Meaning of word “tuga”

Portuguese Questions Vocabulary
1

I’ve seen some blogs and forums in EP where people used the term “tuga” or the plural “tugas”. What does this word mean?

DeepL and Google said the English translation is “tuga” (so no help). The online Priberam dictionary gave the definition: adjectivo de dois géneros e nome de dois géneros; [informal] o mesmo que português.

So is it just slang for “Portuguese”? Does it have any other meanings? I’m always worried when it comes to slang I see online. I don’t want to accidentally say something rude! :sweat_smile:

2

Tuga is slang for a typical Portuguese person (a Portuga). This used to be a derogatory that was mainly used in the former Portuguese African colonies, but is a word that the Portuguese have decided to own

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3

A lot of my Angola friends also use Tuga for Portugal. Eg vou na tuga em agosto (I think that is what they are saying anyway!)

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4

@misteri2511, that’s correct. Tuga may refer both to the country (mostly in African Portuguese slang) and to the people (as commonly used by the Portuguese themselves).

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