cara de pau
What does “cara de pau” mean in English?
It refers to a shameless or brazen person, someone who acts without regard for social norms. The literal translation, 'wooden face', emphasizes their lack of shame or embarrassment.
Literally “wooden face”
Commonly used in informal contexts in Brazil, it's similar to calling someone a 'brazen bastard' in English. It's not particularly strong or obscene, so it can be used more casually.
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Related Portuguese words
caralho
4/5 · StrongIt means 'penis' but is often used as a strong exclamation or intensifier in conversation. It can express surprise, anger, or excitement.
bebum
2/5 · CoarseIt's a coarse term for someone who is a habitual or obvious drunk. It literally translates to 'drunk person.'
cambada
2/5 · CoarseIt's a contemptuous way to refer to a group of people, often implying they're undesirable or troublesome. Literally, it means 'bunch.'
lixo
2/5 · CoarseIt's a contemptuous label used to describe a person or thing as worthless or inferior. The literal translation is 'rubbish.'
About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
The literal gloss is a short editorial translation to show word-for-word sense, not an etymological claim.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via 4troDev/profanity.csv (MIT). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.