← Back to searchWord Index →

Is the word desmaiado the same in Brazilian and European Portuguese?

No

While the literal meaning of desmaiado (meaning "fainted" or "unconscious") is identical in both Brazilian and Continental Portuguese, there is a difference in typical usage.

In Brazil, "desmaiado" is frequently used colloquially as an adjective to describe a person's personality or behavior. It can mean someone who is "spaced out," "absent-minded," "clumsy," "lackluster," or "lacking energy/focus." In Portugal, while the word is used for the physical state of fainting, it is much less common to use it as a slang term for a person's temperament. A Portuguese person would more likely use words like distraído (distracted), parvo (silly/foolish), or lento (slow) to express those same personality traits.

Brazilian Portuguese Examples

  1. Não seja tão desmaiado e preste atenção ao que eu digo! (Don't be so spaced out and pay attention to what I'm saying!)
  2. Ele é meio desmaiado, vive esquecendo as chaves de casa. (He is a bit absent-minded; he is always forgetting his house keys.)
  3. O jogador estava meio desmaiado durante o segundo tempo da partida. (The player was a bit lackluster/low-energy during the second half of the match.)
  4. Ela ficou desmaiada por alguns minutos após o acidente. (She was unconscious for a few minutes after the accident.)
  5. A apresentação foi um pouco desmaiada, sem muita emoção. (The presentation was a bit weak/lackluster, without much emotion.)

Continental Portuguese Examples

  1. Não sejas tão parvo e presta atenção ao que eu digo! (Don't be so silly and pay attention to what I'm saying!)
  2. Ele é muito distraído, esquece-se sempre das chaves de casa. (He is very distracted; he always forgets his house keys.)
  3. O jogador parecia sem energia durante o segundo tempo da partida. (The player seemed to have no energy during the second half of the match.)
  4. Ela ficou desmaiada por alguns minutos após o acidente. (She was unconscious for a few minutes after the accident.)
  5. A apresentação foi um pouco fraca, sem muita emoção. (The presentation was a bit weak, without much emotion.)