Imagine you’re walking through Rio de Janeiro and suddenly see a viatura policial speeding by, sirens blaring. Or you’re watching a Brazilian telenovela and hear someone shout “Mãos ao alto!” — hands up! Would you know all those words in Portuguese?
Today’s Dica will teach you everything about the police in Portuguese — from police ranks and people involved, to crimes, objects, expressions, and even Brazilian slang!
Here’s what you’ll learn:
👉 Police and law-enforcement vocabulary
👉 People involved in crimes
👉 Police objects and equipment
👉 Types of crimes in Portuguese
👉 Common expressions and procedures
👉 Colloquial and slang words used in Brazil
Ready to feel like a real Brazilian detective? Let’s go! 🇧🇷
👮 Police Vocabulary in Portuguese
Let’s start with the basics! These are the main words you’ll hear when talking about a polícia in Brazil.
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| a polícia | police |
| o policial / a policial | police officer |
| a delegacia | police station |
| a prisão | prison / jail |
| o crime | crime |
| a lei | law |
| o juiz / a juíza | judge |
| o tribunal | court |
| o caso | case |
| o criminoso / a criminosa | criminal |
| o bandido | bandit / bad guy |
| o ladrão / a ladra | thief |
| o assassino / a assassina | murderer |
| o suspeito / a suspeita | suspect |
| a vítima | victim |
| o testemunho | testimony |
| o depoimento | statement / deposition |
| o flagrante | caught in the act |
| a custódia | custody |
| a cela | cell (in prison) |
| o presídio / a penitenciária / o cárcere | prison / penitentiary / jail |
| o sistema prisional | prison system |
| o guarda / a guarda | guard / security guard |
| a guarda municipal / guarda civil | municipal guard |
| a escolta policial | police escort |
| a blitz | checkpoint |
| o bloqueio policial | road block |
| o cerco policial | police cordon / siege |
| o inquérito policial | police inquiry / investigation |
| o mandado de prisão / busca e apreensão | arrest / search warrant |
| o alvará de soltura | release order |
| a fiança | bail |
| a audiência | hearing |
| a sentença / condenação | sentence / conviction |
👥 People Involved in Crimes
Now let’s meet all the characters from this police story — from officers to criminals and lawyers!
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| o policial / a policial | police officer |
| o agente / a agente | agent / officer |
| o cabo | corporal |
| o sargento | sergeant |
| o tenente | lieutenant |
| o capitão | captain |
| o major | major |
| o coronel | colonel |
| o inspetor / a inspetora | inspector |
| o delegado / a delegada | chief of police |
| o promotor / a promotora de justiça | prosecutor |
| o juiz / a juíza | judge |
| o defensor público / a defensora pública | public defender |
| o advogado de defesa | defense attorney |
| o réu / a ré | defendant |
| o acusado / a acusada | accused person |
| o delator / a delatora | informant / whistleblower |
| a testemunha | witness |
| o criminoso / a criminosa | criminal |
| o bandido / a bandida | bandit |
| o ladrão / a ladra | thief |
| o assassino / a assassina | murderer |
| o sequestrador | kidnapper |
| o traficante | drug dealer |
| o refém | hostage |
| o guarda / a guarda | guard |
| o patrulheiro / a patrulheira | patrol officer |
| o X9 | snitch / informant (slang) |
| o 171 | fraudster / scammer (from article 171 of Brazilian Penal Code) |
| o marginal | delinquent / criminal (colloquial) |
| o vagabundo | crook / bum (slang) |
| o otário | dupe / gullible victim (slang) |
🇧🇷 Want to feel confident speaking with locals?
It’s important to feel relaxed when you talk with the police. Come study with us at Rio & Learn!
We teach Portuguese in the most fun, cool, and immersive way — from the beaches of Rio or online from anywhere in the world.
Join our group classes, chat with Cariocas, and speak Portuguese naturally while discovering Brazil’s culture! 🌞🇧🇷
🧰 Police Objects and Equipment
Every police officer needs their tools! Here’s the full list of common objects you’ll see.
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| a arma de fogo | firearm |
| a arma branca | knife / bladed weapon |
| as munições / a bala / o projétil | ammunition / bullet / projectile |
| o carregador | magazine (for firearm) |
| o colete à prova de balas | bulletproof vest |
| o colete refletivo | reflective vest |
| o cassetete | baton |
| o cassetete elétrico / taser | stun gun / taser |
| o escudo | shield |
| o capacete | helmet |
| a lanterna / sinalizador | flashlight / flare |
| a câmera de segurança / vigilância | security camera |
| o microfone / gravador | microphone / recorder |
| o rádio policial / rádio comunicador | police radio |
| o porta-algemas | handcuff holder |
| as algemas | handcuffs |
| a viatura / viatura policial | police car / patrol car |
| a viatura blindada | armored vehicle |
| a patrulha / patrulhamento | patrol / patrolling |
| o reforço policial | police reinforcement |
| a escolta | escort |
| o mandado / mandado de prisão | warrant / arrest warrant |
| o distintivo | badge |
| a farda | uniform |
| o boné / chapéu policial | police cap / hat |
| o colete de identificação | ID vest |
| o rádio de comunicação | radio communicator |
| o relatório policial | police report |
⚖️ Types of Crimes in Portuguese
Now we get serious! Here’s the complete list of crimes you might hear about in Brazil — from small offenses to big ones.
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| o furto | theft (no violence) |
| o roubo | robbery (with violence) |
| o roubo à mão armada | armed robbery |
| o assalto | assault / robbery |
| o assalto à residência | home invasion |
| o roubo de veículo / furto de veículo | vehicle theft / car theft |
| o roubo de carga | cargo theft |
| o latrocínio | robbery resulting in death |
| o homicídio | homicide |
| o homicídio doloso | intentional homicide |
| o homicídio culposo | unintentional homicide |
| o homicídio culposo na direção | vehicular homicide |
| o feminicídio | femicide |
| o estupro / estupro de vulnerável | rape / rape of a vulnerable person |
| o assédio sexual / moral | sexual / moral harassment |
| a agressão física / verbal | physical / verbal assault |
| a lesão corporal | bodily injury |
| o sequestro / sequestro-relâmpago | kidnapping / quick kidnapping |
| o tráfico de drogas | drug trafficking |
| o tráfico de armas | arms trafficking |
| o contrabando / descaminho | smuggling / customs violation |
| a corrupção / corrupção ativa / passiva | corruption / active / passive |
| o peculato | embezzlement by a public official |
| o estelionato | fraud / swindle |
| a lavagem de dinheiro | money laundering |
| o crime cibernético / informático | cybercrime |
| o crime ambiental | environmental crime |
| o crime eleitoral | electoral crime |
| o crime de injúria / difamação / calúnia | insult / defamation / slander |
| o crime de ameaça | threat |
| o crime de agressão doméstica / violência doméstica | domestic violence |
| o crime contra a pessoa | crime against a person |
| o crime contra o patrimônio | crime against property |
| o crime contra a honra | crime against honor |
| o crime contra a administração pública | crime against public administration |
| o crime organizado | organized crime |
| o crime hediondo | heinous crime |
| o terrorismo / ato terrorista | terrorism |
| a tentativa de homicídio | attempted murder |
| o crime leve / grave | minor / serious crime |
| o contravenção | misdemeanor / minor offense |
🗣️ Police and Legal Expressions
Knowing the right expressions can save you in real situations — or help you understand Brazilian news.
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| prestar queixa / dar queixa / fazer B.O. (boletim de ocorrência) | to file a police report |
| registrar ocorrência / boletim on-line | file an online report |
| fazer busca e apreensão | carry out search and seizure |
| revistar alguém / fazer revista | to frisk / search someone |
| ser preso em flagrante | to be caught red-handed |
| ser detido / ficar detido | to be detained |
| ser colocado em custódia | to be taken into custody |
| ser liberado / ser solto provisoriamente | to be released / on bail |
| cumprir pena / sentença | serve a sentence |
| ser condenado / absolvido | to be convicted / acquitted |
| ser chamado para depor | to be called to testify |
| depor sob juramento | testify under oath |
| confessar um crime / admitir culpa | confess a crime / admit guilt |
| absolver / condenar | acquit / convict |
| entrar com recurso / fazer apelação | to appeal |
| iniciar investigação / inquérito policial | start an investigation |
| cooperar com a polícia | cooperate with police |
| fazer delação premiada | make a plea bargain |
| ser liberado por fiança | be released on bail |
| emitir mandado de prisão | issue arrest warrant |
| prestar socorro | provide aid / assistance |
| avistar / identificar suspeito | spot / identify a suspect |
| ser abordado pela polícia | be stopped by police |
| autuar em flagrante | register a crime in the act |
| colher depoimento / provas | collect testimony / evidence |
| periciar / fazer perícia | do forensic examination |
| cumprir mandado / voz de prisão | execute warrant / make arrest |
| dar voz de prisão a alguém | place someone under arrest |
| conduzir alguém à delegacia | take someone to the station |
| houve troca de tiros | there was a shootout |
| ser intimado / receber intimação | be summoned / subpoenaed |
🧩 Colloquial and Slang Terms
Brazilian Portuguese is full of colorful expressions! Here are some you’ll hear in everyday life, movies, or the news.
| Portuguese | English meaning / usage |
|---|---|
| o X9 | snitch / informant |
| o 171 | fraudster / scammer (article 171 of Penal Code) |
| o cracudo | crack user / junkie (slang) |
| o otário | gullible person / fool |
| o marginal | delinquent / thug |
| o vagabundo | crook / bum |
| “dar no pé” | to run away / escape |
| “meter a mão na massa” | to get hands dirty / act |
| “ser chamado pra depor” | to be called for testimony |
| “fazer vista grossa” | to look the other way / ignore |
💬 Portuguese Practice
Let’s practice a quick dialogue!
At the Police Station
👮 Policial: O que aconteceu, senhor?
🧍 Turista: Fui assaltado na praia e quero fazer um boletim de ocorrência.
👮 Policial: O senhor pode descrever o suspeito?
🧍 Turista: Sim, ele levou minha mochila e saiu correndo!
(Police officer: What happened, sir? / Tourist: I was robbed at the beach and want to file a report. / Officer: Can you describe the suspect? / Tourist: Yes, he took my backpack and ran away!)
Practice with a Video about Police Vocabulary in Portuguese
Let’s review some of the words we have just learned by repeating them after this video. Are you ready? Remember you can always follow us in our Youtube channel!
🏁 Last Thoughts and Useful Tip
If you ever need to talk to a polícia in Brazil, stay calm, polite, and speak clearly. Brazilians are friendly — and officers usually appreciate when foreigners try to speak Portuguese!
You can even start with:
👉 “Bom dia, policial. Preciso de ajuda, por favor.” (Good morning, officer. I need help, please.)
Have you heard about DEAT (Special Police Support Tourism)? The most important DEAT in Rio is at Leblon Neighbourhood and it is a few metro stops from our school. It’s a police department specially prepared to assist tourists in Brazil. But, of course, if you have problems, you can go to any police station. This is great to know if you are looking forward into studying Portuguese in Brazil.
Now you know all the vocabulary — from delegacia to corrupção, from viatura to dar voz de prisão!
So next time you watch a Brazilian series or read the news, you’ll understand everything about the police in Portuguese — like a true Carioca detective. 🕵️♂️🇧🇷
Well, we hope you found this class about the police in Portuguese very helpful!
We’ll meet again on the next Dica! Valeu!
Click on the links below to see more related Dicas
City in Portuguese
Public Institutions
Professions in Portuguese
Online Academic Coordinator at Rio & Learn Portuguese School.
Experienced educational coordinator and teacher since 2007, adept in curriculum development, creating physical and digital educational materials, and leveraging online platforms to enhance learning outcomes