Cute in Portuguese - Fofo vs Giro?

Portuguese Questions Vocabulary
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Hi everyone,

Just wondering what the difference is between “fofo” and “giro” (and any other words that mean cute?) and the contexts in which you would use them.

Is an animal different to a relationship between two people, for example?

Thanks in advance! :slight_smile:

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Google translate gives * bonitinho,

  • fofo,
  • atraente,
  • esperto,
  • perspicaz,
  • sestroso

Some may not be used a lot, some may be brazilian. Beware even more words other than cute are out there.

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Olá, @Lukas.Shakesheff - love your question! Both words can be used for cute with people, animals and objects alike, but giro is more about beauty/attractiveness (giro is a synonym of bonito), while fofo is more about finding something endearing or adorable (like a sweet puppy). But they have a range of uses beyond that. Some examples below.

Giro:

  • O rapaz é muito giro (The boy is very cute/handsome).
  • Que vestido tão giro (What a pretty/cute dress)!
  • O filme é muito giro (The movie is very nice/good).
  • Que giro, não conhecia essa história (How interesting, I didn’t know that story).

Fofo:

  • O bebé é muito fofo (The baby is very cute).
  • Ele foi muito fofo comigo (He was very sweet to me).
  • A almofada é fofa (The pillow is soft).
  • Que cão tão fofo (What a cute dog).

I’d say that bonito, giro and fofo are the most common words we use in the sense of cute. There are a few other alternatives, like engraçado - it means funny by default, but it can also mean cute, pretty or interesting. Bonitinho, which @allent2000 mentioned, is fine to use, but more typical of Brazilian Portuguese.

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Muito obrigado!!

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