Sinal in Portuguese: Traffic Light, Sign, Mole and Other Meanings

How do you say traffic light in Portuguese? The official word is "semáforo", but here in Brazil almost nobody uses it day to day: most of us just say sinal. Depending on the region you'll also hear "sinaleira", very common in the South, or "farol", typical of São Paulo. And here's a detail that trips up a lot of learners: in Portuguese a light isn't only "verde" (green) or "vermelho" (red), we also say it's "aberto" (open) or "fechado" (closed).

But the meaning of sinal in Portuguese goes way beyond traffic. Depending on the context, it can be a sign or omen, a mole on your skin, the down payment you make to lock in a service, and it even shows up in very Brazilian expressions like "dar sinal de vida" and "por sinal". That's why knowing what sinal means is key if you don't want to get lost in a real conversation.

In this lesson I'll walk you through each use with everyday sentences, a video, and examples you can practice out loud. And if you want to build the vocabulary you need to get around town, check out my traffic vocabulary in Portuguese guide too.

Video: What SINAL Means in Portuguese

In this video I explain the main meanings of sinal in Portuguese: traffic light, mole, traffic sign, omen, and down payment. Watch it first, then practice with the sentences below to lock in each use in context.

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Sentences with SINAL in Portuguese to Practice

Sinal in Portuguese mainly means sign or signal, but in Brazil we also use it to talk about a traffic light, a mole, a road sign, an omen, or a deposit. Below you'll find each meaning with real, everyday sentences to read out loud.

SINAL (a mole on the body)

When we're talking about the body, sinal is a mole or a birthmark on the skin. Here in Brazil we also say "pinta" for smaller moles, and you'll see sinal a lot in physical descriptions, like in the sentence below.

• A vítima do roubo falou que o ladrão tem um sinal na bochecha direita, depois de uns 30 minutos a polícia parou uma moto numa blitz que batia com a descrição da que foi roubada e o ladrão foi reconhecido.

Different ways to use BATER in Portuguese.

SINAL (traffic light in Portuguese)

The dictionary word for traffic light in Portuguese is "semáforo", but out on the street you'll almost always hear "sinal". The name changes depending on the region: "sinaleira" in Rio Grande do Sul, "sinaleiro" in Curitiba, and "farol" in São Paulo. And when someone runs a red light, we say they "furou o sinal".

Depending on where you are in Brazil, the traffic light is known as: Sinal, Semáforo, Sinaleira, Farol.

In English, we just say the light "is green" or "is red".

In Portuguese we say it "está verde / vermelho", but also that it's "aberto / fechado" (open / closed).

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• O motorista tava tão distraído mexendo no celular que o sinal abriu e ele nem se tocou, só depois que buzinaram que ele andou.

Different ways to use MEXER.

Dirigir VS Pilotar

In Brazil, to drive a car we say "dirigir um carro" (the driver is the "motorista").

For a motorcycle, we say "pilotar uma moto" (the rider is the "piloto"), kind of like saying you "ride" a bike in English.

And when it comes to Formula 1, in Portuguese we say "piloto de Fórmula 1", just like "Formula 1 driver" in English.

Article: Os melhores pilotos de Fórmula 1 da história.

Faixa de pedestre

The "faixa de pedestre" is the crosswalk, where pedestrians should cross the street. The word FAIXA can have several meanings.

SINAL (traffic sign)

A traffic sign in Portuguese is a "sinal de trânsito", and all the signs on a street or highway together are called "sinalização". In Brazil we also say "placa" for upright road signs, like a speed limit sign or a stop sign.

• Ela foi multada porque não viu o sinal de limite de velocidade.
• As rodovias desse estado têm pouca sinalização, o grande problema são os acidentes que poderiam ser evitados.

Article: Sinais de trânsito que todo motorista precisa conhecer.

Traffic vocabulary in Portuguese.

SINAL (a sign, an omen)

Sinal is also a sign in the figurative sense: a cue for someone to act, or an omen. "Dar o sinal" means giving the signal that it's time to do something, and "foi um sinal" is what we say when we feel life is sending us a message.

• Vou te gravar caminhando em direção a mim, quando eu der o sinal você começa a caminhar.
• Só porque o voo dela foi cancelado ela tá achando que foi um sinal, disse que talvez seja melhor desistir da ideia de ir embora do país.

How to use "porém, ir embora, embora" correctly in Portuguese.

SINAL / CALÇÃO (down payment, deposit)

When you're buying something or hiring a service, sinal is the down payment or deposit you make to close the deal, like for a home renovation or buying a car. Heads up: "calção" in Portuguese actually means shorts; for a security deposit, like on a rental, the right word is "caução".

• Eu já paguei o sinal pra eles começarem a fazer a reforma, espero que façam tudo direito.

The difference between DIRETO and DIREITO in Portuguese.

SINAL (a token of gratitude)

Here sinal works like a token or gesture of something: "sinal de agradecimento" (a sign of gratitude), "sinal de respeito" (a sign of respect), or "sinal de carinho" (a sign of affection). It's a slightly more formal use, very common in writing, speeches, and messages, to say that an action shows a feeling.

• Vários países têm formas diferentes de mostrar sinal de agradecimento por algo.

DAR SINAL DE VIDA (to get in touch)

"Dar sinal de vida" means getting in touch after a long time without talking to someone, pretty much like "showing signs of life" or "checking in" in English. We also use it for gadgets: if your phone "não dá sinal de vida", it won't turn on.

• Nossa cara, você tava muito sumido hein, já era hora de dar sinal de vida, tudo certo por aí?

POR SINAL (expression)

"Por sinal" means "by the way" or "incidentally", and we use it to add a comment related to what's being said. It's very common in everyday conversation and also in more polished writing, usually in the form "que por sinal".

• Ontem conheci a nova vizinha, que por sinal é professora de espanhol.

Bonus Content

Besides sinal, Portuguese has other words from the same family that confuse learners, like the verbs for to point and to mark. Here's which one to use depending on the context.

How to Say "To Point" in Portuguese

In Brazil we say "APONTAR" when someone is pointing at you.

• Por que será que o policial tá apontando pra mim?

There's also the verb ASSINALAR in Portuguese, which means to mark or check off something.

• A prova foi múltipla escolha mas infelizmente eu assinalei algumas respostas erradas no gabarito.

Quotes and Sayings with SINAL in Portuguese

A great way to memorize the word sinal is to see it in famous quotes, where it almost always shows up meaning a sign or indication of something.

“Violência não é um sinal de força, a violência é um sinal de desespero e fraqueza.”
― Dalai Lama

On KDfrases you'll find more examples with SINAL.

Jot down your favorite sentences in a notebook so you can review this content often.