Fixe, giro, bué: everyday slang from Portugal
Ten informal words you'll hear in Portugal (most of them rare in Brazil), so you can follow a conversation among friends.
Ten words
fixe – cool, great · giro / gira – nice, cute, pretty · bué – very, a lot (informal, especially among younger people) · malta – people, guys · gajo / gaja – guy / girl (very informal) · porreiro – great, nice (still common, especially among older speakers) · tasca – simple local restaurant · bacano – great, cool; also “guy” (informal) · chato – boring, annoying · uma seca – a bore.
O concerto foi bué fixe!
The concert was really cool!
Vamos jantar com a malta?
Shall we have dinner with the gang?
Que seca de reunião…
What a boring meeting…
Use with care
These are informal: perfect with friends, not in an email to the Finanças. Gajo, and especially gaja, can sound rude or disrespectful in the wrong context.
Try thisGiro is the word you'll hear most: a nice flat, a cute dog, a pretty dress are all giro.
Quick check
“The flat is really nice!”
Practise real conversation
The Tertúlia is a small conversation group (B2–C1) on themes the group chooses.
See the Tertúlia →