166 Portuguese Abbreviations, Acronyms and Contractions
Portuguese abbreviations help you communicate faster. For instance, you could use “Sra.” in place of Senhora (Missus) or “fds” for fim de semana (weekend).
Learn the most frequent and practical Portuguese abbreviations, acronyms, and contractions for all your communication requirements.
Portuguese Abbreviations
Here are some of the most widely used Portuguese abbreviations, grouped by category. These shortenings are mostly found in writing, and you'll typically encounter them 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 created by using the first letters of words in a phrase or name. For example, UNESCO represents “United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.” Review the table below for an explanation of some typical 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
Similar to English, Portuguese often combines words. Here are some of the most frequent contractions used in everyday Portuguese. In contrast to most other shortenings, you'll actually hear these spoken as well as see them written.
For this reason, a useful way to practice them is to watch videos with subtitles or transcripts, since you'll see contractions written and hear them spoken simultaneously. This method can be very effective for learning.
| 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 sending text messages, use these abbreviations to make your Portuguese chats fast and informal.
| 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 |
Now you're familiar with Portuguese abbreviations, contractions, and acronyms! You can save time when texting, or appear just like a native Portuguese speaker by using these quick terms!
And One More Thing...
If you enjoy learning Portuguese through movies and other media, you might appreciate resources that provide subtitled content. Some platforms allow you to turn videos into engaging language lessons.
It's also helpful when a resource has a large collection of videos selected for Portuguese learners. This saves you from searching for suitable content—it's all in one place!
A useful feature found in some tools is interactive captions. You can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and examples, which makes understanding and remembering much simpler.
To help with remembering new vocabulary, some platforms include fun exercises to reinforce learning and send reminders for review, so you retain what you’ve studied.
These resources are often accessible on your computer or tablet, and sometimes via mobile apps. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
