Portuguese · Body & Health
"Hair" in Portuguese: cabelo
o cabelo
Hair on the head in Portuguese is o cabelo. Brazilians also say os cabelos when talking about strands or a full head of hair in a more descriptive way. Body hair is usually o pelo.
At the salon
Quero só aparar o cabelo nas pontas.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce cabelo
Say it
kah-BEH-loo
/kaˈbe.lu/
kah-BEH-loo. Stress BEH. The final o is a closed oo sound.
"Hair" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| o cabelo | hair (on the head) Default singular mass noun. | Default singular mass noun. |
| os cabelos | hair / strands of hair Descriptive plural, common in compliments. | Descriptive plural, common in compliments. |
| cortar o cabelo | to get a haircut Salon and barbershop talk. | Salon and barbershop talk. |
| cabelo cacheado | curly hair Texture vocabulary. | Texture vocabulary. |
| o pelo | body hair / animal fur Not for the hair on your head. | Not for the hair on your head. |
How to use cabelo in real life
- 1At the salon
Quero só aparar o cabelo nas pontas.
I just want to trim the ends of my hair.
Aparar o cabelo is a light trim.
- 2Complimenting a friend
Seu cabelo ficou incrível depois do corte.
Your hair looks amazing after the cut.
Seu cabelo is the usual compliment frame.
- 3Morning rush
Não deu tempo de secar o cabelo.
There wasn't time to dry my hair.
Secar o cabelo is an everyday chore verb.
Mistakes English speakers make with cabelo
Incorrect: Eu cortei meu pelo hoje.
Correct: Eu cortei o cabelo hoje.
Pelo is body hair or animal fur. Head hair is cabelo.
Incorrect: Ela tem uma cabela longa.
Correct: Ela tem o cabelo longo.
Cabelo is masculine. There is no cabela for hair.
Good to know
Brazilian hair talk is rich: liso, cacheado, crespo, com química. Salons are social spaces, and asking Quem faz o seu cabelo? is normal small talk. Protecting curly and coily textures has a strong cultural conversation in Brazil.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Booking a haircut by phone
ChatPal
Você quer cortar o cabelo amanhã de manhã?
Do you want to cut your hair tomorrow morning?
You
Quero. Meu cabelo está muito longo.
I do. My hair is very long.
ChatPal
Perfeito. Deixo uma hora para lavar o cabelo também.
Perfect. I'll leave an hour to wash the hair too.
You
Combinado. Até amanhã!
Deal. See you tomorrow!
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Hair" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Hair" in Portuguese
Is cabelo countable?
Usually treat it like English hair: o cabelo. Os cabelos appears in more descriptive speech.
How do I say curly hair?
Cabelo cacheado, or cabelo crespo for coily textures.
What about a single hair?
Um fio de cabelo. If it is on a shirt, people also say um cabelo.
Cabelo or cabelos in compliments?
Both work. Seu cabelo está lindo and Seus cabelos estão lindos are both natural.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
