Like movies? With this lesson you will be able to talk about your favorite movies in Portuguese. You will learn all the main Brazilian Portuguese movie vocabulary that you need to talk about films, including great conversations about the Oscar categories. I am also going to show you good expressions to describe a movie or share your opinion about a movie. You will also be able to download a crossword puzzle to test your movie vocabulary in Portuguese.
But let me start by telling you about the amazing experience that inspired me to write this lesson.
This past Sunday I had the great pleasure to work as an interpreter for a Q&A session with Brazilian filmmaker Eryk Rocha during a screening of Campo de Jogo (Sunday Ball) at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
I was so excited when I was invited to do this. I immediately said yes. And then I could not sleep that night. I was terrified.
I have experience interpreting, but in very different settings. I interpret mostly in immigration-related matters, including political asylum and green card cases, and in business conversations. The work is done in a small office or over the phone. Yes, these conversations can get quite tense, but that doesn’t get to me. I love the work.
However interpreting for a filmmaker in front of an audience was way out of my comfort zone.
Thankfully it was a great experience. Eryk is so bright, thoughtful, and engaging. It really was a pleasure to work with him. As a big fan of the San Francisco International Film Festival, I am so thankful that I had this opportunity! I had a blast.
Now I feel inspired to share with you this lesson on Brazilian Portuguese movie vocabulary.
At the end, you can test your learning by solving this crossword puzzle:
Movie Vocabulary in Portuguese – Crossword Puzzle – Street Smart Brazil
General Movie Vocabulary & Oscar Categories
This list is in alphabetical order on the English side. The indication of masculine and feminine in Portuguese is given through the use of an article in front of the word.
| English | Português |
| A true story | Uma história verídica |
| Actor/actress | O ator / A atriz |
| Adapted screenplay | O roteiro adaptado |
| Best picture | O melhor filme |
| Box office | A bilheteria |
| Cast | O elenco |
| Character | O/A personagem |
| Cinematography | A fotografia |
| Custom | O figurino |
| Direct sound | O som direto |
| Director | O diretor / A diretora |
| Film editing | A edição |
| Film, movie | O filme |
| Filmmaker | O/A cineasta |
| Leading actor/actress | O Ator principal / A atriz principal |
| Leading role | O papel principal |
| Makeup and hairstyling | A maquiagem e o penteado |
| Movie enthusiast | O cinéfilo / A cinéfila |
| Movie theater | O cinema |
| Original screenplay | O roteiro original |
| Original song | A canção original |
| Popcorn | A pipoca |
| Premiere | A estreia |
| Producer | O produtor / A produtora |
| Production design | O design de produção |
| Role | O papel |
| Scene | A cena |
| Screen | A tela |
| Screenplay | O roteiro |
| Screenwriter | O/A roteirista |
| Short animated film | O curta de animação |
| Short film | O curta |
| Sound editing | A edição de som |
| Sound mixing | A mixagem de som |
| Soundtrack | A trilha sonora |
| Special effects | Os efeitos especiais |
| Star | O Astro / A estrela |
| Subtitles | As legendas |
| Supporting actor/actress | A ator coadjuvante / A atriz coadjuvante |
| Supporting role | O papel principal |
| Visual effects | Os efeitos visuais |
Movie Genres
| English | Português |
| Action | O filme de ação |
| Adventure | A aventura |
| Animated film | A animação |
| Cartoon | O desenho animado |
| Comedy | A comédia |
| Documentary | O documentário |
| Drama | O drama |
| Epic | O filme épico |
| Film noir | O filme noir |
| Foreign movie | O filme estrangeiro |
| Horror | O filme de terror |
| Movie genre | O gênero de filme |
| Police thriller, crime | O policial |
| Romance | O romance |
| Romantic comedy | A comédia romântica |
| Sci-fi | A ficção científica |
| Spy film | O fime de espionagem |
| Suspense | O suspense |
| War movie | O filme de guerra |
| Western | O faroeste |
How to Invite Friends to Go to the Movies in Portuguese
I will show you three ways to invite someone to go to the movies.
1. Using the verb Querer
Querer means to want.
FABIANA: Quer ir ao cinema no domingo?
= Do you want to go to the movies on Sunday?
2. Using Vamos
Vamos is the equivalent of Let’s in English. We turn it into a question to make an invitation:
FABIANA: Vamos ao cinema na sexta?
= Let’s go to the movies on Friday?
3. Using the verb Topar: Speak like a Brazilian
The verb topar is regular. It has a few different meanings and one of them is to accept an invitation. It can be used in the question/invitation and in the answer as you will see in the example below:
FABIANA: Topa pegar um cineminha hoje?
LAURA: Topo. O que tá passando?
Translation:
FABIANA: Do you want to catch a movie today?
LAURA: I do. What is playing?
In the example above you can see a common use of the verb Pegar in invitations. Also notice the use of the diminutive (cineminha) as a way to be friendly and casual.
Brazilian Portuguese Phrases to Talk about the Oscar in Portuguese
- Quantas indicações o filme recebeu?
= How many nominations did the movie get?
- O filme recebeu cinco indicações incluindo melhor filme.
= The movie got five nominations including best picture.
- Fernanda Montenegro foi indicada para o Oscar de melhor atriz por sua atuação no filme Central do Brasil.
= Fernanda Montenegro was nominated for best actress for her performance in Central Station.
- Quem está concorrrendo ao Oscar de melhor ator?
= Who is running for the best actor Oscar?
- And the Oscar goes to…
= E o Oscar vai para…
- O filme ganhou o Oscar de melhor canção.
= The movie won the Oscar for best song.
Brazilian Portuguese Phrases to Describe a Film
You can use the phrases below to talk about any movie. All you need to do is customize the part that refers to the movie itself.
Just to be clear, the phrases below are not about Sunday Ball.
- É um drama leve e divertido.
=It is a light and fun drama.
- Não é um filme de ação.
= It is not an action movie.
- Sobre o que é o filme?
= What is the movie about?
- O filme é sobre o reencontro de uma mulher com sua filha.
= The movie is about a woman who is reunited with her daughter.
- Quem são os atores?
= Who are the actors? / Who is in the movie?
- A atriz principal é Regina Casé.
= The leading actress is Regina Casé.
- As personagens principais são Val e a filha dela.
= The main characters are Val and her daughter.
- Val é intrepretada por Regina Casé.
= Val is interpreted by Regina Casé.
- O filme se passa na década de 70.
= The movie is set in the 70’s.
- Foi filmado em São Paulo.
= It was shot in São Paulo.
- Como o filme termina?
= How does the movie end?
Expressions to Give Your opinion about a Movie in Portuguese
- Achei o filme ótimo.
= I thought the movie was great.
- Adorei o filme.
= I loved the movie.
- Não gostei do filme.
= I didn’t like the movie.
- Achei o filme chato.
= I thought the movie was boring.
- Achei o filme sem graça.
= I thought the movie was lame.
- O filme é muito realista.
= The movie is very realistic.
- É uma história real.
= It’s a true story.
- O filme é uma obra-prima.
= The movie is a masterpiece.
I hope you have fun talking about movies in Portuguese with your Brazilian family, friends, and coworkers.
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These are great. How do you say “Cut!” when you are ending a scene, and how do you say “its a wrap” when you are done making a film?
Cut! = Corta!
I don’t know what filmmakers say when it’s a wrap 🙁 If you find out, please let me know!