Portuguese · Emotions & Descriptions

"Angry" in Portuguese: bravo/a

bravo/a

Say it: BRAH-voo / BRAH-vahadjective/ˈbɾa.vu/, /ˈbɾa.va/

Note: also: irritado/a; PT-PT: zangado/a

Angry in Portuguese is bravo for masculine and brava for feminine. Irritado/irritada is a clear alternative. In European Portuguese, zangado/zangada is the everyday angry; Brazilians understand it but use bravo more.

After a delay

Ele ficou bravo com o atraso do ônibus.
He got angry about the bus delay.
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How to pronounce bravo/a

Say it

BRAH-voo / BRAH-vah

/ˈbɾa.vu/, /ˈbɾa.va/

BRAH-voo / BRAH-vah. Irritado is ee-hee-TAH-doo.

"Angry" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
bravo / bravaangry

Common Brazilian adjective for angry.

irritado / irritadairritated, annoyed

Clear and slightly softer.

zangado / zangadaangry (Portugal)

PT-PT everyday angry; understood in Brazil.

ficar bravoto get angry

Change-of-state phrase.

How to use bravo/a in real life

  1. 1After a delay

    Ele ficou bravo com o atraso do ônibus.

    He got angry about the bus delay.

    Ficar bravo marks getting angry.

  2. 2Checking tone

    Não fica brava comigo, foi sem querer.

    Don't be angry with me, it was an accident.

    Brava agrees with a feminine listener.

  3. 3Work message

    Estou bravo, mas posso conversar amanhã.

    I'm angry, but I can talk tomorrow.

    Estou bravo names the feeling without a long story.

Mistakes English speakers make with bravo/a

Incorrect: Eu estou bravo (feminine speaker about herself).

Correct: Eu estou brava.

Agree with gender: bravo or brava.

Incorrect: Eu sou bravo agora (temporary anger).

Correct: Eu estou bravo agora.

Temporary anger takes estar. Ser bravo can mean a temperament.

Good to know

Brazilian anger talk often softens quickly: people name the feeling, then repair with desculpa. Bravo can also praise a child (well done!) in some contexts, so tone and situation matter. In Portugal, expect zangado more than bravo.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Smoothing over a missed call

  1. ChatPal

    Você está bravo porque eu não atendi?

    Are you angry because I didn't pick up?

  2. You

    Estava um pouco bravo, mas passou.

    I was a little angry, but it passed.

  3. ChatPal

    Desculpa. Não quero te deixar bravo de novo.

    Sorry. I don't want to make you angry again.

  4. You

    Tudo certo. Na próxima eu mando mensagem.

    All good. Next time I'll text.

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"Angry" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Angry" in Portuguese

Bravo or irritado?

Both work. Bravo is everyday angry; irritado can sound a bit more precise or milder.

What do people say in Portugal?

Zangado/zangada is the usual PT-PT word for angry.

How do I say don't be angry?

Não fica bravo/brava or Não fique bravo/brava.

Can bravo mean brave?

In some fixed phrases yes, but for mood in Brazil it usually means angry. Context tells you.

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