Portuguese · Emotions & Descriptions

"Expensive" in Portuguese: caro/a

caro/a

Say it: KAH-rooadjective/ˈka.ɾu/

Expensive in Portuguese is caro (cara for feminine nouns). Say está caro when the price stings. Caríssimo means extremely expensive.

Phone shop

Esse modelo novo está caro demais.
This new model is way too expensive.
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How to pronounce caro/a

Say it

KAH-roo

/ˈka.ɾu/

KAH-roo

"Expensive" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
caro / caraexpensive

Gender agreement.

está caroit’s expensive

Price reaction.

muito carovery expensive

Emphasis.

caríssimoextremely expensive

Strong.

How to use caro/a in real life

  1. 1Phone shop

    Esse modelo novo está caro demais.

    This new model is way too expensive.

    Tech.

  2. 2Dinner bill

    A conta ficou cara para um dia de semana.

    The bill got expensive for a weekday.

    Feminine.

  3. 3Rent talk

    Alugar perto da praia ficou caro este ano.

    Renting near the beach got expensive this year.

    Housing.

Mistakes English speakers make with caro/a

Incorrect: O hotel é expensive.

Correct: O hotel é caro.

Use caro/cara, not English expensive.

Incorrect: A passagem é caro.

Correct: A passagem é cara.

Match gender: passagem → cara.

Good to know

Caro is blunt price talk Brazilians use without sounding rude among friends. Soften with um pouco caro. Salgado can also mean pricey in slang, but caro is the clear adjective.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing sneakers

  1. ChatPal

    Esse tênis está caro, né?

    These sneakers are expensive, right?

  2. You

    Está caro, mas a promoção ajuda.

    They’re expensive, but the sale helps.

  3. ChatPal

    Prefiro um menos caro e confortável.

    I prefer a less expensive comfortable pair.

  4. You

    Vamos olhar a outra prateleira.

    Let’s look at the other shelf.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Expensive" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Expensive" in Portuguese

Masculine / feminine?

Caro / cara.

It’s expensive?

Está caro / está cara.

Very expensive?

Muito caro / caríssimo.

Cheaper opposite?

Barato / barata.

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