Are you planning to drive in Brazil? Many foreigners find it challenging to drive in Brazil. They say traffic is too crazy, cars drive very close to each other, and people drive more aggressively.
It is difficult to disagree with these comments. Driving in Brazil feels very different from driving here in the San Francisco Bay Area. I often joke saying that if you are on a 3-lane street in Brazil, you may very well have 4 cars driving side by side.
So I thought it would be useful for you to learn how to say these two things in Portuguese:
- To honk the horn
- To use your turn signal
You will also learn other useful traffic-related words with the examples below. Keep reading.
- If traffic drives you crazy in Brazil, here is an idiomatic expression you can use: Tirar do sério
Useful Vocabulary to Drive in Brazil
To Honk the Horn in Portuguese
To honk your horn in Portuguese is buzinar. It is a regular verb.
Examples:
1)
Os motoristas brasileiros buzinam mais do que os motoristas americanos.
= Brazilian drivers honk the horn more than American drivers.
2)
Por que esse cara atrás de mim tá buzinando?
= Why is this guy behind me honking the horn?
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To Use the Turn Signal in Portuguese
First let’s see the word for turn signal. There are three common words:
- O pisca-alerta
- O pisca-pisca
- A seta
We can “to use the turn signal” in a few different ways:
- Ligar a seta
- Dar seta
- Dar o pisca
Examples:
1)
João não é um bom motorista. Ele nunca liga a seta quando vai virar.
= João is not a good driver. He never uses the turn signal when he is going to turn.
2)
É importante dar seta ao mudar de faixa.
= It is important to use the turn signal when you change lanes.
3)
Não esqueça de dar o pisca quando for entrar à direita ou à esquerda.
= Don’t forget to use the turn signal when you are going to turn right or left.
Bonus Words: Traffic Lane and Pedestrian Crosswalk
- Traffic lane: a faixa de trânsito
- Pedestrian crosswalk: a faixa de pedestres
You can also shorten both and just say faixa. The context will make clear which one you mean.
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