The World Cup is about to start in a just a couple of weeks in Brazil. All eyes are on this colourful and vivacious country. Most Brazilians are extremely passionate about football and so this World Cup is going to be something special: a season of football, caipirinhas, yellow and green painted faces and exciting emotions!
Here is some key vocabulary to help with this football season.
I would point out the most important expressions to remember are: “vai, vai vaiiiiiiiii” and “goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool!!”
httpv://youtu.be/qHIzWhYKFzU
Futebol= football
Seleção = The Brazilian national team
A Verde e Amarela/ O Verde e Amarelo = You will see this term in the masculine and feminine form depending on what it’s describing. You could say “a camisa verde e amarela” (the green and yellow shirt) or “o time verde e amarelo.” (the green and yellow team) This is a nickname for the Brazilian national team because their shirt is green and yellow like the Brazilian flag.
Futebol arte – This means great football.
Jogo bonito = futebol arte. A beautiful game.
Bola = ball
Jogo = game.
Jogar = to play
Jogão = a big or important game. You might also hear “ um jogaço,” for extra emphasis.
Jogar futebol = to play football
Jogar bola = (Literally, “to play ball”).
Campo = field
Pé = foot
Mão = hand
Peito = chest
Cabeça = head
Frente = forehead
Rosto / Cara = face
Cara = guy, man. Literally, “cara” means face.
Craque = a really good football player.
Um cai-cai = a diver, a faller, someone who fakes injuries, etc.
Bora = Let’s go. Come on. Bora comes from ´Vamos embora´ which literally means “We’re leaving.” Bora is short for embora, and Brazilians say or yell “bora” to say “come on” or “let’s go”.
Vai = go!
Gol = goal, usually screamed out for at least 10 seconds when your team scores, and not so long if it´s the opposition that scored.
Fazer um gol / marcar um gol = to score a goal.
Golaço = an excellent goal.
Golear = to score a lot of goals on an opposing team. This verb also exist in Spanish.
Goleada = Beating an opposing team by a bunch of goals. Scoring a ton of goals on an opposing team. 3-0, 4-0, etc.
Porrada = A “Porrada” is a really bad physical beating of any kind. Porrada means “a beat down” or “severe beating.” “Porrada” is technically a physical beating, but it also means to beat a team really badly.
Tiro = shot
Passar a bola = to pass the ball
Correr – to run
Perder – to lose
Vencer – to win
Errar = to miss
cartão amarelo = yellow card
cartão vermelho = red card
Cabeçada = header
Juiz (árbitro) = referee. Brazilians call the ref “juiz” which means “judge”.
Tempo normal = regular time
Prorrogação = extra time
Intervalo / meio-tempo = half time
Pontapé inicial = kick off
Uma cobrança de escanteio = corner kick
tiro de meta – goal kick
Uma cobrança de falta / tiro livre = free kick
Pênalti = penalty kick (PK)
Chute = shot / kick
Goleiro= goalkeeper
Defensor= defender
Lateral (plural: laterais) = outside
Meia = midfielder
Volante = defensive midfielder
Atacante = forward
Artilheiro = Top goal scorer