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

No. While the literal meaning (the primate) and the technical meaning (the automotive jack) are the same, there are significant differences in typical usage. In Brazil, "macaco" is frequently used as a highly offensive racial slur, a usage that carries profound and painful social and historical weight. Additionally, in Brazil, the word is often used colloquially to describe a mischievous or restless child, whereas a person from Portugal would naturally use a different word, such as "pestinha," to express that same idea.

Brazilian Portuguese

  1. O macaco subiu na árvore. (The monkey climbed the tree.)
  2. Use o macaco para levantar o carro. (Use the jack to lift the car.)
  3. Aquele menino é um macaco, não para quieto! (That boy is a monkey/mischievous, he won't stay still!)
  4. O macaco hidráulico está com um vazamento. (The hydraulic jack has a leak.)
  5. Vi um macaco no zoológico. (I saw a monkey at the zoo.)

Continental Portuguese

  1. O macaco subiu na árvore. (The monkey climbed the tree.)
  2. Usa o macaco para levantar o carro. (Use the jack to lift the car.)
  3. Aquele menino é um pestinha, não para quieto! (That boy is a pest/mischievous, he won't stay still!)
  4. O macaco hidráulico está com uma fuga. (The hydraulic jack has a leak.)
  5. Vi um macaco no zoo. (I saw a monkey at the zoo.)