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

No

While the fundamental definition of "turma" (a group of people or a school class) remains the same in both dialects, there is a significant difference in typical usage. In Brazil, "turma" is a very common, informal way to refer to a social circle, such as a "group of friends," "crew," or "squad." In Portugal, while "turma" is the standard word for a classroom or school group, it is not typically used to describe a group of friends. A person from Portugal would much more naturally use the word malta to express that same idea.

Brazilian Portuguese

  1. A minha turma é muito animada. (My group of friends is very lively.)
  2. A turma de matemática tem muita matéria. (The math class has a lot of material.)
  3. Vou sair com a minha turma hoje à noite. (I'm going out with my crew tonight.)
  4. Ele faz parte da nossa turma. (He is part of our group/crew.)
  5. A nossa turma de inglês é pequena. (Our English class is small.)

Continental Portuguese

  1. A minha malta é muito animada. (My group of friends is very lively.)
  2. A turma de matemática tem muita matéria. (The math class has a lot of material.)
  3. Vou sair com a minha malta hoje à noite. (I'm going out with my group of friends tonight.)
  4. Ele faz parte da nossa malta. (He is part of our group/crew.)
  5. A nossa turma de inglês é pequena. (Our English class is small.)