho fits better in serious or written contexts. So in this lesson I'll explain what mão de vaca means, what muquirana means, when we use each one here in Brazil, and how to sound natural with real examples.

Whether you want to call someone stingy or just cheap in Portuguese, by the end you'll know exactly how to say stingy in Portuguese depending on the tone you want, and you'll catch those little jabs right away when a Brazilian talks about the friend who never picks up the check.

Video: How to say "you're so stingy" in Portuguese

To say "you're so stingy" in Portuguese, the most natural option in Brazil is "você é muito mão de vaca" or "você é muito pão duro". In this video I show you how we say it here in Brazil, because the intonation makes all the difference between a joke among friends and real criticism.

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List of ways to say "stingy" in Portuguese

These are the most common ways to call someone a cheapskate in Portuguese, ordered from the most common and casual to the most formal. Pay attention to the tone of each one, because they're not all used in the same context: some are playful teasing between friends and others sound a lot heavier.

Mão de vaca

"Mão de vaca" literally means "cow's hand" and it's the most popular expression for saying someone is stingy or miserly in Portuguese. We use it for that person who avoids spending money at all costs. It's one of the most common and informal options, and you'll hear it all the time in everyday conversation, usually with a humorous tone.

Example: "Ele é tão mão de vaca que nem paga um café pros amigos!"

Words and expressions about money in Portuguese

Pão duro

"Pão duro" (literally "hard bread") is another very common way to say stingy in Portuguese, pretty similar to "mão de vaca". It's just as casual and popular all over the country, and it describes someone who avoids any kind of expense. In the dictionary it's spelled with a hyphen, pão-duro, but you'll often see it written without one.

Example: "Meu irmão é muito pão duro, nunca racha a conta!"

Pau vs Pão: Pronunciation and Expressions

Muquirana

"Muquirana" is a way of saying stingy in Portuguese with a stronger, more insulting tone. It can carry real contempt or criticism, perfect for talking about someone who never spends a dime and always expects others to pay. Funnily enough, the word is also the popular name of an insect (a type of louse), which reinforces that negative feel.

Example: "Esse cara é um muquirana, nunca coloca um centavo pra pagar a conta."

Mesquinho / Mesquinha

"Mesquinho" ("mesquinha" in the feminine) is a slightly more formal way of saying stingy in Portuguese. It describes someone miserly, selfish or ungenerous, a bit like "petty" or "mean" in English, and unlike the previous ones, it also works in more serious or written contexts.

Example: "Ele é muito mesquinho, só pensa em si mesmo."

Pessoa amarrada

"Amarrado" or "pessoa amarrada" literally describes someone who is "tied up", in the sense that they won't let go of their money for anything in the world. It's more regional, but people understand it all over Brazil.

Example: "Deixa de ser amarrado, cara, pague a conta pelo menos uma vez na vida."

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Example: "Fulano é amarrado demais, nunca quer gastar!"

Mão fechada

"Mão fechada" (literally "closed hand") is another very visual way to say stingy in Portuguese, and the logic will feel familiar: it's basically the Portuguese version of "tight-fisted", someone who keeps their hand closed so no money slips out. It's casual and really easy to remember.

Example: "Meu tio é muito mão fechada, ele nunca gasta dinheiro com nada!"

Different ways to use the verb FECHAR in Portuguese

19 expressions with MÃO in Portuguese

These expressions will help you sound more natural when you speak Portuguese and also understand Brazilians better in casual, informal conversations.

If you want to learn more common Brazilian Portuguese expressions, here are the 30 most used expressions in Brazil.

Sovina, avarento and tacanho: the dictionary words

If you look up stingy in an English-Portuguese dictionary, you'll find "sovina" and "avarento", which are the formal, correct translations, even though in everyday life we Brazilians prefer to say mão de vaca or pão duro. "Sovina" sounds a bit old-fashioned, and "avarento" is closer to "miserly" or "avaricious", more typical of written text.

Watch out for "tacanho": dictionaries list it as a synonym for stingy (and if you speak Spanish, it looks just like "tacaño"), but in Brazil we almost never use it to talk about money. We say "mente tacanha" or "pensamento tacanho" for someone narrow-minded, so if you say "ele é tacanho" thinking you're calling someone cheap, people will most likely understand something else.

Example: "Meu avô é muito sovina, guarda cada centavo que ganha."

Example: "Ele tem uma mentalidade muito tacanha, não aceita nenhuma ideia nova."

If you also speak Spanish, look-alike traps like this one are some of the most confusing parts of learning Portuguese. Check out the 29 differences between Spanish and Portuguese and you'll find several more like it.

FAQ: how to say stingy in Portuguese

These are the questions I get most often about how to say stingy in Portuguese, from what mão de vaca means to why muquirana sounds so much harsher. Short, straight answers so you always have them handy.