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

No

While the spelling and the literal meaning (to puncture, pierce, or make a hole) are identical in both dialects, there is a significant difference in typical usage. In Brazilian Portuguese, "furar" is a very common slang term used to describe "flaking," "bailing," or "failing to show up" for a plan, a date, or a person. In Portugal, while the literal meaning is perfectly understood, using "furar" to describe a broken social commitment is much less common. A person from Portugal would more naturally use verbs like falhar (to fail) or expressions like dar o bolo (to stand someone up).

Brazilian Portuguese (using "furou")

  1. Ele furou o nosso encontro de ontem. (He flaked on our date yesterday.)
  2. O pneu da bicicleta furou no meio do caminho. (The bicycle tire went flat halfway through the trip.)
  3. Ela furou comigo de novo e nem avisou. (She stood me up again and didn't even let me know.)
  4. A broca furou a madeira muito rápido. (The drill bit pierced the wood very quickly.)
  5. O plano de viajar no fim de semana furou por causa da chuva. (The plan to travel on the weekend fell through because of the rain.)

Continental Portuguese (natural alternatives)

  1. Ele não apareceu ao nosso encontro de ontem. (He didn't show up to our date yesterday.)
  2. O pneu da bicicleta furou no meio do caminho. (The bicycle tire went flat halfway through the trip.)
  3. Ela deu-me o bolo outra vez e nem avisou. (She stood me up again and didn't even let me know.)
  4. A broca perfurou a madeira muito rápido. (The drill bit pierced the wood very quickly.)
  5. O plano de viajar no fim de semana falhou por causa da chuva. (The plan to travel on the weekend failed because of the rain.)