166 Portuguese Abbreviations, Acronyms and Contractions
Portuguese abbreviations make communication quick and easy. For example, you might say “Sra.” instead of Senhora (Missus) and “fds” instead of fim de semana (weekend).
Get to know the most common and most useful Portuguese abbreviations, acronyms and contractions for all your communication needs.
Portuguese Abbreviations
Below are some of the most common Portuguese abbreviations, organized by theme. Abbreviations are typically used in writing, and you’ll generally see these in letters, emails and text messages.
Address abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Expanded Form | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Al. | Alameda | Alley |
| And. | Andar | Floor |
| Apt. | Apartamento | Apartment |
| Av. | Avenida | Avenue |
| Bl. | Bloco | Block |
| Cond. | Condomínio | Condominium |
| Cx. | Caixa | Box |
| Dir. | Direita | Right |
| Ed. | Edifício | Building |
| Esq. | Esquerda | Left |
| Lg. | Largo | Square |
| Lj. | Loja | Store |
| Nº | Número | Number |
| Pç. | Praça | Square |
| Qd. | Quadra | Block |
| R. | Rua | Street |
| S/N | Sem Número | Without Number |
| Trav. | Travessa | Alley |
Books and literature abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Expanded Form | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| aut. | Autor | Author |
| bib. | Biblioteca | Library |
| bibl. | Bibliografia | Bibliography |
| cap. | Capítulo | Chapter |
| coord. | Coordenador | Coordinator |
| ed. | Edição | Edition |
| il. | Ilustração | Illustration |
| inf. | Informação | Information |
| org. | Organizador | Editor (organizer) |
| pág. | Página | Page |
| pref. | Prefácio | Preface |
| rev. | Revisão | Review |
| trad. | Tradução | Translation |
| vol. | Volume | Volume |
Measurement abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Expanded Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| cm | Centímetro | Centimeter |
| g | Grama | Gram |
| h | Hora | Hour |
| kg | Quilograma | Kilogram |
| km | Quilômetro | Kilometer |
| L | Litro | Liter |
| m | Metro | Meter |
| mg | Miligrama | Milligram |
| min | Minuto | Minute |
| mL | Mililitro | Milliliter |
| mm | Milímetro | Millimeter |
| seg | Segundo | Second |
Title and name abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Expanded Form | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Adv. | Advogado | Lawyer |
| Advª. | Advogada | Lawyer (female) |
| Dr. | Doutor | Doctor |
| Drª. | Doutora | Doctor (female) |
| Eng. | Engenheiro | Engineer |
| Engª. | Engenheira | Engineer (female) |
| Prof. | Professor | Professor |
| Profª. | Professora | Professor (female) |
| Sr. | Senhor | Mister |
| Sra. | Senhora | Missus/Mrs. |
| Sras. | Senhoras | Ladies |
| Srs. | Senhores | Gentlemen |
Day and month abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Expanded Form | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Seg. | Segunda-feira | Monday |
| Ter. | Terça-feira | Tuesday |
| Qua. | Quarta-feira | Wednesday |
| Qui. | Quinta-feira | Thursday |
| Sex. | Sexta-feira | Friday |
| Sáb. | Sábado | Saturday |
| Dom. | Domingo | Sunday |
| Jan. | Janeiro | January |
| Fev. | Fevereiro | February |
| Mar. | Março | March |
| Abr. | Abril | April |
| Mai. | Maio | May |
| Jun. | Junho | June |
| Jul. | Julho | July |
| Ago. | Agosto | August |
| Set. | Setembro | September |
| Out. | Outubro | October |
| Nov. | Novembro | November |
| Dez. | Dezembro | December |
Miscellaneous abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Expanded Form | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| adm. | Administração | Administration |
| dep. | Departamento | Department |
| dúv. | Dúvida | Doubt |
| ex. | Exemplo | Example |
| máx. | Máximo | Maximum |
| min. | Mínimo | Minimum |
| mt. | Muito | Very |
| obs. | Observação | Observation |
| pag. | Pagar | To pay |
| ref. | Referência | Reference |
| resp. | Responsável | Responsible |
| seg. | Seguinte | Following |
| tel. | Telefone | Telephone |
Portuguese Acronyms
An acronym is formed by taking the initial letters of words in a phrase or name. For example, UNESCO stands for “United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.” Check out the table below for a breakdown of some common Portuguese acronyms.
| Abbreviation | What It Stands For | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| AMIB | Associação de Medicina Intensiva Brasileira | Brazilian Association of Intensive Care Medicine |
| BNDES | Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social | Brazilian Development Bank |
| EPI | Equipamento de Proteção Individual | Personal Protective Equipment |
| FMI | Fundo Monetário Internacional | International Monetary Fund |
| INSS | Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social | National Institute of Social Security |
| IPTU | Imposto Predial e Territorial Urbano | Urban Property Tax |
| IPVA | Imposto sobre a Propriedade de Veículos Automotores | Vehicle Property Tax |
| MP | Medida Provisória | Provisional Measure |
| OAB | Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil | Brazilian Bar Association |
| OIT | Organização Internacional do Trabalho | International Labour Organization |
| OMC | Organização Mundial do Comércio | World Trade Organization |
| OMS | Organização Mundial da Saúde | World Health Organization |
| ONU | Organização das Nações Unidas | United Nations |
| OTAN | Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte | North Atlantic Treaty Organization |
| PC | Polícia Civil | Civil Police |
| PIB | Produto Interno Bruto | Gross Domestic Product |
| PM | Polícia Militar | Military Police |
| SBT | Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão | Brazilian Television System |
| STF | Supremo Tribunal Federal | Supreme Federal Court |
| UE | União Europeia | European Union |
| VLT | Veículo Leve sobre Trilhos | Light Rail Vehicle |
Portuguese Contractions
Portuguese, like English, often sticks words together. Here are some of the most common contractions you’ll see used in everyday Portuguese. Unlike most other shortenings, you’ll actually hear these spoken in addition to seeing them written.
Because of this, a good way to practice them is to watch videos that come with subtitles or transcripts, since you’ll see contractions written and hear them spoken at the same time. Lingflix could be a good option for this. Lingflix takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons. You can try Lingflix for free for 2 weeks. Click here to check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
| Contractions | Expanded Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| na | em + a | in the (feminine singular) |
| no | em + o | in the (masculine singular) |
| nos | em + os | in the (masculine plural) |
| nas | em + as | in the (feminine plural) |
| do | de + o | of the (masculine singular) |
| da | de + a | of the (feminine singular) |
| dos | de + os | of the (masculine plural) |
| das | de + as | of the (feminine plural) |
| num | em + um | in a (masculine singular) |
| numa | em + uma | in a (feminine singular) |
| nuns | em + uns | in a (masculine singular) |
| numas | em + umas | in a (feminine singular) |
| prum | para + um | to a (masculine singular, informal) |
| pruma | para + uma | to a (feminine singular, informal) |
| pruns | para + uns | to some (masculine plural, informal) |
| prumas | para + umas | to some (feminine plural, informal) |
| dum | de + um | of a (masculine singular, informal) |
| duma | de + uma | of a (feminine singular, informal) |
| duns | de + uns | of some (masculine plural, informal) |
| dumas | de + umas | of some (feminine plural, informal) |
| nalgum | em + algum | in some (masculine singular) |
| nalguma | em + alguma | in some (feminine singular) |
| nalguns | em + alguns | in some (masculine plural) |
| nalgumas | em + algumas | in some (feminine plural) |
| daqui | de + aqui | from here (masculine singular) |
| pro | para + o | for the (masculine singular) |
| pra | para + a | for the (feminine singular) |
| pros | para + os | to the (masculine plural) |
| pras | para + as | for the (feminine plural) |
Text Abbreviations in Portuguese
When you’re sending text messages, use these abbreviations to make your Portuguese chats quick and casual.
| Abbreviation | Expanded Form | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| aki | aqui | here |
| bj | beijo | kiss |
| c/ | com | with |
| qdo | quando | when |
| cmg | comigo | with me |
| ctg | contigo | with you |
| ctz | certeza | certainty |
| daki | de aqui | from here |
| dms | demais | too much |
| dps | depois | later |
| fds | fim de semana | weekend |
| hj | hoje | today |
| kd | cadê | where is |
| kkk / rsrsrs | risadas | laughs (like "haha") |
| msm | mesmo | same |
| mto | muito | very |
| p/ | para | for, to |
| pq | porque | because |
| qdo | quando | when |
| qm | quem | who |
| s/ | sem | without |
| smp | sempre | always |
| t+ | até mais | see you later |
| tb | também | also |
| td | tudo | everything |
| tds | todos | everyone |
| vc | você | you |
| vlw | valeu | thanks |
You’re all caught up on Portuguese abbreviations, contractions and acronyms! You can save some time when texting, or look just like a native Portuguese speaker thanks to these quick terms!
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